♥ Kingdom Hearts: The Adventure That Shouldn't Be ♥

RIKU

I grabbed my hair and tugged on it. I walked alone in the dark down the alleys and streets of Twilight Town. I didn't care where I was going. It didn't matter anyway. Rain poured down on me as I fell to my knees. I spread out my arms and looked up to the sky. Rain mixed with my tears as it all ran down my face. I let my arms fall to my side as I just sat there, crying. There was nothing more for me to do. I missed the way she would look at me as I lay beside her. I missed the way she laughed and her bright, perfect smile. I missed the way she talked about her world and her mother. I missed the way she always tried to find ways to cheer me up, even when she was down. I missed the way she gently covered my mouth when I tried to tell her that I loved her. I missed her stubbornness and her quirky, sarcastic remarks. I missed the way she told me we had to share the bed. Actually…all that seemed quite repetitive. I just missed Her.

Again… I am a thousand miles away from You… and I'm a wreck. I feel like You took all my Heart with You. I used to think that I as better off alone, but ever since I met You, I realized You make me half of who I am. I tried so hard to keep You safe, but I've lost everything along the way. I only know that when I am with You again, I'll have everything that I had ever lost. I've broken into a million pieces and only You can make me whole again.

I found myself wandering again. Tears continued to flow down my face.

I never thought someone could effect me this much or that I would feel like I belonged to Her. I never thought… that my Heart would belong to someone…

"Melody…I wish you could hear me, but I wanted you to know that I love you. I love the way you laugh…I love the way you smile. I love your sensitivity towards other people's problems. I love everything about you and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. Please…please…oh Melody; please find a way out of the darkness. I need you. I need your light."

Somehow, I wandered around the town all through the night. It didn't matter, it's not like I could have slept anyway. I ended back in the Sandlot by morning. The storm had passed by midnight and now the sun was up creating a nice warm breeze. In fact there weren't even any puddles left, everything was already dried up. I saw a pile of black clothes sitting in the middle of the Sandlot. It wasn't until I picked them us I realized who they belonged to. They were perfectly dry, Her cloak and my blindfold. Her cloak had rips and tears in it along with bloodstains that you could only see in the sunlight. My blindfold was perfectly preserved, it looked exactly the way I gave it to Her, other than one spot. It was softer and smoother than the rest of it. I realized that it was the one spot that Mel would rub it, as she was sleeping. I brought Her cloak to my nose and got a strange scent of blood and roses. Tears began to sting in my eyes again.

"Riku…don't cry. You already promised. Oh! And don't forget! You also promised me that you would go back to Destiny Island with the others!" She giggled.

"Melody!?" I turned around quickly but no one was there.

Melody was not there. I brought my hand up to my Heart.

She's inside my Heart…as well as her own Heart.

I decided that I was going to warp back to the gummi ship.

That's where the others should be by now… and if they're not, they will be on their way.

I touched my magic and warped to the control room.

"Bwah-ha-ha-ha!" Donald cried.

I had warped right in front of Donald as he was heading for the spiral stairs.

"You scared me, Riku!" He said short of breath.

I still held Melody's cloak and my blindfold in my hands. His eyes traveled down to them then he looked back up at me.

"S-she's really…gone." I whispered.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and found Axel. Axel also noticed Mel's things in my hand.

"S-she will be missed." He said as tears formed in his eyes, "B-but she would want us…to move on…"

"I can't just let her go." I said as my eyes lowered to her belongings.

"I think…you need a rest. How about you go to your room and rest your eyes. It will be a few days before we get to Destiny Islands…" Sora said.

"Sora…how do you think Kairi will take the news?" Goofy asked.

"N-not very well…" He said uneasily.

"No one will bare this news well. She has touched so many people's Hearts that even Kingdom Hearts will wail with sorrow." I said quietly.

I went down the steps and silently went into my room. I neatly draped Mel's cloak on my chair and then held the blindfold close to my Heart. I sat down on my bed and silently cried to myself again. This sorrow was never going to end. My hands moved towards my pillow when I felt something cold and sharp. I turned over to my side, propped up on my left elbow. On my pillow was Melody's tiara. As I carefully picked it up tears flowed down my face. The last time she wore this was the day we left Radiant Garden. She must have put it in my room the first five minutes before we took off towards Twilight Town. She knew she wasn't coming back. She knew I would put my Heart on the line for her…and she didn't want that to happen. I'm sure she didn't expect everyone to get down on his or her knees after I did. I'll admit it; neither did I. I didn't ask any of them to. Her Heart must have known what I would do for her. But why? Why herself? Why would she do that for me?

Well, duh. It's obvious why…

"I've never felt this alone before. I wish you were here, Peaches. I have so many questions I want to ask you. You always have the answers that are too deep for me to see. Why did you have to go? Why would you let me?"

After no reply, of course, I stood up and began to pace the room.

"Keep the chin up, Tiger. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright 'Peaches'…See you tomorrow."

I smiled sadly as the memories of Melody replay in my mind.

"Well…. If you had trouble beating her then I probably will too…."

"I-I have to fight you?"

"Yeah…why?"

"B-because you've always been the best and strongest sword fighter in Destiny Islands.".

"Sora has beaten me a few times."

"Yeah but you were just goin' easy on me…"

"I know it may get annoying at times, but you should be thankful for all that you have. I would love to hear my dad telling me to be careful…..or my mom asking me to help her bake a cake. I really miss it…."

