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Description
Cimmerian Impression

Synopsis:
After the Heartless attack on Destiny Islands, Riku had been taken to the castle of Hollow Bastion to learn the ways of the Darkness, guided by the witch Maleficent. Now he was growing stronger, having faked his interest in the dark path of life, to find the most important thing to him: his friends. But his life is disrupted by an ominous phenomenon which he cannot understand. From time to time he loses himself completely, overthrown by an alien intrusion taking hold of his own mind. What will happen to Riku as this possession grows?

FULL STORY HERE

Chapter 1: Reunion

I knew that I had Darkness somewhere in my heart, but for a while now things had not seemed right.

I lay in bed with a hand in my hair and my eyes closed to concentrate on my breathing. Foul dreams of Maleficent and the Heartless attack on Destiny Islands had haunted me to a horrible awakening. I found myself to be sweating and truly worried by the dream. I couldn’t bear the thought of my friends being hurt by the creatures. Or in time… by me.

Maleficent was not convincing me, even after all the time I’d been pretending to go along with what she had been doing. The Darkness was spreading over the worlds, and my friends were out there. Somewhere. Trying to find me, I hoped, just as I was trying desperately to find them. I let out a sigh and wondered whether Sora and Kairi were going around together… Did Sora defeat the Heartless and escape Destiny Islands with Kairi? Were they fighting the Heartless together and exploring the worlds without me?

My fingers clenched into a fist in my hair and a frustrated huff of breath forced its way through my lips. Increasingly my mind was being agitated with the idea that my friends had replaced me. Bouts of anger had overcome me at random times during my travels and I was beginning to get quite frightened of myself. At times, I doubted my ability to control my body. It was as if some strange force was trying to possess me.

I hummed a low note; mulling over these negative thoughts would not help me get back to sleep so I got up slowly and headed over to the bathroom of the hotel room. I was staying in the Second District of Traverse Town for now, since I had caught wind of Sora frequently passing through. I stayed in the hope of seeing him again. I almost craved the sight of his beaming face. We had grown up together; we were best friends. I swore to protect him and Kairi. I didn’t want anything to happen to them.

I was not so worried about Kairi, I realised. I was more anxious about Sora’s safety. We had trained together and he had become a fair match for me. However, fighting the Heartless in these worlds wasn’t like sparring with sticks on a beach. They were dangerous. If things went badly, or if Sora bit off more than he could chew, he could have been hurt. Or worse…

I slammed down a mental block and looked into my widened, sea-green eyes in the mirror. I could not think that. That was Maleficent’s plan. To make me doubt my friends. To make me turn against them or forget them. What she didn’t know was that my friends are the most important people in all the worlds for me.

My silver hair fell over my shoulders as I hung my head over the sink. Soon, Sora would return to Traverse Town. Soon, I would be able to see him again. While drinking a glass of water, I kept the vision of him smiling and waving in my mind. Calling my name. My recollection of his voice was wavering, but just the thought summoned a smile to my face. With that, I returned to bed, and scrunched the covers into a ball in front of me to hold them gently.

***

I woke up late the next morning with my limbs pressing the ball of covers tightly against me. Upon realising this, I sat up quickly but let a smile grow on my face. I hadn’t done that before; I assumed it was because I was thinking of Sora before I went to sleep. And Kairi, of course. Sora was much more prominent in my mind, though. What can you expect? My partner in crime, my brother in bond. Of course he would be the first to come to mind.

After getting dressed, I grabbed my equipment and left the building with hope making my heart beat faster than it should have done. I headed over to the café in First District for breakfast and a catch-up with the latest news. The Heartless were getting more powerful by the day. First District was very busy because the rest of Traverse Town was experiencing more and more attacks from the creatures. I let my face grow steely and cold to hide my worry and disappointment. They would not attack me since I bore Maleficent’s grant but I didn’t care so much about myself as I did for others. What if the Heartless became too strong? What if Sora couldn’t manage…?

My head shot up at the arrival of a weeping woman bursting into the square. She was holding her terrified daughter in her arms, shuddering and shouting. The kind citizens of Traverse Town were quickly surrounding her and calming her down, and I could just about make out what she was so worked up about.

“The creatures… They attacked us! In Third District! So many of them… A swarm of black shadows and armoured knights. Attacking everyone!”

