When Kairi returned, sitting on the Paopu tree, Sora wasn’t with her.
Everyone there at the Islands felt his loss; felt his absence as tears rolled down Kairi’s face. They decided to stay for a week or so as Kairi and Riku got over the reeling shock of having Sora, kind constant Sora ripped away from them.
So, then, they weren’t sure how to feel when Sora returned- sort of.
A version of Sora washed up on the beach of the Islands, fingers shaped into claws, eyes almost glowing red, and shrouded in the Darkness they never thought he’d fall to.
He crouched defensively if anyone approached until Kairi and Riku came running up the beach, shouting his name.
Not-Sora whirled, growling and running at the two.
“Riku! Kairi!” shouts of alarm rang out as Sora pounced, knocking Riku to the ground.
Riku blinked as the creature on top of him nuzzled his neck instead of attacking.
Not-Sora purred at the sound of his name, curling up in Riku’s lap as the other boy sat up.
Kairi sat down next to them. “I think it is Sora.”
“Anti-form.” Roxas cut in softly, almost in a trance.
Riku looked up quickly. “What?”
Shaking his head, Roxas replied, “I can wield pure light as a weapon. Sora does… almost the opposite. It’s not really wielding Darkness but when he gets desperate enough, Sora’s Darkness… wields him, in a way.”
“I lived in that guy’s heart for the better part of a year. I know how much Darkness he hides.” He smiled, “I’ve also fought Anti-Form.”
Riku ran his fingers through Anti-Sora’s hair. “You’ve fought him like this? He seems harmless.”
“Only because it’s you. He was growling at the rest of us earlier.” Lea cut in.
Roxas nodded. “As far as I could tell, that’s Sora with most of his cognitive abilities stripped away. He doesn’t really recognize us.”
“So why does he recognize me?”
Kairi laughed. “Isn’t it obvious, Riku? It’s because you’re Sora’s Light.”
“His Light. Sora loves you.”
“I…” Riku flushed. “He loves a lot of people. He loves all of you.”
“Not the same way he loves you. And you love him.”
He spluttered, starting to defend himself, “I don’t-”
Kairi cut him off with a look and he pulled Anti-Sora a little closer.
“So how do we get our Sora back?”
Turns out, no one knew how to get Sora back.
It was okay though; Anti-Sora was content to lounge next to Riku on the beach. They hadn’t tried to get Sora back to the Main Island; there would be too much to explain and they weren’t sure how he’d react.
That just meant Riku couldn’t leave the Play Island either. He’d started moving both of them into the tree house; Kairi was bringing him clothes and food, but he needed a more permanent solution.
So he’d started building the treehouse out. Riku had honestly been planning on moving to the Play Island anyway. His parents hadn’t survive Destiny Islands’ fall to Darkness, the stress too much for them- they’d always been on the frail side.
Sora tended to sit in the shade while he worked; seemingly relaxed. He’d perk up when he heard a boat coming, reluctant to leave when Riku shooed him into the bushes.
It was Old Man Natsu who’d stepped onto the Island, with a generator and wiring in hand to rig up the new built out tree house.
Riku smiled as the man taught him wiring and how to start the generator- it was hydro-powered, so all Riku needed to do was make sure the rotor was in flowing water, which was easy enough on the Play Island.
An old fridge and stove were installed next, and the old treehouse was pretty much a home for Riku and Anti-Sora.
Their bed- there was only one, as Anti-Sora only slept if he was on Riku- was little more than a mattress on the floor. (Riku dragged it from the Gummi Ship hidden in the Secret Place.) But it was enough for them.
Riku sighed, looking down at Anti-Sora curled up on his chest. It was almost like owning a very large cat. Which was nice, Riku loved cats.
But he really wanted his best friend back.
He ran a hand through Sora’s hair.
“Hey there,” he’d caught Sora’s attention, smiling. “I know I talk to you a lot like this, but can you even understand me like this?”
Sora tilted his head further into Riku’s hand, letting out a little “chirrup” noise.
Riku chuckled, “I… gods, I miss you, Sora.” He pressed his forehead to Sora’s, “I know you’re here but it’s not enough. I need you, I need your light.”
Again, Sora chirruped, pressing curious hands to Riku’s cheeks, which were wet with tears.
“Kairi said I’m your Light…” Riku urged, “So follow me home.”
Sora let go of his face, curling up again in Riku’s lap in response, still shrouded in Darkness.
“I don’t know how to help him,” Riku sighed, glancing at the gummiphone set up on the counter as he cooked. “He eats, but not really enough, and he still doesn’t talk.”
“Well, if it’s a problem with his cognition it makes sense that he’d be nonverbal,” Ienzo speculated, brows furrowing, “but the not eating is concerning. How have you gotten him to eat when he does?”
“Physically put it in his mouth.”
“For now,” Ienzo glanced at his computer. “I wonder if Sora isn’t eating because he doesn’t recognize food.”
Riku glanced at Sora, curled up around his shirt. “It’s very possible. There are days he doesn’t even recognize Kairi.”
“Who does he recognize most often, aside from you?”
Ienzo made another note. “Maybe then it’s hearts he’s recognizing. I think Ventus’s heart is the one he knew the longest, aside from yours.”
“So he’s what like… a Heartless?”
“No, not that. He can just sense hearts, so he stays by the ones he knows the best.”
Riku hummed. “That still doesn’t really tell us how to get him back.”
“I know. I wish I could help more but it’s hard when I can’t see him in person.”
“I can try to bring him to Radiant Garden, but I don’t know how he’ll react to the Gummi Ship. Or you.”
