The Secret of a Beating Heart

The Nightmare

The drive to the airport was a long one. Sora was very antsy, and he had a hard time focusing on anything at all. He was drowning in his thoughts.

Was Riku upset with him?

Of course Riku is upset with me.

Was Riku going to yell at him?

Of course Riku is going to yell at me.

Was Riku worried about him?

Of course Riku is worried about me.

Sora was worried about Riku, too. What if that evil demon came back to get Riku? Sora shivered and looked out the window of the car. Evergreens were rushing by in a blur, and it made Sora feel dizzy and slightly nauseous. He just wanted to be home, home with Riku. He wanted to make sure that they would both be safe. Sora was the only one who could see Riku, anyway, so therefore, he was the only one who could keep Riku safe.

A thought dawned upon Sora, that Riku had the necklace. It put his mind at ease. The necklace would protect him. However, Sora knew that Riku wanted nothing more than for Sora to wear the protective charm. He sighed in agitation. Maybe when he goes to his grandma Namine, he can ask for another one? He didn't want to be greedy, but he wanted Riku to be happy, too. Especially now, when Sora doesn't even have the necklace! Sora sighed again, and this time it caught the attention of Cloud.

"What are you sighing about back there, you knucklehead?" Cloud spoke from the passenger seat.

"Leon wouldn't let me get my necklace and I feel really...um... vulnerable without it..." The brunet sighed again, and the two adults chuckled at the young boy.

"It's just a necklace, Sora. We'll be back in a week. You can go that long without it can't you?" Sora said nothing in return, and his parents caught themselves into pleasant conversation. Honestly, Sora didn't know if he could go a week without the necklace, or without Riku. Would his nightmares return? The brunet shivered at the thought and hoped not.

Sora looked over at Roxas, who was seated next to him. The blonde had headphones in, presumably listening to music, as his fingers danced eloquently upon the screen. Sora attempted to glance at his brother's phone to see who he was texting, but he was caught in the act and a warning glare was sent his way.

Sora didn't risk another peek in fear of being caught a second time. He loved his brother, but he could be a scary one. Roxas was neither a lover nor a hater, but instead a mixture of the two. Sora never wanted to be on his bad side. He shivered at the mere thought of it.

His parents had each other, and Roxas had the mysterious receiver of his messages. Sora, however, had no one. He was alone, no one to talk to, no one to poke fun with. The brunet found himself craving Riku's company more than ever. The brunet sighed and looked to the sky. It was past midday, and the sun had just started to set in the sky.

Sora watched the world outside his window for an unknown amount of time. All he knew is that he was observing its beauty until they finally arrived at the Twilight Town Air Port. Sora and his family (plus Riku) lived in a quaint little town called Radiant Garden. Don't be fooled, it's not one large garden or anything. It is indeed a town with a living population.

A famous town myth was how Radiant Garden got its name - from a single woman who grew a garden all on her own. The garden was no ordinary garden, though. Everything the woman planted in that garden shriveled up and died. The woman grew discouraged and had given up gardening for a long, long time.

One day, the woman had to go into town for some supplies. On her way home, she found her gaze fixated on the local flower shop, and after much debate, she went inside. A smile was upon her face as she observed all of the plants. One in particular caught her eye, though. The woman walked to it and read its identification tag. The plant had in fact been a bush, one called a 'Bleeding Heart". On the small limbs of the bush were tiny little red hearts that were split open from the bottom, with another limb growing out, giving the heart the appearance of being broken and bleeding. She smiled at it, but did not buy it.