A wave of fright and doubt pulsed through the crowd. Everybody feared the Heartless spreading to First District which seemed to be the only known refuge from the creatures. There was no guarantee that its safety would remain for much longer.

“They were concentrated around a boy!” the woman continued, stroking her daughter’s hair as she spoke. “A young boy with brown hair. He was fighting them all off with a strange key. He saved us!”

My blade was in my hand and I was on my feet and running before my mind could catch up with my reactions. Sora! He was here! My feet pounded on the paved ground. Adrenaline pushed me faster and faster. I flung open the door to the Second District and ploughed through. Heartless were appearing all around and terrorising those who they could see. They didn’t matter to me so I raced on. My heart felt as if it were being reeled in by a fishing line towards Third District, and I was the being dragged through the tough current of those fleeing in the opposite direction.

I burst into the District and sprinted straight into the square. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw him. He was crouched low to the ground, panting, sweat droplets flying from him as his head whipped round to inspect the shadowy creatures. His wild hair stuck up at odd angles and his bright blue eyes were narrowed in aggression. A white duck and a dog were fighting the Heartless alongside him. Before I could step forward, Sora had leapt into the air with his Keyblade raised aloft and vanquished a group of Heartless with admirable strength and skill. His shout echoed off the high walls.

My heart drummed against my chest and my windpipe constricted to a narrow tube, making it very difficult to breathe. The sight of him fighting so tirelessly and valiantly struck me with awe. Heck, seeing him in general made me weak with joy! His Keyblade pierced the last Joker through the chest, and it vanished to Oblivion, allowing a clear line of sight between myself and him.

His eyes widened and he straightened to his full height. The two animals also turned to face me, asking who I was as they neared my friend. But I was focused on him. His chest and shoulders were moving as he took heavy breaths; his Keychain swung with each of them. My voice caught in my throat for a moment but I managed to force myself to speak a single word.

“Sora.”

The sides of his mouth rose upwards and that prized smile lit up his face. So much bolder than my imagination, and so much more heart warming. And so real! He began to chuckle, then laugh, and he dropped his Keyblade with a clatter to the floor and ran towards me. I did the same; my feet carried me forward with minimal effort. The gravity I felt towards my friend was stronger than my conscious movement.

We came together in an embrace so tight it was like we had been put in a vacuum together. My arms wrapped around his back and shoulder as I pulled him into me and nestled my face in his hair. My heart was beating so loudly I thought that he would have been able to hear it. I laughed with him and felt his arms around my waist, letting me know that he was really here. My laughs were breathless in joy. I hugged him tighter still, and he didn’t make a move in complaint.

“Riku!” he said, as his head lay against my chest. Ah, the sound of my name in his voice made me tingle all over! “Riku, I can’t believe you found me! I’ve been looking all over for you and here you are!”

A laugh passed through me which was almost a sob. He had been looking for me the whole time! He hadn’t forgotten about me. He hadn’t been spending all his time with Kairi. He still cared about me! I knew I should let go of him but I didn’t want to. I wanted to keep his warm body pressed against me at all times so nothing bad could happen to him.

A raspy voice sounded from behind my friend. “Sora? Who is this?”

At once, Sora pulled out of my arms. My heart sank for a split second but flew again when Sora linked arms with me.

“Donald and Goofy, this is my best friend, Riku!” Sora announced with a grin on his face. “He’s one of the people we’ve been looking for!”

While Goofy and Donald had a little celebration, I looked down at my friend. “You haven’t found Kairi yet?” I asked. My arm tightened around his as he shook his head. But when he looked back at me, he was smiling again.

“At least I have you now!” was his reply.

I couldn’t stop myself from bringing him into another short embrace. Finally having him with me felt like a dream and a miracle. We may have only been separated for a month or two, but to me it seemed like years had passed me by without him by my side. He was practically a sibling to me. To have such a close bond like that severed by sudden separation was extremely demoralising to say the least. The relief and thorough joy of being with him was simply bliss.

Sora introduced me to the Donald and Goofy properly. A Mage and a Knight to fight by Sora’s side on a quest to find a mouse called King Mickey, the ruler of their kingdom. They had been travelling the worlds together and defeating the Heartless which appeared wherever they went.

