Crossroads

by iceyly

One Shot – The truth is probably, that after years and years and years of being best friends and rivals it's just that hard to think of Sora as anything else, even knowing that it's just him that's thinking like that, even knowing that Sora has already left them behind.

A piece of introspection into my absolute most favorite scene in the whole game – I really love the body language and voice acting of that moment when Riku decides to show himself to Sora. He's such a jerk, but he is rather pretty while he is at it.

Enjoy! :3

Category: Kingdom Hearts
Characters: Riku, Sora
Genre: Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: No spoilers. Just sad feels.
Summary: One Shot – The truth is probably, that after years and years and years of being best friends and rivals it's just that hard to think of Sora as anything else, even knowing that it's just him that's thinking like that, even knowing that Sora has already left them behind.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

- Crossroads -

It's a glimmer of hope that leads him into the colorful walls of Monstro's innards, the whisper of a rumor that Maleficent had relayed to him, a tale of a Puppet that carries a heart. A key maybe to helping Kairi, Riku hopes, because while he doesn't trust Maleficent – he shivers at her every touch, wants to recoil just at the sound of her voice, but he needs her and so he stands strong and slaps her hand away whenever she reaches for him – he can't afford not to look into this clue either.

He's already gone so far as kidnapping an actual princess for her and he'll go much further if it means getting Kairi's heart back.

(Because Kairi is all that's left, the only true friend he has right now, because their home is far away and Sora has abandoned them for two animals and a Key that was once promised to Riku and just the thought of that leaves a very bitter taste in his mouth.)

He hides away when he first hears Sora's voice, isn't quite sure whether to show himself or not; bitterness burns to brightly in the memory of Traverse Town – "Oh, and guess what? Sora's the Keyblade master", "No, he can't come!" – of those new friends that Sora has replaced his old ones with, but then Sora speaks up again and it's those words that decide it.

"Pinocchio, stop fooling around! This is no time for games!"

Riku wants to laugh, laugh, laugh – who is the one fooling around, who is the one playing games and proclaiming himself a hero (he's overheard Hades losing a few choice words over that one) when Kairi is–

"But, Sora, I thought you liked games. Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?"

He drags the Puppet along and away, tells him that it's all a game of hide and seek before he sends him of into a different direction – it takes him only one step through the darkness to be by his side again after all and two targets are more difficult to search for than just one. The bitter taste in his mouth is only growing worse as his thoughts linger on Sora, as he catches himself trying to figure out just how to make him understand.

Maleficent scolds him, asks why he still cares – and he doesn't, he doesn't, or does he?

(The truth is probably, that after years and years and years of being best friends and rivals it's just that hard to think of Sora as anything else, even knowing that it's just him that's thinking like that, even knowing that Sora has already left them behind, that he only thinks to ask about him or Kairi when Riku is around to remind him to.)

"Don't you realize what you are doing?" Sora asks when he finally catches up, and that is really just all sorts of funny because-

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Sora. You only seem interested in running around and showing off that Keyblade these days. Do you even want to save Kairi?"

(I do, he says and for a second there's a glimmer of hope that maybe he hasn't deserted them for good just yet after all, Riku thinks thinks hopes – but there isn't much time for that, not when there is a giant Heartless for them both to take care of.)

The Parasite Cage is easy to drive back between two swords, a staff and a shield (no matter how unwelcome Riku considers the latter two), so Riku moves before anyone else can and goes after the puppet – unlike Sora, he doesn't have any qualms to do what needs doing when it comes to Kairi and a puppet that should not move in first place is a small price to pay.

He ignores the cries of the Old Man and that question of Sora's that really deserves no answer – why else would he be doing all this after all, why else would he bother with some puppet in the stomach of a giant whale, if not for Kairi?

("What do you care about her?" he snaps because in every action, in every question Sora proves over and over and over that it's just courtesy he asks about her, that he is more interested in playing the 'Keyblade Master' than anything or anyone else.

Still, he thinks when he's on his own again, finding Kairi's heart is an impossible task just by himself and maybe, maybe, maybe if he asks, Sora will see reason and abandon his games in favor of coming with Riku, so that they can save their friend together.)

He doesn't think much about it when he leaves the puppet to the Heartless, just watches because maybe this way he can figure out where the hearts go, maybe he can figure out how to get them back.

One puppet is a small sacrifice to make, he reminds himself.

Sora catches up again before long, shouts and makes demands and when Riku offers to join forces for Kairi, he draws his weapon in answer.

(And though Riku would never admit as much out loud, the display of that makes his heart twist in stinging pain – no matter what Sora thinks, he isn't the enemy here.)

There is no sense in talking Reason to someone that refuse to even hear him out, and when the puppet pulls the Heart it had already near lost back to himself, Riku figures that he's seen all he needs to.

Parasite Cage offers enough diversion to those heroes for him to slip into the Darkness and away towards Hollow Bastion again.

Bitterness boils into fury as he walks through the Corridor and replays the scenes in his head again and again and again, because even though he's hoped against hope that he's wrong, that Maleficent is wrong in what she's told him, that Sora hasn't actually deserted his two oldest friends in all worlds and the promises they made, he can no longer deny the truth he's seen in the past hours.

Sora has found new friends, doesn't think to waste a thought on the old ones if he doesn't need to.

Sora sees him as the enemy, he thinks bitterly, and fine, if that's what Sora thinks, Riku will follow suit and treat him the same and if Sora even thinks to complain, then Riku will gladly remind him just who first drew his blade between them.

(It's not like he or Kairi need him anyway.)

— FIN —

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