"I…. I wish I could tell you what really lies in my Heart…"

"I know…. so do I. I'm afraid of …. What might happen if I were to.."

"Lose me? I know. I was thinking the same about you."

"Melody….. I.. do. I really have fallen in l.."

"Don't say it. Please. It will make it harder to say goodbye."

"You make it sound like you don't have a chance at all."

"That's because I know I don't. A vision ran through my head while I slept. I won't tell you what it was about…. Only the fact that I cannot let it happen. It won't happen. Even if it costs me everything…"

"Melody…. whatever it you're thinking…. Don't do it…Melody…. I can't lose you again. I won't make it. You're the light in my Heart. You always have been…"

"It's my responsibility to keep everyone safe. I won't let Zexion take you all away from me.."

"Was that what happened?"

"Somewhat…. I won't explain it any further. You can't know…"

"Why not?"

"Because…. Then you might… it might actually happen…"

"Riku……what would you do…if … if I was lost to darkness?"

"Why would you ask such a question?"

"Because…deep down inside…I know I will lose my Heart. I don't have a choice. It's my Fate, just like your Fate is to watch me fall to darkness…but I am asking you what would you do?"

"If you fell to darkness…"

"I will seek revenge on Zexion. Then I would probably die with a broken heart."

"Riku…you know revenge with not solve anything…"

"It may not……but it will make me feel better…"

"It will just fill your Heart with anger and pain…"

"Then maybe you shouldn't leave me…"

"Riku…it's Fate. I can't control it."

"Then I don't know what I would do! What answer do you want to hear from me?"

"That you will go back to Destiny Islands with everyone else… and you will move on."

"I can't do that Melody. I won't be able to just let you go."

"Yes! You can! You'll have to. If I do lose my Heart…there is no way I can come back…"

"What happened to the Peaches I knew a few minutes ago? She believed anything was possible!"

"I believe many things are possible…I don't think that there is a way to come back. I am the first person to ever have a Pure Heart."

"Sora came back…"

"He came back because even as a Heartless he had his will to be with Kairi. Heartless is the darkness in people's Hearts. I don't have any darkness."

The last memory I had of her passed through my mind last.

"Riku…I'm sorry…"

I sat down in the chair as I brought my hands up to my face and tried to wipe the tears away, but the just kept falling.

How can I let her go? She showed me the meaning of life, light, and darkness. She showed me what it's like to love and be loved in return. How can I just let that go?

"I can't." I suddenly said aloud. "I can't let you go, Peaches. I'm sorry. No…I'm not going back to Destiny Islands like I promised. I am going to search for you. Wherever you are, I will find you and I won't go back to Destiny Islands until I do. Home isn't home without you there. No matter how long it takes…I will find you…."

I quickly rummaged around my room to scratch up a pen and paper. I jotted down a note to the guys that said, 'Sorry…but I've gone off to find Melody. I've realized that I cannot live without her and so I'm going to find her. I know I broke her promise, but she'll just have to forgive me. You will all have to as well. Please don't come and look for me. I need to do this alone. This is my burden now, to carry Melody's Heart, not that it is a burden. I will not be coming back to Destiny Islands until I find Melody. Please…tell Kairi I'm sorry as well. I'll miss you all.' And then I signed it and put it under Melody's tiara on the pillow of my bed. I knew the only way that I could get off the ship without the others knowing was to warp, but I've never warped out of a moving ship before. It was a very risky move.

I don't care. Melody taking her own Heart was more risky than this and Melody did it without thinking about it.

I touched my magic and warped to the nearest world.

I fell out of some sky and fell into water. When I swam up to the surface, I realized I was in an ocean, and nearby was a ship that looked familiar.

I'm in Neverland.

It was the perfect place to begin my search for Mel. I remember Sora telling me that he believed he could fly and it happened. I closed my eyes and believed.

Melody would believe too. She believed just about anything.

I felt myself lift out of the water a little bit, but then I fell back in.

"Why isn't it working?" I said aloud.

"You need pixy dust…" Said a voice.

I looked in the air above me and saw a boy with pointy ears flying above me along with a small yellow and green fairy buzzing around him.

"You are Riku, aren't you? Sora's friend?"

"Yes…"

"What are you doing here again?"

"I'm looking for someone…Sora is fine and so is Kairi. There's another that you haven't met yet and she means everything to me."

"Well… that's good enough for me… what do you think, Tink?"

I heard a small jingle and then the Fairy flew around my head sprinkle some sort of powder all over my head.

"There… now believe… and then you'll fly!"

I closed my eyes and believed. I believed it all. I felt myself lift out of the water as sparkles followed me.

"You can fly!"

"I-I can…" I whispered.

"Well…since you are Sora's friend, I will lead you around Neverland and help you find your friend."

"Thanks…"

"No problem!"

"I'm sorry…but I don't remember you names. I was caught up in a bunch of ugly things last time I was here."

"That's fine. My name is Peter Pan. This is Tinkerbelle."

"Nice to meet you. I'm glad you've both been so helpful."

They both smiled and flew off above the sea. I spread out my arms a bit and flew forward.

If I weren't so sad and depressed…this would be wonderful. I wish Melody was with me. She'd be having a blast.

"Come on!" Peter called out with a smile

And thus began my long and seemingly endless journey to find Melody…

Kingdom Hearts credits go to Squaresoft® and also include Disney® characters and Final Fantasy® characters.

♥5♥