Of course the Heartless would attack Sora unremittingly. He had such a pure heart. To take that would be such a treat for the creatures of Darkness. Maleficent had begun to teach me about them, but the true research belonged to a man named Ansem, she had said. A name that I felt I knew, even though I was positive I had never heard it before in my life. All I knew for sure was that Sora was never going to escape the Heartless for as long as they continued to multiply.

I was shaken from my thoughts by Sora’s hand firmly around my arm. The touch did not make me glaze over with my military persona like with the evil witch; instead it allowed me to bask in its soft warmth and smile.

“What should we do now?” Goofy asked. He seemed like a slow and stupid character to me as he spoke, but his shield held against his arm told me that in battle, he was not.

Donald and Sora both shrugged their shoulders at the same time and turned to me for guidance.
“Is anyone hungry? I left my breakfast half-finished in First District,” I suggested.

Sora was immediately beaming at the thought of food. His hasty nod of agreement was a clear indication of this. The duck and the dog agreed too, so we set off at a much slower pace back to the café. Heartless continued to appear on the way back, but not nearly as many as before. I watched Sora as he fought bravely against them. His Keyblade sliced through the air with a streak of residual force following momentarily. His knuckles were white as he gripped it tightly and the release of pressure he emitted through shouts pulsed through me in a wave of pride. I had been the one to teach him like that and he had kept on board all the advice I had ever given him. His own flare shone through in his style. All of it made it engrossing for me to simply watch him move…
My friend turned to me. I was about to praise him but his expression was not expectant, rather it was questioning. He didn’t press his query, though. Instead he carried on walking towards the door of the First District.

Inside the café, the mother and daughter from before were seated in the corner and eating calmly until she caught sight of Sora, at which point she rose to her feet and pointed. A round of applause thundered in the room as everybody clapped and cheered for the smaller teen. Such an atmosphere lifted my heart and compelled me to join in. Very soon, I felt a smile on my face and my hands stung with each clap. The rosy blush which scorched Sora’s cheeks at the kind attention was nothing short of adorable.

We ate while Sora and the animals told me about their travels. It was amazing to listen to. Having been isolated to Destiny Islands for the vast majority of my life with no knowledge of any other worlds, to hear about the mysterious, gravity defying room and army of playing cards in Wonderland and dangerous tournaments and massive three-headed dogs of legends at Olympus Coliseum was wonderfully thrilling. I was completely fixated on the story to the extent that my lack of blinking apparently spooked Donald, to which I shook my head and laughed.

“What have you been up to, Riku?”

My laugh was cut short in my throat. I turned to Sora who was looking at me with his perfectly innocent blue eyes. He had no idea, and I felt a knot twist deep in my stomach at the prospect of telling him. It could ruin him, knowing I’d been taken in by the darker forces. He might think badly of me. He might leave me…

His hands lay one on top of the other on the table as his eyes encouraged me. Resentfully, I forced a small, fake smile. “I’ve been here and there,” I lied, brushing it off. “Keeping myself busy, you know? Looking for you.”

He fell for it, the trusting and loyal pup that he was. I turned my face away from him and vowed to tell him something closer to the truth later. Perhaps when we were in private.

By the time Sora had finished his plate of stacked pancakes and syrup, it had gone midday. The animals decided to go to the Item Shop which was run by three ducklings. Whenever I went in there they had been either annoyingly cocky or frightened of me. Nevertheless, I would not part from Sora again for as long as I possibly could.

We let Goofy and Donald lollop ahead so that Sora and I could speak more quietly among ourselves. I had my mouth open to start conversation but he beat me to it.

“Why didn’t the Heartless attack you back there, Riku?”

The question came as a surprise to me. I hastily tried to push myself into the mindset of lying but I messed up big time under his questioning gaze. My expression faltered for a while and I was stuck with my mouth open and my brain searching for words. But Sora wasn’t having any of it.

“C’mon Riku, don’t make things up!” he said playfully, but his face showed distant signs of worry. I suppose he thought, what could be so wrong if I couldn’t tell him the truth straight away?

I shut my mouth and looked ahead as I searched for what to say. My heart was ordering me to tell him the truth immediately, but my brain advised me to twist it. Slowly, I said, “During my travels, I met someone who was able to protect me from the Heartless.”

“Really? That’s awesome!” Sora announced, a grin on his face. “So you’ve got nothing to worry about!”

