Summary: Riku’s lonely year consists of finding any possible clue in order to find Sora. He thinks he’s alone, but there are people who love him, and they want to make sure he knows it.
5 times Riku opened his heart to the people around him, and 1 time he reforged a connection to someone who used to be dear to him.
WHEN RIKU IS NOTHING MORE THAN A LITTLE BOY, delighting in running around the shores of Destiny Islands with Sora, playing pirates and collecting sea glass, he meets someone that doesn’t belong in their little world.
It’s not like it was a hard deduction to make. Riku might’ve only been six at the time, but even he could tell that Terra was from somewhere else.
The clothes were a dead give away, he silently chuckled to himself, as he leaned back in his chair. With a book in front of him that he barely paid attention to, Riku’s mind wandered too far away in old memories.
The castle in Land of Departure felt too big often, and even though he had searched the entirety of it for any clue of where Sora might be, he still visited from time to time, to see if there had been anything he had missed previously.
But the castle remained the same, and nothing new had been uncovered. He tried so hard to not let it discourage him, but as the days passed by, he could feel his faith beginning to shrink.
He would still keep going, he made an oath after all, but he couldn’t deny the loneliness he felt all the same.
“Somehow, I knew I would find you here.”
Startling at the unexpected voice, Riku turned to look at the entrance of the library. Terra had been leaning against the doorway, straightening up once Riku realized he was there.
Approaching the silver-haired boy, Terra looked at the book splayed on the desk.
“Still searching for hidden clues?”
Riku let out a sigh at those words, suddenly feeling very noticed. “Yeah, I figured, maybe there was something I missed from last time.”
Terra looked at the boy next time, feeling his heart grow heavy from his downtrodden expression. This was the boy he had bequeathed all those years ago, the boy whose light he had been able to see outshine Destiny Islands entirely.
Learning that Riku had fallen into darkness, just as he himself had, struck a chord within him. He feared that this was his fault, that he had somehow cursed Riku with this fate. But unlike him, Riku had been able to find his way back to the light, with Sora never giving up on him.
And what’s more, Riku’s decision to use his darkness for good, to walk a path in-between two sides, Terra had felt so much awe and pride for this boy.
Truly, the best of both worlds.
However, he didn’t want Riku to become so consumed with searching for Sora. Everyone has been doing their part, and now, it was his part to make sure Riku took a break before he wore himself down.
“Well, I can see you’ve made a pretty good dent on the books so far,” here, Terra couldn’t help but cast a bewildered glance at the other ten books sitting in a neat pile next to the open one Riku had been reading.
Catching sight of his glance, Riku gave a scowl at the perceived judgment.
“But, I’m sure Sora wouldn’t want you to exhaust yourself like this. I think he would be suggesting a break right now.”
At those words, Riku paused and reflected.
It’s true that Sora wouldn’t have wanted him to overexhaust himself. He would nag him and scold him, frustrated that Riku wasn’t taking care of himself. Then, he would take it upon himself to distract Riku from whatever worries were plaguing him, and then pat himself on the back once he successfully managed to do it.
Heaving a sigh that was more playfully annoyed than containing any true heat, Riku stood up, cracking his fingers and joints.
“Alright fine, but now you owe me a spar.”
Smug brown eyes crinkled with a smile, and competitive sea green eyes flashed with the extracted promise of letting out steam through a fight.
Riku may have changed from his cocky days back at Destiny Islands, but there was no denying that his blood still sang songs of dancing through an opponent and jabbing weak spots.
“You’re on, I’ve been wanting a rematch.”
“ARE YOU ENJOYING THE WAFFLES, RIKU?”
It still felt a bit surreal to be eating breakfast with an actual queen. But Minnie has always welcomed Riku, and had been very insistent for him to call her by her name, without any honorifics.
The waffles in question were, amusingly, shaped like Mickey, with his face included as well. The waffles were sprinkled with powdered sugar, strips of toasted bacon, scrambled eggs on the side, and even fresh strawberries in a cup included.
“Yeah, thanks for this Minnie,” cutting another piece of his waffles, Riku savored the sugar on his tongue.
