Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

Sora felt his heart breaking at his friends arguing over him. It's my fault...if I hadn't been asleep in the first place, this wouldn't be happening... He felt absolutely torn; Riku was being a bit harsh, but Roxas...well, Sora didn't know how to describe it. He was furious over all that he lost, but he was looking away from the big picture. If Roxas hadn't come to him and woken him up, things would be completely different. They wouldn't be best friends! Didn't he see that?

 

Riku immediately slashed at Roxas a few times, and he blocked every one. He stared at Roxas through the criss-cross of their blades. "What were you risking? A time in nothingness? A friendship that wasn't even real?" he retorted with a harsh tone, dark and degrading. "Nobodies don't have emotions. A friendship can't form between empty vessels, things that don't have anything but memories of those emotions."

Roxas flexed his jaw in fury and suddenly positioned his Keyblade differently, using the adrenaline pumping through his veins to give him more power. He forced Riku to spin around, and pushed him a few feet back, shoving him roughly against the wall. "You've been in darkness too long; it's made you blind," he replied darkly, his voice low. "I'm not like most Nobodies, because if I was, I would have disappeared once I merged with Sora. But look at me--I'm right in front of you. I may not have been born with memories, but I made some of my own. And I just got them back." Roxas glared at Riku with sharp blue eyes. "Now you're going to pay for making me forget them in the first place."

 

Sora literally felt as if he were stabbed in the heart when he heard more of the conversation. "No..." he mouthed. The lion beside him growled softly, reminding him for the firs time in a while that she was there. He felt relieved by the distraction and he moved his hand to her head. She looked distressed as well, as if she wanted to help. But there was nothing either of them could do.

 

Riku furrowed his eyebrows angrily over his aquamarine eyes, the boy shoving Roxas off of him roughly with effort. He suddenly swung at Roxas with a loud cry, seeing that the blond ducked. He swung again and again, but his attacks were either met with Roxas's blade or air. But finally, after spinning on his feet and swinging as hard as he could, Riku landed a hit, hearing the Nobody cry out in pain.

Roxas fell back after the hard hit, his body landing roughly on the rock and sliding a few feet. The action caused dust to rise from the ground, and he fought the urge to cough. Roxas slowly started pushing himself up, torso first, before he finally was on his knees. He grunted as he stood up, the wind knocked out of him from the blow.

 

"...I gotta stop them," Sora said, determination coming through in his voice. His friends were getting seriously close to really hurting each other, and he couldn't allow that to happen. If they could just cool down for two seconds, they'd see that what they were doing was foolish.

 

The dust hadn't settled yet, but Roxas was aware enough to hear running footsteps. Through the small fog of dirt he caught sight of silver-hair, and he did what his gut told him to. He lifted his left hand and there was suddenly a clash of metal.

Riku found himself stopped short by Roxas's defense. The dust finally settled and Riku saw clearly now a new weapon was blocking his own: Oathkeeper. "Dual-wielder," he muttered, glancing at the blade beneath his own as they shook with the force being put against each other.

"What, did you forget?" Roxas challenged lowly, holding his own against the pressure. "That's one thing I didn't." He smirked and suddenly dropped to the ground. He heard Riku gasp in surprise and Roxas didn't hesitate his next move. He pulled back his leg and swung it, sweeping it at Riku's feet. The dust and groan that resulted let Roxas know his move was successful.

 

Sora brought his hand off the lion's head and set his other on the wall behind him, using it to help him climb to his feet. The shock hadn't passed, and he had a bad feeling about what could happen if he tried to get between the two of them fighting, but he didn't care. He rose to his feet shakily, swaying slightly. The light stayed up against his leg, helping him keep his balance. He wordlessly summoned a blade into his hand, seeing that both his friends were winded and injured. This needed to end now.

 

Roxas immediately jumped to his feet, both blades at the ready. "Why don't you quit?" he said harshly, watching as Riku rose to his feet as well. "I beat you once without the assistance of darkness, and now that you don't walk that path anymore, I'm just going to do it again. How many times do I have to beat you before you give up?"

Riku straightened, exhaling heavily, the blow having knocked the wind out of him. "Because..." he started, gripping his blade. "I never give up against somebody of the likes of you."

"Who? A Nobody?" Roxas challenged, his tone full of anger. "That's low, even for you." He stared steadily at the silver-haired Keyblade master across from him. "What do you have against Nobodies?"

Riku tightened his grasp on the hilt of Way to Dawn, glaring at Roxas. "They've naturally become an enemy to a Keyblade wielder. I shouldn't have to question why I hate them."