My heart pulled in my chest as his smile immediately won me over. I didn’t reply with anything but a curt nod. Of course he would be happy for me. It warmed me to know that his trust for me hadn’t faltered during our time apart. He linked arms with me as the animals entered the shops ahead and the sensation went straight through me. All my nerves piqued with the contact. I barely had time to register how abnormally strong my reaction was before a curtain of darkness veiled my mind.

I lost myself. Almost completely. My eyes had widened with a gasp, then narrowed in a growl. That anger was back, sparked by my emotion, and was grasping my soul in its fist. The next thing I knew, Sora’s wrists were in my steel grip and I had pinned him with force against the stone wall of the shop.

His entire expression was one of shock. He gasped out my name but the anger forced my body against his. My eyes were practically covered by my fringe. The distorted vision made me growl through a smirk. The power I felt was immense. The power was addictive. I was being dragged under this curse again.

“I missed you so much, Sora,” were the words that came out of my mouth. He was struggling weakly. I could barely feel it. My face was inches from his in aggression. He was trying to form words but they died on his open lips.

“I’m going to keep you forever.”

Sora’s face flushed, but he winced as well. “Riku, you’re hurting me!”

Immediately, the force obscuring my senses lifted. I released my friend at once, stepping a few paces back. My hands shook as I looked at them. What did I just do? Why did I just do that? I looked back at the cowering boy to find he was thumbing red nail marks on his wrist and breathing shallowly.

“Damn… Sora, I… I’m so sorry. I don’t know what…” I stammered. My words failed me and my mind was a tornado of confusion and a heavy wave of fear and self-loathing crashed over me. I’d just hurt my best friend after all this time trying to protect him from danger. I had hurt him. And I hadn’t wanted to stop myself; I had been completely helpless against the imposing power. I wanted to run away and maybe cry, but I also wanted to apologise properly. I could do neither. I was rooted to the spot.

Sora’s wide eyes were welling up; the bright blue a contrast to the pink of his cheeks. He opened his mouth to talk. No words came out. Instead, he turned his back to me and disappeared through the shop door.

I wanted to tell him to wait. I wanted to redeem myself. But all I could manage was an outstretched arm, a stifled gasp, and the recognition of heat in my own cheeks.

Description
Cimmerian Impression

Synopsis:
After the Heartless attack on Destiny Islands, Riku had been taken to the castle of Hollow Bastion to learn the ways of the Darkness, guided by the witch Maleficent. Now he was growing stronger, having faked his interest in the dark path of life, to find the most important thing to him: his friends. But his life is disrupted by an ominous phenomenon which he cannot understand. From time to time he loses himself completely, overthrown by an alien intrusion taking hold of his own mind. What will happen to Riku as this possession grows?

FULL STORY HERE

Chapter 1: Reunion

I knew that I had Darkness somewhere in my heart, but for a while now things had not seemed right.

I lay in bed with a hand in my hair and my eyes closed to concentrate on my breathing. Foul dreams of Maleficent and the Heartless attack on Destiny Islands had haunted me to a horrible awakening. I found myself to be sweating and truly worried by the dream. I couldn’t bear the thought of my friends being hurt by the creatures. Or in time… by me.

Maleficent was not convincing me, even after all the time I’d been pretending to go along with what she had been doing. The Darkness was spreading over the worlds, and my friends were out there. Somewhere. Trying to find me, I hoped, just as I was trying desperately to find them. I let out a sigh and wondered whether Sora and Kairi were going around together… Did Sora defeat the Heartless and escape Destiny Islands with Kairi? Were they fighting the Heartless together and exploring the worlds without me?

My fingers clenched into a fist in my hair and a frustrated huff of breath forced its way through my lips. Increasingly my mind was being agitated with the idea that my friends had replaced me. Bouts of anger had overcome me at random times during my travels and I was beginning to get quite frightened of myself. At times, I doubted my ability to control my body. It was as if some strange force was trying to possess me.

I hummed a low note; mulling over these negative thoughts would not help me get back to sleep so I got up slowly and headed over to the bathroom of the hotel room. I was staying in the Second District of Traverse Town for now, since I had caught wind of Sora frequently passing through. I stayed in the hope of seeing him again. I almost craved the sight of his beaming face. We had grown up together; we were best friends. I swore to protect him and Kairi. I didn’t want anything to happen to them.

