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Riku was miserable and heartbroken, more so because he didn’t deserve to be so self pitying. All of his turmoil was his own fault.
He’d walked the earth for eternity, watching his surroundings grow and change. As the Moon he oversaw so much of it. He was the brightness in the darkened sky that smiled down on the earth and it’s living creatures. There were those who fawned over him, never knowing why they felt so connected to him.
He walked through the streets of Traverse Town, his ethereal qualities not going unnoticed. His skin was pale and his hip length silver hair was like moonlight. It wasn’t uncommon for someone to follow him for a few streets, momentarily caught up in his beauty. He was an immortal being and it was natural for those bound to earth to be drawn to him.
The neon lights of Traverse Town were eye-catching and he liked them. He liked the fountains and the shops. The casinos were noisy but he didn’t begrudge the humans their sense of fun. He had no right to begrudge them anything even if he envied them. Able to walk around in groups. Able to stroll hand in hand the way he’d once done.
Riku climbed the stout clock tower that offered a pretty view of the town. It should have been a breathtaking sight, but Riku wasn’t looking down. He was looking up at the sky. He reached out a hand to the sun and spoke softly.
"I'll come back to you someday,” he whispered. “I promise. Sora.”
Riku hadn’t always walked alone. He and Sora had once been the greatest pair. They traveled hand in hand going on whatever adventure they came across. There was nothing and no one he loved more. Sun and Moon together. It had always made sense.
But then the darkness came.
Riku had no fear of darkness. He was the glow in the darkness, but everything changed during an eclipse. Ansem came, posing as a star, friendly and unassuming. A star that wanted to be more than just a star. He whispered things to Riku, dark scary things that seeped into Riku’s subconscious.
Bit by bit, Ansem overtook him. Stealing away his mind and power had left Riku adrift in madness, and thus the betrayal of the one he loved most. He’d fallen away from light, away from Sora and instead fell to darkness.
When Riku closed his eyes he could still hear Sora screaming, trying to get Riku to take his hand. Instead Riku had shunned him.
He hadn’t been in his right mind. He’s been so confused and downright ill he hadn’t know what he was doing. Ansem kept him placated with kind words and devious manipulations, and the damage had been done. He was a mess for days, weeks, years, decades. He didn’t know. At one point he woke up and Sora wasn’t beside him. He couldn’t even remember the last time he'd seen his Sun. It had taken days longer before he was coherent enough to recall what he’d done.
When Ansem had returned to his prisoner, Riku was well again, well and pissed. He used his full power, disrupting the world during his escape. The tides went haywire and the nocturnal animals gave call to his return.
He broke free from Ansem, leaving the leech of a star in the darkness where he came from and stepping out into the world again. Without his Sun.
The closest he came to catching Sora was his embodiment in the sky. Riku reached for him, spoke to him, and never got a response.
He didn’t know how long he’d been possessed, but he knew Sora was hurt and ran from him. They were now like their counterparts in the sky, in a constant rotation. Every bit of progress Riku made was progress also made by Sora. Sora ran and he chased.
No matter which direction he went, Sora was always two steps ahead with his boundless energy. God, Riku missed him.
Riku was jerked from his thoughts when little hands gripped his hair and tugged. He was used to it. He glanced done at a little girl who must have only been five or six.
“Hi.” she greeted. “You shouldn’t look at the sun, 'kay? You’ll hurt your eyes.”
Riku smiled a little, “Yes, you’re right. The sun is blinding. You should see him when he smiles.”
The little girl looked completely confused by the comment but he patted her head and went on his way. He’d searched every corner he could find and Sora wasn’t here. He’d have to move on.
There was nothing wrong with the town per say, but it didn’t have the warmth of the personified Sun seeped into it. If Sora had ever been here, it had been some time ago.
He hadn’t meant to fuck up so completely. He’d hardly known it was happening at all. He supposed that was why it was called manipulation.
He’d lost the only thing that truly mattered to him and he’d walk alone until he got him back. He’d frightened Sora, and all he could do was try to convey to his partner that he was sorry. His grief, pain, and love flowed into his counterpart, and the many full moons were made. The flower moon, the pink moon, the wolf moon, and blood moon… He could only hope Sora would look up at the sky and see his intentions.
He never saw a response but it was so much harder to see a change in the sun. It was steady and long lasting, not like the fickle moon. He feared Sora would continue to run from him forever. How would he apologize if he could never catch up?
Riku drifted, ignoring the looks of awe as he passed. He didn’t have the time to stay in any one place for too long, he had to keep up. He couldn’t be left behind again.
He’d been traveling from city to city when taking a ferry off the mainland finally caught his fancy. Once upon a time, he and Sora had loved beaches. He was willing to bet there wasn’t a beach across the entire world that they hadn’t strolled down. Day or night had never mattered. It was those old memories that directed his travel plans now.
He took the ferry to an island that would have once been their ideal spot. Quaint and full of life where the wind sang with the sounds of waves. Riku was eager to get there and something in him settled just watching the sun reflect off of the sea. Sora loved the sea.
