Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

Sora stopped a few feet away from Riku, lifting his eyes and scanning the area without taking much in. No Heartless; apparently the city was quiet today. He felt a bit relieved for that, considering today was an especially off day for him. He was getting worse as the days came by, and he was positive his comrades saw it. Pretty soon, he wouldn't just be useless to to the team...he would be a burden. He hated to think like that, but that was the simple truth.

 

Riku summoned Way to Dawn away with a glimmer of light. "All clear," he stated, looking back down and level with his partners. He saw Roxas catching up, and then looked at Sora. His concern had grown for him recently, ever since he became so quiet. It was hard to ignore, especially considering the fact that Sora was such a lively person.

Roxas hesitated before summoning his own blades away, briefly remembering that it was hard to trust Riku now. Even so, after taking a quick glance around himself, he let the blades leave his grasp. He stood a few feet from Sora, letting his eyes wander before resting on his Somebody.

 

Sora nodded once and looked up toward the sky, seeing only a few clouds. It was strange how much he noticed the little details of everything that didn't matter. He exhaled a silent breath and summoned his blade away, empty hands down by his side.

 

Riku looked at Sora for a moment longer before his gaze switched to one of the buildings nearby. "We should take a break," he suggested, thinking about all the fighting they had done today, and how the heat here didn't help. "This way." He waved the two boys over as he started toward the shop door, already knowing it would be empty.

Roxas's hands lightly formed fists as he followed Riku's instructions in silence, heading toward the small shop Riku had pointed out.

 

Sora took the rear of the group, following Riku and Roxas into the shop. He had to admit, he was grateful for the suggestion; the air was very hot and humid in Agrabah, and it had a way of wearing him down. That was something he recalled from his previous journeys.

 

Riku entered the shop and looked around briefly, taking in the room. It was a little dusty and filled with crates of supplies. Some vases were sitting around the room as well. The boy stepped aside to let the other two in.

Roxas walked in, briefly glanced at Riku, and proceeded to find a place on a side wall. He sat atop one of the crates, exhaling softly. He was glad for the small time off the battlefield; it felt cooler in here, and it relaxed him a little more.

 

Sora looked around briefly, immediately feeling the coolness of the shop. He didn't think about it though. Instead, he headed over to the wall near Roxas and the crates and propped himself up, one foot against the wall and arms folded across his chest. He didn't know how long the break would last, but in a way, he hoped it would be pretty short. It gave his friends less time to investigate on what his problem was.

 

Riku let the door shut after Sora, but the place wasn't dark. There was a small window that the silver-haired teen stood next to that let in plenty of light. He saw Sora's posture and frowned, eyes narrowing.

Roxas glanced up at Riku when he got a weird vibe, but he had always been able to sense those things. He caught Riku's eye and saw him nod toward Sora. Roxas turned his head to gaze at the brunet and instantly looked back at Riku, his eyebrows furrowing over his blue eyes. He shrugged; Riku's guess was as good as his.

 

Sora had his head lowered, so he was unaware of Riku and Roxas looking at him. He started to wonder which world they would go to next, and how long they would be there. He was in a rush to get this over with for some reason. Maybe along the way, he would find some answers. He didn't know how, but somehow, he would get to the bottom of Castle Oblivion.

 

"Sora," Riku called, his voice level. His tone didn't represent one of question, but seriousness. His best friend wasn't being himself and he wasn't sure why. That was why he was going to get to the bottom of it. Right now.

 

Sora looked up at the call, his head turning toward the source of the call. "What's up?" he asked without thought, his eyes on Riku. It didn't seem like a question directed at him like he had expected, so he had no idea what was coming next.

 

Riku's expression didn't change, the worry and strictness obvious on his face. What's "up" had something to do with his best friend. "You've been acting different lately," he told him directly. "For the past few days you haven't been yourself. What's going on with you?" The question had been nagging him for a while, and it was good to finally ask Sora about it.

Roxas looked from Riku to Sora, waiting for an answer. He had been wondering the same thing, and wanted to know as well. He knew something was wrong by the connection he and Sora had, though it was nothing like Sora's connection with Kairi. Regardless, Roxas still sensed something was up with him, and was concerned.

 

Sora shrugged slightly, his gaze going to the wall beside Riku for a moment as he avoided the silver-haired teen's gaze. He shouldn't have been surprised with Riku's boldness; he was always like that. But unfortunately for all of them, he didn't have a real answer to that question. Not one that could sound intelligent or logical. So he decided to stay silent, allowing the shrug to be an answer to the question. He knew Riku hated answers like that, but that was the best one he could offer.

 

Riku's frown deepened at the motion. "You don't have to keep it to yourself, you know," he insisted. "I'm your best friend, and if you live by your own word, Roxas is too. You should know that you can tell us anything." He briefly glanced at Roxas when he said this, but then looked back at Sora.

Roxas exhaled softly and turned his gaze from Riku to Sora. "He's right," he agreed. "Shutting me and Riku out will only make this more difficult." His voice was hard, like it had been ever since he got his memories back. Roxas could only guess that it was from his past, and it in turn affected how he was today. He shook the thought out of his head, focusing on Sora.

 

Sora furrowed his brows at their insistence. He was a little surprised Roxas had said something; most of the time, Roxas was wise enough to know when not to pressure him. Apparently this time was different. He let his eyes land on Riku and he gave him a look as if to say, "You can't force me to say anything I don't want to say." He forgot, though, just how much his change was affecting the two people he traveled with. In reality, that did give them a reason to pry.

 

Riku furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "Sora," he said, his tone hard and direct. What was obviously troubling Sora was enough to cause a change in his attitutde, which was usually uncommon. Riku wanted to know what was bothering his best friend of 11 years, and he wanted to know now.

Roxas could sense the tension rising in the room, and yet he wasn't surprised. Even if he was cooling off, things were going to heat up. By the way Riku had spoken, he wasn't too happy about what was going on. Roxas wasn't either, but he wasn't putting his emotions out yet.

 

Sora set his right foot on the ground, defiantly holding Riku's gaze. He had nothing to say here, even if Riku was being very stern and serious. Maybe he seemed immature by not answering Riku's concerns head on, but he didn't know the answers himself. He had a clue as to what was going on--something had changed his mindset without him realizing it. But suddenly it hit him: Castle Oblivion. It had completely changed his focus, not just partially like he had figured before.

 

Riku stared at Sora eye to eye, standing still. Even though his expression was hard and stern, on the inside he was worrying more about his friend. He and Sora told each other everything, and the fact that Sora couldn't even tell him what was wrong made him more curious as to what was going on.

Roxas glanced back and forth from Sora to Riku. The two were staring each other down in the silence, and he could tell that Sora wasn't budging, no matter how insistent Riku was being. It must've been really important, personal, or bad if Sora couldn't say anything.

 

Sora blinked, chasing away the thoughts. Great, so that was what was causing him to slip up and act like this. His obsession with that place. Well, he certainly wasn't going to tell Riku or Roxas about that. If it didn't make sense to him, it definitely wouldn't make sense to either of them. "Chill out, Riku," Sora muttered, looking down at the ground. Seriously, this wasn't that huge of a deal. Or maybe it was and he wouldn't admit it. He couldn't decide which one it was.

 

Riku lowered his sight slightly and looked to the side, at the wall. "When your best friend isn't acting like himself for six days, you get kind of worried," he replied, voice low. If Sora couldn't say anything, it was probably a big deal. Riku had been through a lot; he figured he could help out, at least a little bit.