I was not so worried about Kairi, I realised. I was more anxious about Sora’s safety. We had trained together and he had become a fair match for me. However, fighting the Heartless in these worlds wasn’t like sparring with sticks on a beach. They were dangerous. If things went badly, or if Sora bit off more than he could chew, he could have been hurt. Or worse…

I slammed down a mental block and looked into my widened, sea-green eyes in the mirror. I could not think that. That was Maleficent’s plan. To make me doubt my friends. To make me turn against them or forget them. What she didn’t know was that my friends are the most important people in all the worlds for me.

My silver hair fell over my shoulders as I hung my head over the sink. Soon, Sora would return to Traverse Town. Soon, I would be able to see him again. While drinking a glass of water, I kept the vision of him smiling and waving in my mind. Calling my name. My recollection of his voice was wavering, but just the thought summoned a smile to my face. With that, I returned to bed, and scrunched the covers into a ball in front of me to hold them gently.

***

I woke up late the next morning with my limbs pressing the ball of covers tightly against me. Upon realising this, I sat up quickly but let a smile grow on my face. I hadn’t done that before; I assumed it was because I was thinking of Sora before I went to sleep. And Kairi, of course. Sora was much more prominent in my mind, though. What can you expect? My partner in crime, my brother in bond. Of course he would be the first to come to mind.

After getting dressed, I grabbed my equipment and left the building with hope making my heart beat faster than it should have done. I headed over to the café in First District for breakfast and a catch-up with the latest news. The Heartless were getting more powerful by the day. First District was very busy because the rest of Traverse Town was experiencing more and more attacks from the creatures. I let my face grow steely and cold to hide my worry and disappointment. They would not attack me since I bore Maleficent’s grant but I didn’t care so much about myself as I did for others. What if the Heartless became too strong? What if Sora couldn’t manage…?

My head shot up at the arrival of a weeping woman bursting into the square. She was holding her terrified daughter in her arms, shuddering and shouting. The kind citizens of Traverse Town were quickly surrounding her and calming her down, and I could just about make out what she was so worked up about.

“The creatures… They attacked us! In Third District! So many of them… A swarm of black shadows and armoured knights. Attacking everyone!”

A wave of fright and doubt pulsed through the crowd. Everybody feared the Heartless spreading to First District which seemed to be the only known refuge from the creatures. There was no guarantee that its safety would remain for much longer.

“They were concentrated around a boy!” the woman continued, stroking her daughter’s hair as she spoke. “A young boy with brown hair. He was fighting them all off with a strange key. He saved us!”

My blade was in my hand and I was on my feet and running before my mind could catch up with my reactions. Sora! He was here! My feet pounded on the paved ground. Adrenaline pushed me faster and faster. I flung open the door to the Second District and ploughed through. Heartless were appearing all around and terrorising those who they could see. They didn’t matter to me so I raced on. My heart felt as if it were being reeled in by a fishing line towards Third District, and I was the being dragged through the tough current of those fleeing in the opposite direction.

I burst into the District and sprinted straight into the square. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw him. He was crouched low to the ground, panting, sweat droplets flying from him as his head whipped round to inspect the shadowy creatures. His wild hair stuck up at odd angles and his bright blue eyes were narrowed in aggression. A white duck and a dog were fighting the Heartless alongside him. Before I could step forward, Sora had leapt into the air with his Keyblade raised aloft and vanquished a group of Heartless with admirable strength and skill. His shout echoed off the high walls.

My heart drummed against my chest and my windpipe constricted to a narrow tube, making it very difficult to breathe. The sight of him fighting so tirelessly and valiantly struck me with awe. Heck, seeing him in general made me weak with joy! His Keyblade pierced the last Joker through the chest, and it vanished to Oblivion, allowing a clear line of sight between myself and him.

His eyes widened and he straightened to his full height. The two animals also turned to face me, asking who I was as they neared my friend. But I was focused on him. His chest and shoulders were moving as he took heavy breaths; his Keychain swung with each of them. My voice caught in my throat for a moment but I managed to force myself to speak a single word.

“Sora.”

The sides of his mouth rose upwards and that prized smile lit up his face. So much bolder than my imagination, and so much more heart warming. And so real! He began to chuckle, then laugh, and he dropped his Keyblade with a clatter to the floor and ran towards me. I did the same; my feet carried me forward with minimal effort. The gravity I felt towards my friend was stronger than my conscious movement.