Ever since becoming Sora’s dream eater, Riku had to admit that his taste buds had changed. Before, he had been indifferent to sweet things, preferring savory foods over candies. But now, he constantly found himself craving sugar.
It was a miracle that he didn’t have any cavities, considering the amount of times he’s sneaked into a kitchen in order to eat a slice of cake.
Minnie had caught him last night, and his sputtered apologies were met with an amused, knowing look. All she did was reassure him that there was nothing to apologize for, and herded him back to his room after finishing his cake.
This morning, instead of the waffles being plain with just syrup, powdered sugar had been added. He had felt a brief sense of embarrassment before his instincts took over, not able to deny his body the craving it wanted.
Minnie giggled at his glazed eyes, hiding her smile under her hand.
“Whenever you have a craving for sweets, don’t be afraid to seek me out. There’s no need to sneak around, everything is at your disposal here.”
With the fork in his mouth, Riku wasn’t able to gape like he wanted to. Everything was at his disposal? There was no way that could be true, he was only a guest after all.
After chewing and swallowing his food, Riku looked at her in confusion. “Everything is at my disposal? But Minnie, I’m only a guest here.”
She shook her head, wagging her finger at him playfully. “You aren’t just a guest Riku, you’re a dear friend of Mickey and I. If I say everything is at your disposal, then I mean it.”
He could read between her words; everything being at his disposal meant that he could use their resources to find clues for the whereabouts of Sora.
He didn’t know if he deserved all of this kindness, but it was touching all the same. “Thank you, Minnie. I appreciate everything you and Mickey have done for me.”
The words didn’t feel enough for the gratitude blossoming in his heart, but her smile let him know that she understood all the unsaid words.
Thank you for accepting me.
Thank you for being my friend.
Thank you for helping me.
The silence wasn’t awkward, it was pleasant and calm. Riku continued to savor his waffles, and Minnie continued to watch her son enjoy his breakfast.
It may be too soon to let Riku know of the adoption plans she and Mickey had been discussing, and she just knew he would have the most amusing facial expression when they’ll finally be able to tell him.
The words were spoken softly, and one would’ve thought it had to do with the person not wanting to spook the other, as if they were a cornered animal, but Riku knows that isn’t Naminé’s intention.
Since he met her, she’s always been soft-spoken, her voice calm and serene, it’s always been pleasant for him to hear.
Twilight Town always held uncomfortable memories, with thoughts of Roxas and Xion always circling in his head, guilt rising as a lump in his throat at what he had to do (at what he would always choose to do) to help Sora wake up.
However, he couldn’t deny the beauty of the town always bathed in sunset hues, and the view was especially captivating in Sunset Hill.
Naminé must’ve thought the same, considering she was carrying a basket. Spotting her sketchbook, coloring tools, and even a blanket, he assumed she picked this spot to do her favorite activity.
But right now, he doesn’t know what to answer her question with. He’s not alright, he doesn’t think he’ll be alright until Sora is back home, safe and sound.
Kairi is still sleeping, trying to find any kind of clue to help find Sora, and he feels lonelier than he’s ever been. But acknowledging his misery out loud feels too much, too vulnerable, even though he knows Naminé will never judge him.
She knows too much about him, and accepts it all.
“I’ve been alright,” the answer sounds lame, even to him, but it’s all that managed to come out from his throat.
Naminé gives him a look, the one that says I know you’re lying, but I’ll let it slide because I know you.
He feels like a little boy caught with his hand in a cookie jar, and the shamed embarrassment causes him to glare down at the floor.
For all his progress, being emotionally vulnerable with people still seems to escape him.
“In that case, sit with me while I paint,” Naminé took the soft blue blanket from the basket, setting it down on the grass, getting her sketchbook out to begin her process.
Looking at his friend, knowing he wasn’t okay but deciding to not push it, instead giving him a chance to relax in silence, Riku couldn't believe how lucky he truly was.
They exchanged smiles, and Riku laid down next to her, closing his eyes and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. The sounds of the pencil sketching made him drowsy, and while he knew he would be back on his feet in search of a clue, he took the time to just breathe and exist.
