Sorrow's Promise

Chapter 44

Springlock 2:  haha, thanks!  And...sorry?  For making your life crumble?  Must be a good crumbling since you're so excited to keep going!

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We didn't speak until they were out of earshot, just continued to stare at each other. Riku was the one to finally break the silence.

"Where have you been? When I found out you weren't with Sora anymore, I was worried sick."

"Oh, because I'm not capable of taking care of myself?" I retorted. Honestly, it was nice to know that he had been worried about me, but I had to try to keep up a wall if I was going to be able to go through with this. It was a little easier now, looking at those amber eyes, with my insides still crawling from Saix's earlier "convincing", than I thought it might be. Even though I had forgiven Riku, this stranger before me still incited anger.

Riku shook his head. "You know that's not what I meant. I was just worried maybe the Organization had gotten to you, or..." He trailed off before repeating his earlier question. "Where have you been?"

"I've been here." I drew a deep breath, preparing myself for the lie to follow. "I've joined them. Organization XIII. I'm one of them now."

"What?" Riku frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You were right, my darkness has been growing. I'm done with heroes of light like Sora and his friends." I put as much fake malice behind my words as I could muster, trying to sell the story.

Riku studied me for a moment before speaking again. "If that's true...if you're here of your own free will," he began quietly, "Then why does it look like you've lost weight?"

Of course he would notice that. "Been on a diet," I quipped.

Another, longer shock from the band made me grimace and told me that Saix was getting impatient. I summoned my Keyblade, and the familiar, smooth metal felt good in my palm after so long, though it seemed much heavier than I remembered. My first thought was to try casting Cure on myself, but even when I squeezed my eyes shut, I couldn't seem to gather enough light magic to get it to work. I opened my eyes again with a frustrated sigh. "The important thing is, I have orders to get rid of all intruders."

Riku didn't summon his own weapon, but crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't want to fight you, Meli. Why don't you take off that hood and let me see your face so we can talk?"

Obviously I didn't want to fight him, either, but I didn't know what else to do. I kept telling myself it would be just like sparring practice. I had only beaten him a couple of times during training, and that was when I was in good physical shape, so it wasn't like he was in any real danger from me. All I had to do was occupy some time until...something. I really wasn't sure how this was going to end. But maybe, if I was lucky, Saix would see that there was no way I was going to win this and pull me out.

"I'm done with talking," I countered, then rushed at him with my Keyblade held high. Riku easily sidestepped the attack, still keeping his arms crossed, and backed a few steps away.

"You don't really want to do this, do you?"

I scowled at him in reply, knowing full well that if I had to keep running towards him he was just going to keep dodging me. Then I remembered that I had a new trick up my sleeve that he hadn't seen yet. Smirking slightly, I teleported into the In Between, then immediately came back out mere inches from him, my Keyblade already in a downswing.

Now he was finally forced to summon his weapon to block me. Despite the gravity of the situation, I had to feel proud of myself for the look of complete surprise on his face. I brought my Keyblade back and swung again. My attacks were noticeably lacking in their usual force, but it wasn't like I actually wanted to hurt him, anyway.

After a few blocked hits, I was already starting to be out of breath. That was the moment when I glanced up and finally noticed that the sword parrying mine was not Soul Eater.

"Is that a...Keyblade?" I puffed incredulously. By now I had seen several of Sora's variations of the weapon, so I could pretty easily spot one. This weapon that he was holding was at first glance similar to Soul Eater, but had handle guards in the shape of angel and demon wings, and another angel wing as its "teeth" on the tip.

Pushing away from him, I frowned in confusion at the new blade. "How did that happen?"

"I don't really know," Riku answered, not sounding nearly as out of breath as I was. "It just sort of showed up one day not long ago. I'm still not really sure that I'm worthy of using it."

So, even the Keyblade had decided that Riku had a noble heart. Seemed like maybe Kairi was right about him.

"Well, congratulations," I remarked flatly, resisting the urge to let him know how happy I actually was for him. I knew how much the honor of the Keyblade meant to him.

"Meli...can we stop this madness now?" Riku asked, gesturing between us.

I shot Blizzaga at him, which he deflected off his Keyblade. "I told you, the Organization wants you gone. So unless you just want to leave..."

"Can't do that," Riku shook his head. "Not while all of my friends are here...including you."

"Well, I'm not going to be leaving here anytime soon." It was one of the few truths I had spoken during this exchange. As far as I could tell, I wouldn't ever be leaving this place unless it was in a body bag. "And as for your friends, they're next to go after you."

Shooting another spell at him, I gathered my strength and ran back in while he was distracted blocking it. We exchanged several more blows, with Riku very obviously staying only on defense. I knew that if he decided to actually fight me at any point, I wouldn't last very long. I had a growing suspicion that he knew it, too.

"You keep trying to convince me..." Riku began between swings. "That you're on...their side...but you forget how well...I know you. I've fought you...a hundred times...before, and I can tell...that you're only half-trying...right now."

Half-trying? If only he realized how very hard I actually was trying. Every time I lifted the Keyblade I felt like my arms might fall off. Continuing this fight was taking more energy than I actually had in me, but I was too afraid of what the consequences would be if I quit. Gritting my teeth, I put my back into one huge swing, which Riku still neatly blocked, and the force from the impact sent me stumbling and buckling to the floor.

Panting for breath, I stayed on my knees where I had fallen, not looking up at Riku. "I can't," I whispered. "I can't do it." Whatever energy the extra darkness had given me was gone now, and I was back nearly to where I had started this day. I couldn't even fathom climbing up off the floor, much less getting back into the fight.

I could see Riku walking towards me out of the corner of my eye, but before I could say anything to him, Saix let his displeasure be known by a groan-inducing shock. "What do you want from me?" I screamed into the floor at him.

Riku took a surprised step backwards, probably thinking that it was directed at him. I kept my head down for another moment, trying to collect myself, before finally making eye contact again.

"Meli..." Riku began, but I cut him off.

"I forgive you." I gave him a wobbly half-smile. I knew I didn't have much longer before Saix would either come for me or punish me for real, and this was too important not to get out now. This might very well be the last time I ever saw him.

Riku's face wrinkled in confusion. "What?"

"I need you to know that," I continued, struggling to my feet. "I forgive you, for everything...Grim."

His eyebrows flew up, and I could almost see that same burden that had left me lifting off of his shoulders, too. It made my heart happy for the first time in weeks. Whatever else I had or hadn't done, at least I had taken that unnecessary guilt away. I wished that I could just rush to him and tell him everything. There was an urgent voice kicking at my brain, however, telling me that I had to get out of there before he saw what was about to happen to me. With tears burning my eyes, I opened a corridor behind me and turned to run through it, blocking out Riku's cries for me to wait. I managed to make it into the In Between and wave the door shut before the shockwave hit, sending me to the ground screaming and writhing until everything went dark.