[He watches the reaction silently. The angry words had stung a bit. The flash of guilt across his face might have made that known, but he's quick to mask it while looking down. He continues looking down even after Riku speaks again in the softer tone. Sora...couldn't agree more.
After a couple of seconds, his expression tenses. One hand tightens by his side as his jaw clenches- teeth firmly pressed together. Even when Kairi had seemed like a 'lifeless puppet' as Riku had put it, Sora had a chance of saving her. Even then, it had turned out all he had to do was stab himself in the chest with a Keyblade. In the end it had been more simple than he'd expected. This time, though? This time had been different. He doesn't even know where to begin, other than...to just keep moving forward with finding the shards.
He's not completely surprised that Riku got it. Riku's determination, too...it's kind of nice. For a moment, Sora's expression softens a bit. Maybe he'd really needed to hear that. Realistically, it doesn't change anything. Believing, alone, won't bring Kairi back. But, believing would help them. Sora will continue to believe that she will come back. He will find a way to make it happen, even if she doesn't simply return after that set amount of days. They will find the shards, put them back together, and have everyone returned home in the end. That's the plan he'd decided on from the start- it's the plan he'll stick with.
...It doesn't make the pain any less, but he's going to focus on it. With every ounce of inner strength he can muster, he will- he will keep that determination! He still needs a moment to gather himself, though. Talking about the incident is certainly not going to help with that, but...Riku needs to know. No... he deserves to know the truth.]
She was... [He lifts his head to look at Riku as he says it.] ...She was shot by one of the soldier's guns and... Aya tried to save her. But...
[Sora can be known as several things- a cry baby isn't one of them. Even when things got to be practically unbearable during his journey. Even after he spent time thinking Riku either hated him or had just...gone crazy. Even after losing the Keyblade to him and watching him walk away with his two new-at-the-time best friends. Even after leaving Kairi on the Islands to go search for the guy who was lost in the darkness with the king...
...he hadn't cried. He had put on a brave face and continued moving forward, but... Even the strongest of people have their limits. He's only a teenager. Only human. So, his eyes are stinging. Between being stuck in a world where people keep disappearing or dying... and the stuff that happened with that candy...and the fact that someone completely innocent and pure was killed by this place. He...is no doubt fighting with the urge to drop to his knees and cry for a moment. There's a lump in his throat as he forces himself to fall quiet. No, he isn't going to cry. He's going to be strong and believe that Kairi will be back. They're going to continue looking for the shards. They will all go home together.
A-aw, Riku...
After a couple of seconds, his expression tenses. One hand tightens by his side as his jaw clenches- teeth firmly pressed together. Even when Kairi had seemed like a 'lifeless puppet' as Riku had put it, Sora had a chance of saving her. Even then, it had turned out all he had to do was stab himself in the chest with a Keyblade. In the end it had been more simple than he'd expected. This time, though? This time had been different. He doesn't even know where to begin, other than...to just keep moving forward with finding the shards.
He's not completely surprised that Riku got it. Riku's determination, too...it's kind of nice. For a moment, Sora's expression softens a bit. Maybe he'd really needed to hear that. Realistically, it doesn't change anything. Believing, alone, won't bring Kairi back. But, believing would help them. Sora will continue to believe that she will come back. He will find a way to make it happen, even if she doesn't simply return after that set amount of days. They will find the shards, put them back together, and have everyone returned home in the end. That's the plan he'd decided on from the start- it's the plan he'll stick with.
...It doesn't make the pain any less, but he's going to focus on it. With every ounce of inner strength he can muster, he will- he will keep that determination! He still needs a moment to gather himself, though. Talking about the incident is certainly not going to help with that, but...Riku needs to know. No... he deserves to know the truth.]
She was... [He lifts his head to look at Riku as he says it.] ...She was shot by one of the soldier's guns and... Aya tried to save her. But...
[Sora can be known as several things- a cry baby isn't one of them. Even when things got to be practically unbearable during his journey. Even after he spent time thinking Riku either hated him or had just...gone crazy. Even after losing the Keyblade to him and watching him walk away with his two new-at-the-time best friends. Even after leaving Kairi on the Islands to go search for the guy who was lost in the darkness with the king...
...he hadn't cried. He had put on a brave face and continued moving forward, but... Even the strongest of people have their limits. He's only a teenager. Only human. So, his eyes are stinging. Between being stuck in a world where people keep disappearing or dying... and the stuff that happened with that candy...and the fact that someone completely innocent and pure was killed by this place. He...is no doubt fighting with the urge to drop to his knees and cry for a moment. There's a lump in his throat as he forces himself to fall quiet. No, he isn't going to cry. He's going to be strong and believe that Kairi will be back. They're going to continue looking for the shards. They will all go home together.
He will be strong.]