A light blue popsicle unexpectedly showed up beside him, the hand holding it belonging to a black haired girl with familiar features.
Riku had been sitting on the edge of the Clock Tower, mindlessly staring at the horizon. His bones ached, he felt tired, and he had nothing to lose by passing the day away in the tower.
He had come up here to be alone, but only succeeded in feeling isolated. He didn’t want to be alone, but he also didn’t want his mood to drag somebody else’s down.
Having a sea salt ice cream suddenly show up in his face startled him, and even more when he noticed who it was that was offering it.
Realizing that the lack of an answer was starting to become a bit awkward, he grabbed the offered ice cream.
“Thanks,” it was all he could offer back, not knowing how to talk with her after everything that had happened. His monosyllabic answer didn’t deter her one bit, Xion proceeded to sit down next to him, her own sea salt ice cream in hand.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Xion bit her popsicle, staring into the same horizon as Riku. Glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, Riku nodded.
He wanted to answer her better, but every time he thought about Xion or saw her, the guilt threatened to eat him alive. What he had done to her and Roxas was unforgivable, and even though he had personally apologized to both of them, one-on-one, he never once expected for them to be comfortable in his presence.
Roxas was still noticeably wary of him, but he did accept his apology. Xion accepted his apology as well, but had a strange look on her face.
He took it as them preferring to keep away from him from there on, which he understood.
And yet, here she was, sitting beside him and even offering him ice cream.
Before he could stop it, the words tumbled out. An absentminded hum answered him, Xion turning to look at him. Whatever she saw on his face must’ve been enough of a clue to know what he was thinking, because she rolled her eyes.
“I hope you weren’t about to apologize again.”
He looked at her like a deer-caught-in-headlights, not knowing how to reply to that. Xion sighed, knowing she should have expected something like this.
“Riku, you’ve already apologized to me. I accepted your apology, there’s nothing more to it.”
Riku couldn’t understand why Xion even accepted his apology in the first place.
“How could you accept it though? After everything I did to you and Roxas…” Here, Riku looked down, not wanting to stare at her anymore out of shame.
A delicate touch to his hand startled him, and he picked his head to see her staring at him with a smile.
“I accept it, because I don’t want to live my life with a heart full of resentment. I think I’ve had enough of that for a lifetime.”
Her smile was reassuring, and even though he still couldn’t believe that she accepted him, he knew there was no changing her mind.
After a moment, he smiled back, green eyes softening. The sight was enough for Xion to beam at him, and the two turned back to look at the horizon, eating their ice creams.
Their hands were still touching, but this time, they moved to be in between them, a new connection forged between two people that wanted to learn how to be friends with one another.
“YOU’VE BEEN SUCH A GOOD HELP, RIKU. THANK YOU FOR THIS.”
Despite his history with Hollow Bastion and what he had done to Sora in their first adventure, Aerith still looked at him with kindness.
She greeted him with a hug whenever she could, and always made small talk with him. There was something about Aerith, something warm and comforting. He could never explain what it was about her, only that he knew instinctively that she was someone trustworthy.
Which is why he wasn’t surprised that when she caught sight of him, her face bloomed.
Radiant Garden had to be one of the most beautiful worlds he had ever seen. He still couldn’t believe that this was Kairi’s home world, where she had been born.
It fit her though, in a way he couldn’t explain.
Aerith had caught sight of him walking, looking a little lost, and wrangled him into helping her with picking flowers. Here he was now, carrying a wagon full of flowers of different kinds and colors. Having finished with the errand, the two were now walking back to Aerith’s house.
“Happy to help,” Riku smiled at her, feeling relaxed in a way he never expected he would feel at picking flowers.
Pulling up on her doorway, Aerith gestured for Riku to come through the back, since the wagon wouldn’t be able to fit inside her house.
Aerith’s garden was as lively as he expected it to look, only that this time, her flower bed was full of the yellow flowers he saw that she preferred.
Noticing where his gaze was, Aerith looked at the flower bed before turning to look at him. “Are you wondering about that one?”
