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How does a heart measure moments? In beats, feelings, in pain or pleasure. Did it have a concept of time? The strength of the heart seemed almost limitless- almost indestructible.
Almost.
Seeing that smile gave him the feeling of being trapped in a thundercloud. The darkness suffocating as the booming thunder and tendrils of lightning made his body shake to its very core before it was gone in a half a beat of his racing heart.
His Heart. The one that belonged to him and him alone.
At least. That’s what he had thought.
= "There are so many hearts connected to yours..." =
They had gone looking for answers, scouring the known worlds for the power to bring back what was lost. It always seemed so close- just out of reach- the answer on the tip of their tongues.
It hovered in the silence of the gummi ship as they retraced his steps. In the echoing footfalls off of the soaked cobblestone. The crumple and snap of the leaves and twigs underfoot through the winding forests.
It was frustrating spending days searching and searching, only to come back without any answers. Without any hope.
Hope.
He always had hope. You could see it in the curve of his shoulders and the squaring of his jaw. The way he stood facing towards the unknown without fear. He had always admired him for that.
It had soon become clear that his return would not be as "simple" as piecing memories back together or finding an empty vessel to inhabit.
The answer had come to them, quite unexpectedly, from the strange cat-like creature that suddenly appeared at Ventus's side.
"I told him to 'look for the light in the darkness'."
= "You can feel what I felt." =
Roxas frowned at the dream eater, confusion knotting his brow while Riku and Ventus stood on either side.
"This was in that 'other world'?" The small blond pressed as he watched the creature bob its head in confirmation.
"He was warned." Chirithy continued carefully, "About the misuse of the Power of Waking."
Blue eyes wavered on the feline as Ventus and Riku shared a concerned glance over the nobody's shoulder.
"So his heart and body were destroyed?" Ventus murmured, letting out a visible sigh of relief as the dream eater shook its head.
"No. Just... Misplaced." Chirithy answered as they bounded over to Ventus and jumped into the smiling blond arms.
Roxas and Riku's sullen looks made the dream eater stiffen, waving its small arms delicately.
"He does not reside in The Final World, so there still may be a way to reach him!" The creature watched the two teens with a pang of sadness as Ventus began to worry his bottom lip.
"At least he is whole- wherever he is," Riku mentioned, giving the nobody beside him a glance. "It's the biggest lead we've had in months."
The platinum blond reached forward to hold Roxas's shoulder in a comforting grip, rolling his thumb against the slope of his shoulderblade. With a small grateful nod to Ventus, Riku led the Wayfinder's blond counterpart back towards the gummi ship.
As the keyblader duo climbed aboard and shut the hatch, Riku took the opportunity to turn to the brooding blond, embracing the smaller male in his arms. Ignoring the stubborn stiffening of Roxas's shoulders as he pressed his nose into the crown of soft yellow spikes.
"I know what you're thinking-" Riku began firmly, "It's not your fault. Sora chose to go, you know once he sets his heart to something-"
"We should not have let him go!" He snapped, pulling his head away to look up at the keyblade master, blue gaze swirling like a storm at sea. "He always jumps in without thinking- it's just so- so- "
"So endearing and aggravating and so very much Sora ." Riku finished with a slow smile as Roxas only scowled. "I know you feel responsible, but Sora knew what he was doing, it wasn't for us to decide."
Riku moved to examine the blond further, holding him at arm's length while sea-green eyes watched the exhausted droop of his shoulders.
"We've been traveling for weeks now... let's head back and give everyone an update." The taller teen offered, his lips quirking up at the small nod that the nobody sent his way.
"...And who knows- maybe we can stop and get some ice-cream?" Riku hinted with a teasing quirk of a silverly brow.
"I'll hold you to that." He smirked, plopping down into one of the cockpit seats as Riku prepared for takeoff, "I guess that means you're buying."
"I suppose I could treat you. Just this once."