Roxas ground his teeth together, leaning forward slightly, weapons at the ready. "You're not the only one who can experience hate," he practically growled. "I've hated people before..." He briefly thought of Smith, but focused on the present. "...And you're putting yourself on the list."

Riku smirked. "Fine. Prove how much you hate me then, Nobody." He raised an arm, getting into his battle stance as well.

Roxas exhaled heavily through gritted teeth, growling lowly in anger. He then charged forward, a battle cry leaving his lips as he sprinted toward Riku. Then the battle began.

 

Sora looked at the two of them and took a few steps forward, summoning Lion Heart into his left hand. "That's enough!" he hollered, hurrying forward. He felt concern when he got nearer and saw their wounds--they were both pretty beat up. He sucked in a breath and cast cure on the two of them. It may have given them a bit more energy, but it would keep them from killing each other.

 

Roxas felt his cuts and bruises begin to heal, a warm-yet-cooling sensation washing over him. Even so, he continued with the assault on Riku. He slashed and swung at Riku, seeing and hearing their blades connect during the battle.

Riku heard Sora, and was sure Roxas did too, though neither them acknowledged him during their battle. He felt his wounds heal over from Sora's Cure magic, but it didn't stall the fight. Battlecries left his throat just as they did Roxas's as they attacked each other, some blows landing, others being blocked or dodged.

 

Sora rushed in, thinking now that the only thing he wanted was to end this fight. When the two of them were separated, he jumped right in between them, pointing a blade at each of them. "I said 'that's enough,'" he said lowly, his eyebrows furrowed over his bright blue eyes. "Cool it. Now."

 

Roxas's eyes glanced at Sora, still as sharp as daggers as the glare remained. After a few seconds, his sight rested back on Riku. "Get out of the way, Sora," he ordered, hostility evident in his voice. His breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling.

Riku didn't say anything, but agreed nonetheless. This was a battle that needed to be fought between him and Roxas. Although some of it did involve Sora in some ways, Riku didn't think he should intervene. His aqua eyes rested on Sora for a moment before meeting the hard gaze of Roxas's.

 

Sora shook his head, his eyes staying on Roxas now. "Not gonna happen," he stated simply. This fight had lasted long enough; it wasn't helping anyone. In fact, it was only making Sora more and more worried about the sanity of both of his friends.

 

Roxas's grip tightened on his blades. "Fine," he said. "If you don't move...I will." He suddenly pushed off his feet and jumped up, flipping over Sora. He brought his Keyblades down to strike Riku, only to hear his weapons strike the ground.

Riku landed on his feet lightly a few feet away, having anticipated a move like that.

 

Sora gritted his teeth; he should have expected that move. "Hey!" he shouted, rushing up behind Roxas. "Quit it!" Coming up behind him wasn't his smartest move, but at that moment, he was willing to do whatever it took to end things for good.

 

Roxas heard approaching foosteps and instinctively whirled around, rising to his feet at the same time. He pointed his blades, not actually slashing them because he knew it was Sora who was behind him. He pointed his blades at him, eyebrows furrowed over stormy blue eyes.

 

Sora stood there with furrowed brows, one blade raised to meet Roxas'. The other hung loosely at his side. "If you thought things through for one minute, both of you would realize how stupid this is," he said seriously, speaking in a low tone of voice. He had to talk some sense into them before it was too late.

 

Roxas was completely still, his form skillfully steady. "I mean it, Sora. Stay out of it," he demanded darkly. "I know that this--" Roxas's eyes widened instantly and he whirled around, a sound of clashing metal greeting him immediately. He'd heard the approaching footsteps, and sure enough, Riku was in front of him, their blades met.

Riku's jaw was set as he held his ground, his strength being put into his blade. Roxas had definitely improved in skill, because it was impossible to sneak up on him. Either way, Riku was going to continue this fight. Sora's intervention wasn't going to stop him.

 

Sora furrowed his brows and moved to the side, standing between in front of the blades that were being pressed together. He was closer to than the edge than the two of them, though he hardly noticed this. He pointed his blades at the two of them, a few words leaving his lips. "I will attack the two of you if I have to," he said darkly. "Don't let things go that far. End it now."

 

Roxas ground his teeth together, glancing sidelong at Sora before his eyes rested on the pair opposite him, across the blades. "Not a chance," he grunted, putting more force into his blades. "I'm not losing this time."

Riku furrowed his eyebrows at Roxas's words, not glancing at Sora as he spoke. "Don't, Sora," he advised. "Now's not the time to intervene. If you do, this will only get worse." And he firmly believed that. Normally, when a third person tried to get in the middle of other people's business, the consequences were even worse than they were beforehand.