Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return V2

Riku nodded to Leon in silence as he came to a stop in front of the man, summoning Way to Dawn away as well. Leon had obviously gotten rid of any traces of Heartless, because he didn't sense any darkness. That was always a relief. However, Leon looked very serious, as always. Of course, this caused Riku to wonder if anything interesting happened while he and Sora were gone.

 

Leon glanced at Sora for a moment before he focused on Riku, since Riku seemed to be more serious and receptive to the news he sometimes brought them. "You two came at a good time," he said.

Sora arched a brow, looking at Leon. "Why's that?" he asked, not quite understand what Leon meant. "You mean because there aren't Heartless?" Perhaps Leon meant that it was good timing because they could take a break from all their fighting.

"That's partially it," Leon said, giving Sora a nod. However, there was much more to it than that; he had to tell them the King's message. He would bring that up in a moment, after he found a good way to word it. Last time he had shared new like this to Sora and his friends, there had been a little trouble.

 

Riku's eyebrows furrowed a little bit as he looked at Leon. "I'm guessing you have some news for us," he said then. Of course, Leon always had something to tell them every time they visited. He had a feeling this wouldn't be any different.

 

Leon nodded, looking away from Sora and back to Riku. "I do," he said in confirmation. "I received a letter from the King the other day." Might as well get straight to the point, he thought, already seeing out of the corner of his eye that Sora was about to ask what it was about. "He says that the Heartless are under control, and both of you can go home right away."

When he heard the word "home", Sora subconsciously formed fists with his hands. That word felt foreign to him, and just like the last time he heard Leon tell him somebody could go home, he felt as if his heart stopped. This time, though, it would be him and Riku, not Roxas.

 

Riku blinked, his eyes widening slightly in shock. He turned his gaze to his side, looking at Sora. Home? He didn't even know what home was anymore. He hadn't been back in ages. But he couldn't help but question Leon's words: could they really go back?

 

Leon noticed that both teens were stunned, so he thought it would be best for him to say something else. "I'm sure you two must still be concerned about the Heartless," he said, figuring that would be the case, since they just spent the past four months fighting them off. "But the King is positive that there's no longer a substantial threat."

Sora looked down at the ground, hearing Leon's words but not responding to them. "Home" was New York City, where his friends and girlfriend lived. It was a place he had grown to love when he was on Earth. Now, though, he couldn't imagine himself going back. But he knew that it was the reality; there was no need for him and Riku to fight anymore.

 

Riku moved his gaze to Leon at the words, feeling his eyebrows furrow, serious now. "We can both go?" he asked, making sure that was what he heard. He could understand Sora going back, but not himself. He had been at this for the last year and a half or so; going back didn't seem like an option anymore.

 

Leon nodded at Riku's question, then deciding that he should answer verbally for Sora's sake, since he wasn't looking up. "That's right," he said. "Both of you can go home." He understood this was probably something hard for them to take in, so he was trying to be as clear as possible.

Sora stared at the ground, thoughts filling his mind. He was going home, to his friends. To normal, non-violent life. To Kairi. His heart leaped inside his chest, and he shut his eyes. There wasn't a day he hadn't thought about her, but the idea that he could actually see her now...it left him speechless. And scared. A lot could change in four months. He knew that he wasn't the same person who left Earth. That would probably complicate things.

 

Riku crossed his arms and lowered his sight to the ground beneath him. He and Sora could both leave this lifestyle, go back to living normal lives for a little while. But...Riku didn't think that was possible for him, at least not right now. He shook his head. "I think only one of us will be," he admitted then, referring to Sora. Riku still had things to take care of.

 

Sora opened his eyes, looking over at Riku when he heard what his friend said. "What do you mean?" he asked, arching a brow. Obviously Riku meant that he couldn't return home, but why? The idea of going back alone made Sora feel nervous, even more than what he was already feeling.

 

"I still have some things to do," Riku said, moving his gaze over to Sora. "That includes going to see the King myself." Plus, he didn't feel like he really had a home anymore; his friends were on another world and he hadn't been to Destiny Islands in a very long time. Of course, he wasn't about to tell Sora that.

 

Sora arched a brow, a frown appearing on his lips. "Things you have to do? By yourself?" he asked, concerned. Riku was strong, but it was always good to have an ally in battle. If Riku needed somebody to tag along, then Sora would have to hold off on going home. If that was what his friend required, then he would be there as a fighting comrade for a little while longer.

 

Riku's arms fell to his sides as he nodded. "You're going home, though," he declared. "I'm not letting you miss this opportunity, especially if it doesn't come around again." He knew what it was like to be fighting without this kind of news; he didn't want Sora fighting any longer. He'd been away from Kairi long enough. "Besides, I was by myself for a while before you and Roxas showed up. I'll be fine."

 

Sora heard Riku's declaration, and he clenched his right hand into a fist. He knew he didn't stand a chance against Riku, but he felt like he had to put up a fight anyway; he didn't know if he could live a normal life anymore. He didn't know if he could be the person that Kairi loved. "...The Heartless are stronger than when you were by yourself," he pointed out, thinking of something that would possibly affect Riku's decision to go alone.

 

"And the King said himself that they were under control," Riku replied calmly, looking down at his best friend. "He'll be the first person to know if things get out of hand, and once that happens, he'll contact both of us if the situation is too serious." Riku shrugged. "If it's not that bad, he'll just let me handle it. I'll already be here." He knew that the King wouldn't ask Sora to leave home if it wasn't necessary, and surely Sora realized the same thing.

 

Sora lowered his head, looking down at the ground. Everything that Riku said was true, and there was no way that Sora could distort any of that so that he had a reason not to go home. He was going to be...normal. He didn't know what that meant anymore. He didn't know what home felt like, or if he would be able to live comfortably after all the things he saw, went through, or remembered. But that didn't matter, because no matter what, he was returning to New York City.

 

Riku looked at Sora for a little longer, and by his friend's silence, he knew that his decision to stay behind was final. He turned his head to look to Leon. "Thanks for letting us know," he said with a nod. It was not only a relief to know that they could go home, but also that the Heartless threat wasn't as ugrent as before.

 

Leon nodded to Riku, not looking over at Sora. The kid obviously was surprised that he was going home, and he needed space. Leon would respect that, because if he were in that position, he would want the same thing. "Good luck," he said to the silver-haired teen. "You know you've got a place to come if you're ever in over your head." Riku wasn't just a friend of Sora's; Leon considered him a personal friend. And if Riku ever needed anything, he could come to him.

 

Riku nodded once more in respect and appreciation at Leon's words. He wasn't sure how long it would be until he went home, wherever that was--with his friends in New York, or back to Destiny Islands. Regardless, this would remain his safe haven, as well as Disney Castle, which he would visit next to speak with the King. He wasn't done yet, but something told him this opportunity was enough to convince him Sora's time was up.

 

Leon turned his gaze to Sora, remembering something else that the King had said in his letter. This one involved Sora a lot more than Riku, so he needed to get the kid's attention before he said it. "Sora? There's something else I need to talk to you about."

Sora lifted his head, turning his body a little bit so that he was facing Leon more. "What is it?" he asked, his voice serious and all-business. He was still in shock that he was going home, but he was going to listen carefully to what it was Leon had to say.