“If you can come, let me know. Oh, and you should probably tell the King. They couldn’t be there when Sora returned, I’m sure Donald and Goofy are worried.”
Riku nodded. “You’re right, thanks. I’ll let them know.”
“Have a good day, Ienzo.”
As soon as he hung up the phone, Sora was wrapped around his middle.
“Well, hello to you too.” Riku chuckled, accustomed to being randomly attacked by Sora. “Was I on the phone too long?”
Sora growled in response, arms tightening around Riku’s waist.
“You’re possessive today. Is everything ok?”
“Bad day? Would you like something to eat?”
A mumbled noise behind him got Riku to turn around.
His face was pinched, as if he was trying to think of something he couldn’t quite remember.
“…ku…Ri…ku…Riku! Riku, Riku!”
Riku grinned. “That’s right! I’m Riku!”
“Come on, Sora, let’s eat.”
Sora grumbled again but followed Riku to the table.
There were two chairs at the table, but it seemed that Sora preferred to curl up as much as he could on Riku’s lap. It was almost as if the boy was touch starved and Riku realized with a jolt that he hardly hugged Sora anymore- keeping a distance unconsciously because he didn’t deserve Sora’s friendship, but couldn’t bring himself to actually leave.
He frowned, recognizing slowly that his fears and denials about his feelings were hurting his friend.
But he couldn’t say it. Not to this Sora.
“Hey, do you want to go on a trip today?”
“We can go see a friend who can help you.”
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” Riku smiled, popping a piece of chicken into Sora’s mouth. “Remember you need to eat.”
Sora chewed and looked up at Riku, and the two finished their lunch quickly in this way before walking around the Island.
“Do you remember the Secret Place?” Riku asked as they wandered vaguely in that direction.
Sora, ever the silent shadow, had no response for Riku, though he did recoil slightly at the entrance, torn between following Riku and memories of the Secret Place.
Tentatively, Sora stepped into the Secret Place, following Riku.
“We’ll be out of here soon. We just need the ship.” He herded Sora onto the Gummi Ship, smiling as Sora curled up at his feet. “Ready?”
The trip to Radiant Garden was, surprisingly, uneventful.
Getting from the Gummi Ship to the castle, however, was not.
Riku hadn’t counted on Leon, Cloud, and Yuffie showing up as soon as the ship landed.
“Sora?” Leon called, looking around for the kid.
Riku chuckled nervously. “He’s—ah—not himself right now. You guys might want to step back.”
“I was hoping Ienzo would be able to help. Roxas- Sora’s Nobody who grew a heart- called it ‘Anti-Form.’ It’s… well…”
Sora bounded out of the Gummi Ship into Riku’s back.
“Sora!” Riku stumbled before turning and catching him. “I could have fallen.”
Sora muttered an apologetic, “Riku…” as the other three gaped.
“Sora?” Cloud questioned, stepping forwards. “Are you ok?”
Almost immediately, Sora growled, shifting into a defensive stance.
Cloud stepped back, confused. “What…?”
“He doesn’t really recognize anyone.”
Riku shrugged. “I’m about to ask Ienzo. I’ll let you know when we find something.”
Leon nodded. “We’ll clear the streets for you and Sora. Try to make sure you see the fewest people possible.”
“Thank you,” Riku smiled as they left, Sora relaxing at his side. “I’m sorry, Sora. I didn’t realize this would be so stressful.
Sora grumbled, curling close.
“Come on. We just have to talk to Ienzo, then we can go home.”
So on they went, streets blessedly empty thanks to Leon, Cloud, and Yuffie.
Ienzo looked up when the two entered the lab, smiling. “Hello.”
“Hi,” Riku replied with a wave. He kept a hand on Sora’s, making sure he didn’t hurt himself on the equipment. “Here we are.”
“How is he?” Ienzo asked, nodding towards Sora.
“He’s still not eating on his own, but he can say my name.”
“Yes, Sora,” he laughed, “I’m right here.”
“Riku…” Sora all but purred, unaware of Ienzo’s stare.
And with that, they got started. It took several hours, and Sora has gone to curl up in the corner before Ienzo sat back with a sigh.
“It seems that I am not the one who can help him.”
“He can’t find his way back. Not all the way. But I’m not the one who can lead him home.”
Ienzo chuckled. “I’m sure you can find the answer, Riku. He’s around you most often.”
“It is,” he smirked. “Go home and think about it, I think Sora’s getting tired.”
Sora perked up at the sound of his name, chirruping tiredly.
“Alright,” Riku conceded, “Thank you for trying.”
Days passed back on Destiny Islands.
It was getting harder for Riku; harder to be near Sora while he wasn’t really Sora, harder to keep his feelings in. Harder to stop thinking of Sora as his.
“Sora, why can’t you come back to me? To us?” Riku ran his fingers through Sora’s hair. “What else do you need?”
Sora curled further towards Riku’s hand, fingers gripping his shirt. “Riku… Riku.”
“Me? What do you need me to do?”
Riku shifted, pressing his forehead to Sora’s. “I’m right here. Come home to me. I—I need you. You’re my Light, Sora. I—” He squeezed his eyes closed. “I love you.”
A sharp gasp above him had Riku opening his eyes, watching as the shadows retreated from Sora’s face and, for the first time in months, he gazed into crystal blue eyes.
“Sora,” he gasped, pulling the boy to him. “You’re back.”
Sora smiled, pulling back slightly. “Did you mean it, Riku? You love me?”
“Yes,” Riku laughed, “Gods, yes, Sora, I think I’ve loved you since we were kids.”
Sora grinned, eyes welling with tears. “I love you too, Riku. I love you.”
Riku choked on a sob before pulling Sora into a kiss.
