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She could knit.
That was the first thing I found out about her since I woke up.
She had work during the day. Every morning to evening, she would be working. She wanted me to do something similar too, but it was kind of difficult.
The main problem?
I was a nobody— well not a nobody nobody, but in this place everyone has a form of identification.
Since I just randomly appeared, I did not have any of that.
However, on the side she was always knitting and making plushies.
She would often give them away too. She liked doing it, I think.
Strelitzia — that was her name. She found me a few weeks ago. I was sleeping for seven days until I came to.
Before I came here I was…. Well there are tons of holes and blanks in my memory, but I know I was fighting for my friends. Even back then, I knew that.
I just did not have the best memory. It was like the chains almost unraveled.
There was someone very important to me and that person believed in me. That person let me go, make the final sacrifice but I don't think anyone knew what exactly happened.
No— they didn't know I would be separated because of that. All I wanted was for no one to be left behind this time. I wish we could all be together, but I abused that ability and was sent to the Quadratum.
Is it my fault? Well yeah, I wasn't strong enough to prevent any of their lives from being saved any other way.
And I'll be here until then.
Strelitzia was making something again. “Name a hair color.” She said suddenly.
Sometimes she would ask and I'll give advice.
I closed my eyes and thought, “Silver.” It came automatically to me.
She smiled, “Alright, and for the eyes?”
“Turquoise,” the color immediately popped into my head again.
Strelitzia was grinning at my answer. “Hmm. I got it!”
Strelitzia showed me and I widened my eyes, “Riku?!”
She made it look just like him.
I beamed, “He looks like Riku! He's my best friend.” I nodded, closing my eyes.
Strelitzia smiled, “That friend of yours you are always mentioning?”
“Uhuh.” I leaned back, my arms behind my head like a cushion.
“That most precious person of yours? You described him without realizing it!” She giggled.
I grinned back, “I didn't even realize that!”
She handed me the plushie, “Here. You should keep this one.”
I looked down, “What! Really? Are you sure..? You made this and—”
“Sora.” Saying my name stopped my thoughts, “It's fine. Besides now it's like Riku is with you.”
I smiled, she had a point. Now I can hug and sleep with him by my side.
“Riku was already connected to my heart, but now it's like he's here.” I ended up saying that a bit more sadly than I meant to.
I missed him.
She patted my head in comfort, “Hey… I'm sure they miss you too. And I—” she was also in a similar situation. “I miss my brother and some of my friends.”
“Once you’ve gotten the power of waking, you can join us.” I could picture Riku smiling, “I believe in you.”
“And that other guy, he misses that friend of his too.” I remembered Yozora.
I fought him once. I barely managed to win, but I still won. Yozora held something against me for that I think. He thought I was the enemy at first, but it was actually the opposite.
Yozora thought I was stealing someone important to him. We apparently have the same name which is a weird coincidence.
And Yozora looks a bit like Riku. I remember Donald and Goofy teasing me about that too when I mentioned that he was good looking.
That didn't mean anything….
I smiled to myself as I looked out the window of the apartment.
Riku, find me.
I closed my eyes, our hearts are connected. But I couldn't use any abilities to go to him now.
It was up to him or someone else… though I hope it was him.
I missed him so much.
I held the Riku plushie in my arms; he made me smile.
I held him close.
Later that night, I laid in bed holding the plushie in my arms.
I wonder what he would think about this?
We used to do this all the time when we were younger.
I wonder what made him stop.
Oh—That's right, he was older now and that means he was more mature.
That's what he claimed after his fourteen birthday. He was only one year older, but the age gap meant a lot to him. I was always trying to catch up.
Then back when we were in the land of darkness together, we laid there and fell asleep.
I thought I was dreaming but I think he held me by his side. Maybe he was afraid too?
But with him there, he made everything feel safer.
When I asked him about it later back at destiny Islands, he did that annoying thing he does and smiles mischievously. There's so much behind that expression and he won't tell me. All he says is, “What do you think?”
It frustrates me to no end. And then he would do that one smile of his— the genuine one that's filled with adorableness like he's looking at an animal. He knows what he is doing and doesn't stop.
I wonder if he knows I can tell the difference between his smiles.
Everyone acts like Riku is cold because he doesn't smile much, but that's not true. He smiles all the time. They just don't know him like I do.
Kairi once told me, “That's because it's you. Riku is always smiling around you!”
I didn't understand what she meant by that.
Does he not smile any other time? He smiled when all of us were there back on destiny islands.
I once read stories of Princes and Princesses. I always enjoyed those Fairytales. But the strangest thing, I always imagined Riku as the princess.
I never told him this, I'd get embarrassed if I did. And who knows what he'd think. Riku is always super cool and strong so being compared to that….
I sighed softly with Riku plush in my arms.
I finally drifted off to sleep.
Strelitzia worked at a local restaurant. It was easy for anyone that came by. New and Old.
She would get strange customers every so often, but nothing came close to that morning.