We came together in an embrace so tight it was like we had been put in a vacuum together. My arms wrapped around his back and shoulder as I pulled him into me and nestled my face in his hair. My heart was beating so loudly I thought that he would have been able to hear it. I laughed with him and felt his arms around my waist, letting me know that he was really here. My laughs were breathless in joy. I hugged him tighter still, and he didn’t make a move in complaint.

“Riku!” he said, as his head lay against my chest. Ah, the sound of my name in his voice made me tingle all over! “Riku, I can’t believe you found me! I’ve been looking all over for you and here you are!”

A laugh passed through me which was almost a sob. He had been looking for me the whole time! He hadn’t forgotten about me. He hadn’t been spending all his time with Kairi. He still cared about me! I knew I should let go of him but I didn’t want to. I wanted to keep his warm body pressed against me at all times so nothing bad could happen to him.

A raspy voice sounded from behind my friend. “Sora? Who is this?”

At once, Sora pulled out of my arms. My heart sank for a split second but flew again when Sora linked arms with me.

“Donald and Goofy, this is my best friend, Riku!” Sora announced with a grin on his face. “He’s one of the people we’ve been looking for!”

While Goofy and Donald had a little celebration, I looked down at my friend. “You haven’t found Kairi yet?” I asked. My arm tightened around his as he shook his head. But when he looked back at me, he was smiling again.

“At least I have you now!” was his reply.

I couldn’t stop myself from bringing him into another short embrace. Finally having him with me felt like a dream and a miracle. We may have only been separated for a month or two, but to me it seemed like years had passed me by without him by my side. He was practically a sibling to me. To have such a close bond like that severed by sudden separation was extremely demoralising to say the least. The relief and thorough joy of being with him was simply bliss.

Sora introduced me to the Donald and Goofy properly. A Mage and a Knight to fight by Sora’s side on a quest to find a mouse called King Mickey, the ruler of their kingdom. They had been travelling the worlds together and defeating the Heartless which appeared wherever they went.

Of course the Heartless would attack Sora unremittingly. He had such a pure heart. To take that would be such a treat for the creatures of Darkness. Maleficent had begun to teach me about them, but the true research belonged to a man named Ansem, she had said. A name that I felt I knew, even though I was positive I had never heard it before in my life. All I knew for sure was that Sora was never going to escape the Heartless for as long as they continued to multiply.

I was shaken from my thoughts by Sora’s hand firmly around my arm. The touch did not make me glaze over with my military persona like with the evil witch; instead it allowed me to bask in its soft warmth and smile.

“What should we do now?” Goofy asked. He seemed like a slow and stupid character to me as he spoke, but his shield held against his arm told me that in battle, he was not.

Donald and Sora both shrugged their shoulders at the same time and turned to me for guidance.
“Is anyone hungry? I left my breakfast half-finished in First District,” I suggested.

Sora was immediately beaming at the thought of food. His hasty nod of agreement was a clear indication of this. The duck and the dog agreed too, so we set off at a much slower pace back to the café. Heartless continued to appear on the way back, but not nearly as many as before. I watched Sora as he fought bravely against them. His Keyblade sliced through the air with a streak of residual force following momentarily. His knuckles were white as he gripped it tightly and the release of pressure he emitted through shouts pulsed through me in a wave of pride. I had been the one to teach him like that and he had kept on board all the advice I had ever given him. His own flare shone through in his style. All of it made it engrossing for me to simply watch him move…
My friend turned to me. I was about to praise him but his expression was not expectant, rather it was questioning. He didn’t press his query, though. Instead he carried on walking towards the door of the First District.

Inside the café, the mother and daughter from before were seated in the corner and eating calmly until she caught sight of Sora, at which point she rose to her feet and pointed. A round of applause thundered in the room as everybody clapped and cheered for the smaller teen. Such an atmosphere lifted my heart and compelled me to join in. Very soon, I felt a smile on my face and my hands stung with each clap. The rosy blush which scorched Sora’s cheeks at the kind attention was nothing short of adorable.

We ate while Sora and the animals told me about their travels. It was amazing to listen to. Having been isolated to Destiny Islands for the vast majority of my life with no knowledge of any other worlds, to hear about the mysterious, gravity defying room and army of playing cards in Wonderland and dangerous tournaments and massive three-headed dogs of legends at Olympus Coliseum was wonderfully thrilling. I was completely fixated on the story to the extent that my lack of blinking apparently spooked Donald, to which I shook my head and laughed.