The name of the place was Destiny Island, fitting and maybe familiar. He might have been there before. It was hard to say when he’d been most places across the earth. The island was hot and the sun was beating down from a mostly cloudless sky.
He usually preferred cooler places but he’d always love a sunny place that smelled of sand and sea. It would always make him think of Sora.
Island life was something he liked to observe and his pale skin and hair stuck out more here than it did other places. It was the silver hair every time…
As the scent of a beach grew closer, Riku found his heart rate picking up strangely. It was likely just nostalgia toying with him but he sped on anyway. He wanted to get there as soon as possible.
Long before he could see them, he heard the sound of several children laughing. It was the sort of joy that meant they were making memories that would last them a lifetime. That thought warmed Riku from the inside out. That was how children should be, but it was added laughter that also had his body going tense.
He heard a rich sound, deeper laughter joined in that made him feel like he’d been dunked under cold water. Riku rushed through the boardwalk overlooking the beach and searched for the group of children. He found exactly what he’d both hoped and dreaded.
The children danced around a sand castle they’d built, their pride evident in the way they chose to show it off. Their ringleader was not another child but a man, skin a rich golden brown and dark hair highlighted with sun streaks. He was beautiful.
If Riku glowed, Sora shined.
This was what he’d been searching for, but now that he was here he didn’t know what to do. Sora hadn’t noticed him yet. Would he run from him or give him a chance to explain? If nothing else he wanted to apologize. Sora deserved that much.
Watching him play with children had once been such a common sight. Sora was light and sheer amazement. Children had always flocked to him for a game, and Sora loved it. Sora was love.
Maybe this wasn’t something Riku should be allowed to see anymore. Maybe he was still being punished.
He didn’t mean to affect the tide, but his emotions were wobbly at best. It did however trigger many reactions, first Sora’s head jerking to look at the ocean, his head tilted to the side in confusion before he looked around, searching.
Riku’s heart thudded loudly. Should he hide? Was he that pathetic?
Sora’s eyes met his. Riku had imagined every possible meeting; Sora could storm away in anger, or run off in fear. He would know Riku was after him, but then what? Maybe he never considered how things would work out once he finally caught up.
He never dreamed that Sora's reaction would be to break out into the biggest smile he’d ever seen. “RIKU!”
Riku felt like his heart was squeezed.
Sora bid goodbye to the children and ran towards him. Towards him. Not away from him.
Riku felt his knees buckle and only the railing he leaned on kept him from collapsing. Sora was coming back to him…
“Riku!” He didn’t move and instead let Sora crash into him, sending them both tumbling back on the ground.
“Sora, i’m-”
“You’re here!” Sora cut him off, clinging to him tightly. “You’re here! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”
Riku’s lips parted shakily. “You have?”
Sora cupped his face, drawing him closer to press a kiss to his mouth. “Of course I have…”
“Sora…” Riku whispered, afraid he wasn’t allowed this.”Sora, i’m so sorry. I really am. I didn’t mean to leave you. I didn’t mean…”
“I know.” Sora said, drawing Riku closer to cling to him. “Don’t be silly Riku, of course I knew. I couldn’t stand the thought of Ansem taking you and hurting you. I’m sorry I could never find you.”
Riku felt his guilt rise. Ashamed he could have ever doubted his Sun. “I said things. I did things.”
“No, Ansem did.” Sora said, fingers tangled in Riku’s long locks. It was never you. I’ve been looking for you even before I realized you broke free from him.”
“But…” Riku’s voice cracked. “But I've been looking for you.”
Sora pouted. “I thought you were running from me. I thought you were hurt and hiding.”
“I’d never run from you.” Riku muttered, pressing his face against Sora’s neck. Neither had been running, and both had been chasing. Just like their counterparts in the sky, a perfect rotation, but sometimes you can see the moon during the day and Riku had finally caught up.
Sora hummed and Riku felt that warmness down to his bones. “I had wondered, given all your letters.” He nodded his head towards the sky. “You’re still an artist, Riku. Your moons are always so beautiful.”
Riku lifted his head. “You saw them?”
“Of course.” Sora beamed. “I selfishly liked to think they were for me.”
“They were, every one.”
Sora hugged tighter, refusing to let go and Riku didn’t even want him to. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’ll never leave you again.”
“Good.” Sora actually laughed, nothing but forgiveness in his eyes. “And if Ansem comes back I will fucking burn him.”
That startled a laugh right out of Riku. His arms tightened around Sora and everything clicked back into place. He had his Sun back. “Ansem will likely not be an issue again.”
“Good.” Sora said simply, reaching back to braid Riku’s hair without even looking. “God I've missed you.”
“I’m sorry.”
Sora clucked his tongue, happy to sit on Riku’s lap while he played with his hair. Where they were didn’t matter. They’d go on traveling the world again. “I don’t want your silly apology. I want an I love you.”
Riku’s smile was genuine. “I love you, Sunshine.”
“I love you too, Moonbeam.”