And she even forgot her lunch. She would have to make a call.
“Riku..” I thought, staring at the cute plush. She really made him cute.
Just then my phone rang, “Strelitzia?”
“I… err may have forgotten my lunch?” The girl was so nervous to ask, but I didn't mind.
“Ah! Got it!” I went to the kitchen and got the lunch she had forgotten.
I was just going to bring her lunch and then leave. Maybe I could explore a bit and hopefully not get lost this time.
The doors opened with a jingle, she smiled when she saw I arrived.
I passed the food to her when I saw she was dealing with someone.
“I told you we don't accept that….” Strelitzia trailed off as she felt clueless in the currency being shown, “Uhh whatever currency it is.”
The person talking had their hood up and their face wasn't shown from my angle. No doubt, Strelitzia could see.
And that's when it happened, they turned my way and I saw their face.
He forgot about ordering completely.
I grinned, “Riku!” I pulled him into a hug. He kept hugging me and hugging me— not letting me go.
“Is this real…?” His voice was only a whisper, his hand feeling the skin on my face, “Is it really you? Have I finally found you?”
“Yes, Riku, it's real.” I gently removed his arms from the embrace, “I knew it. I had a feeling you'd find me.”
Riku smiled with adoration, “So you just been here?”
I shook my head, “That's Strelitzia, she's the one who found me.”
Riku looked her way and nodded slowly, “Thank you… for taking care of him.”
I was surprised when he turned to Strelitzia and held her hand gratefully. “He can.. be quite a handful.”
Strelitzia must have been equally surprised. “Oh, you don't have to.” She referred to his grateful mannerisms. “I was like him too, transported from my own world.”
Riku kept looking at me like any second I could just vanish and disappear, but I felt the same. I didn't want him to leave me either, so I came up with an idea, “Come on! I want to show you around.”
“Okay, you lead.” I nodded and went ahead.
We were back at the apartment after exploring the area. I even invited Riku inside and he seemed content doing whatever it was I wanted.
I held the plush to my chest before turning to my friend. “Hey look! It's you!” I handed him the plushie that resembled him.
He didn't say anything — no, his mind seemed to form a blank.
He opened his mouth agape for a bit just like he did once before during our mark of mastery exam. I told him I could hear his voice, and he made the exact same expression.
“Why does it look like me?” He seemed very confused, but shy at the same time.
“Well Strelitzia likes to make these. She asked me random traits and I somehow accidentally described you cause I missed you so much!” I grinned when I was finished explaining.
Riku laughed, “You missed me that much?”
“Hey I wasn't trying to describe you!” I crossed my arms, “It just happened.”
“It's nice to feel needed and that you're counting on me.” He looked down and smiled softly.
“Huh?” I quipped over, looking in his direction.
“I'm glad you feel that you need me after all. I wasn't sure if you did or not…” He didn't look at me when he said this. He was laying out everything in front of me. There they were— some of his deepest insecurities.
I reached over to put my hand on his shoulder, “Now Riku how could you say that?”
Riku smiled lightly, “Well you always seemed better than me and better off without me. I guess that's why I couldn't believe I was made master and not you. I kind of hate that, of all people— you should, not me.” His hands were in fist at this point.
He was sad for me, but I was okay as long as Riku was then I could take it.
“It's okay.” I shrugged off, “It's my fault that I—”
Riku shook his head and suddenly brought his hands to my shoulders, “Don't say that! It's not your fault! You should take it again and pass! It's not fair at all— the exam was manipulated from the start.”
I watched his expression turn to worry. “It's really fine…” I shoved that thought of his sway, I need to get much better before that anyways.”
“... You're already better.” Riku only whispered.
I frowned. If I was then I could have left this place and already been there with Riku.
“It's okay. Hey Riku?” I decided to change the subject. I didn't want him to worry, “Do you remember when we were younger?” I took that moment to lean back and look out at the window. “There used to be so many stars back then too. You told me ea—”
“—ch star represents a different world? Yeah, I did.” Riku sits besides me.
“I didn't know if you were just telling stories, but I decided to trust you regardless. It turned out to be true. Who would have thought?” I couldn't believe a single star represents an entire world.
“Pfft? You still believed me. You always did. Besides…” Riku then had that expression on his face where I couldn't tell what it meant—the mischievous smile. “I’m always right.”
“Then we would have sleepovers every night until you said only kids do that. Said you were way older than that or something,” I muttered the last part more quietly.
Riku then burst out laughing, “Ah… I did say that?” He rubbed his neck, “We can still have sleepovers if you want, Sora. Has it been hard sleeping here?” Riku reaches out his hand.
I was not going to hesitate this time, “Okay.” I took his hand, “I feel safer with you.”
That wasn't a lie. I always felt better with my best friend around.
“I did promise. I will always protect you.” This time he led me to the room and he smiled. In his arms, he had the silver
Riku plush. That's when he leaned over next to me and kissed my forehead, “I'll protect you from anything, dummy. Don't you forget.”
Then I nodded.