Names

Sora was the sky.

He reached beyond the ends of the earth, shone down from high above. He gave them all light, life- filled them all with nothing but the purest of bliss, the farthest of dreams. He gave them a reason to think that the future would continue on, if for no other reason but that the sky is too beautiful at sunrise, at sunset; through storms, through clear skies. The blue that reflected in his wide, loving eyes was everlasting, making the deepest impression in the souls of anyone who had to pleasure of getting to see his earnest smiles. His touch was always present, looking over them all, touching their hearts, filling them with hope.

Kairi was the ocean.

Her presence was like the waves upon the shore, known only by those who had seen the sea with their own eyes; she ebbed and flowed, swayed this way and that. She struck fear into the hearts of some, love and devotion in others. She would kiss the shores, mirror the sky, filter out the red and the sadness and the fear and leave nothing but the soothing presence of aqua tides guiding sailors on their way.

Riku knew who he was.

Riku was the shore, the land they fought to protect. He was their strength, their pillar; but over time, he was slowly eroded, chipped at, until he faded away. Under stormy skies, against the never-ending tide, he changed shape, lost his strength.

And yet, Kairi and Sora would just trade looks, and the sea and the sky would giggle because they knew what Riku really was.

Every time he crumbled, Riku rebuilt himself from the ground up, the sediment building as he changed over and over and over again until he was able to adapt to the harsh weather, the dangerous seas, and flourish with new life. He was the foundation of them all, basking in the sun, greeting the sea, and standing strong while the day turned to night and the tide receded. He was what was left behind. He was alone, what remained; and yet, the most mighty of them all.

And without him, Sora and Kairi would be nothing but endless sky, endless sea. Without him, they wouldn't have a home to go back to, because Riku- their lovely, strong, beautiful Riku- was their home.