Knowing he was caught, Riku looked at her sheepishly. Chuckling, Aerith placed her flower basket down, and walked into the center of the flower bed, gesturing for him to follow.
“This is a lily, and they represent different things depending on the color. Yellow lilies symbolize joy, happiness and friendship. It’s a flower you can gift to a friend.”
Bending down, she picked one of the lilies, before standing upright and turning to him. “It also represents reunion.”
Looking at the flower she was giving him, Riku’s hand trembled a bit as he hesitated to take it. What if his touch tainted it, or worse, made it wither?
Aerith herself put the flower in his hand, and she used both of her hands to keep it there, holding his hand.
The touch was warm, and he felt the unnerving urge to cry. Shaking his head to dispel that away, Riku looked at Aerith’s comforting smile.
“I believe that you’ll find him Riku, and that you two will be reunited.”
The words were so simple, but they were everything Riku needed to hear today. Someone believed in him, and it felt better that that someone was Aerith.
No more words were needed, as Aerith took him in her arms and held him. And if he ended up silently crying on her shoulder, she never once breathed a word of it to anyone.
IT FELT UNREAL, TO SEE KAIRI FINALLY AWAKE.
He tried to find out if there were any news from her as much as he could, but he couldn’t bring himself to spend much time at her side.
Seeing her unconscious, sleeping like a doll, it reminded him too much of their first journey, where he had messed up and caused everything to spiral even further.
But after the news from Fairy Godmother, that he might possibly be one of the keys to finding Sora, he needed to see Kairi, to see her one last time before anything else could happen.
Seeing her face beaming once she caught sight of him, the relief in her voice as she called his name surprised him.
After all, it had been a while since they’ve spent time together, properly together. Every day, he could feel that their bond just wasn’t like it used to be, and he knows that it’s mainly his fault. His actions at the beginning, his distant attitude that started even before they left the islands… He truly has a lot to make up for.
Before Fairy Godmother could bring them to the third key of finding Sora, she winked at Riku and herded everyone out of the room, leaving just him and Kairi.
Said girl plopped down on the same chair she had been sleeping in, letting out a heavy sigh.
“So, I’ve been asleep for a year, huh…” Her eyes looked melancholic as she stared down at the floor, and Riku opened his mouth before closing it again, not knowing what to say.
Their dynamic felt so different, too different from before, that he just didn’t know how to talk to her anymore. They were two puzzle pieces that no longer felt familiar to one another, and didn’t know how to fit anymore.
In the end, he clenched his fist and took a deep breath, deciding to be brave. Riku sat down next to her in the chair, making Kairi look at him.
“How about I catch you up in what I’ve been doing?” He offered her a smile, extending an olive branch that he never realized he should’ve done a long time ago.
He wanted to reforge his connection with her, to be friends with her like they used to be before, and he knows this is a friendship that’s worth putting effort in.
Her joyful smile, full of unsaid words, uplifted him, and let him know this was the right thing to do.
And so, Riku told her all about sparring with Terra, having breakfast with Minnie, relaxing with Naminé, eating sea salt ice cream with Xion, and picking flowers with Aerith.
By the end of it, Kairi’s head was leaning on his shoulder, the two friends pressed close against one another, enjoying the comfort of the moment.
Their friendship isn’t what it used to be, but there’s no shame in reconnecting with someone. Perhaps this time, their friendship will be even stronger than the past one, and one day, their puzzle pieces will align once more.
A/N: Happy Riku Day 2025!! I'm actually extremely proud of this one-shot, I think it's my best work yet. I know I wanted to do something sentimental for Riku, as he's one of my favorite characters in KH, and I believe this captured exactly what I wanted to convey.
Riku has made so much progress from his bitter and lonely days in KH1, and I think it's pretty important to capture that progress. Also, I just want Riku to be friends with other people lol. Nomura, let Riku have friends 😤.
I hope you all enjoy this piece from me, and once again, happy @khrikuday everyone 💜🎉!
This work is now available in AO3!
gummygunk
janainaart
pixelskylines
titsay
vaporwave
andulkaphoto
baratheonpilled
ellievsbear
jacobvanloon