“What have you been up to, Riku?”

My laugh was cut short in my throat. I turned to Sora who was looking at me with his perfectly innocent blue eyes. He had no idea, and I felt a knot twist deep in my stomach at the prospect of telling him. It could ruin him, knowing I’d been taken in by the darker forces. He might think badly of me. He might leave me…

His hands lay one on top of the other on the table as his eyes encouraged me. Resentfully, I forced a small, fake smile. “I’ve been here and there,” I lied, brushing it off. “Keeping myself busy, you know? Looking for you.”

He fell for it, the trusting and loyal pup that he was. I turned my face away from him and vowed to tell him something closer to the truth later. Perhaps when we were in private.

By the time Sora had finished his plate of stacked pancakes and syrup, it had gone midday. The animals decided to go to the Item Shop which was run by three ducklings. Whenever I went in there they had been either annoyingly cocky or frightened of me. Nevertheless, I would not part from Sora again for as long as I possibly could.

We let Goofy and Donald lollop ahead so that Sora and I could speak more quietly among ourselves. I had my mouth open to start conversation but he beat me to it.

“Why didn’t the Heartless attack you back there, Riku?”

The question came as a surprise to me. I hastily tried to push myself into the mindset of lying but I messed up big time under his questioning gaze. My expression faltered for a while and I was stuck with my mouth open and my brain searching for words. But Sora wasn’t having any of it.

“C’mon Riku, don’t make things up!” he said playfully, but his face showed distant signs of worry. I suppose he thought, what could be so wrong if I couldn’t tell him the truth straight away?

I shut my mouth and looked ahead as I searched for what to say. My heart was ordering me to tell him the truth immediately, but my brain advised me to twist it. Slowly, I said, “During my travels, I met someone who was able to protect me from the Heartless.”

“Really? That’s awesome!” Sora announced, a grin on his face. “So you’ve got nothing to worry about!”

My heart pulled in my chest as his smile immediately won me over. I didn’t reply with anything but a curt nod. Of course he would be happy for me. It warmed me to know that his trust for me hadn’t faltered during our time apart. He linked arms with me as the animals entered the shops ahead and the sensation went straight through me. All my nerves piqued with the contact. I barely had time to register how abnormally strong my reaction was before a curtain of darkness veiled my mind.

I lost myself. Almost completely. My eyes had widened with a gasp, then narrowed in a growl. That anger was back, sparked by my emotion, and was grasping my soul in its fist. The next thing I knew, Sora’s wrists were in my steel grip and I had pinned him with force against the stone wall of the shop.

His entire expression was one of shock. He gasped out my name but the anger forced my body against his. My eyes were practically covered by my fringe. The distorted vision made me growl through a smirk. The power I felt was immense. The power was addictive. I was being dragged under this curse again.

“I missed you so much, Sora,” were the words that came out of my mouth. He was struggling weakly. I could barely feel it. My face was inches from his in aggression. He was trying to form words but they died on his open lips.

“I’m going to keep you forever.”

Sora’s face flushed, but he winced as well. “Riku, you’re hurting me!”

Immediately, the force obscuring my senses lifted. I released my friend at once, stepping a few paces back. My hands shook as I looked at them. What did I just do? Why did I just do that? I looked back at the cowering boy to find he was thumbing red nail marks on his wrist and breathing shallowly.

“Damn… Sora, I… I’m so sorry. I don’t know what…” I stammered. My words failed me and my mind was a tornado of confusion and a heavy wave of fear and self-loathing crashed over me. I’d just hurt my best friend after all this time trying to protect him from danger. I had hurt him. And I hadn’t wanted to stop myself; I had been completely helpless against the imposing power. I wanted to run away and maybe cry, but I also wanted to apologise properly. I could do neither. I was rooted to the spot.

Sora’s wide eyes were welling up; the bright blue a contrast to the pink of his cheeks. He opened his mouth to talk. No words came out. Instead, he turned his back to me and disappeared through the shop door.

I wanted to tell him to wait. I wanted to redeem myself. But all I could manage was an outstretched arm, a stifled gasp, and the recognition of heat in my own cheeks.