Ok so.. I've been sitting on this idea for years.. only recently have been able to flesh it out just a smidge but I still have no reason behind it yet or much plot thought out so opinions are appreciated! The new trailer hype has me aching for Roxas to come back...
Where the hell is he?! Riku growls under his breath drudging across town. I swear I'm going to convince Cid to make a universal dog chip and embed it into his neck myself!
After the Mark of Mastery Sora had been rather off. His younger friend insisted that he was happy and proud that Riku passed of course, but he and Kairi knew he was just hiding his own disappointment. After all, Sora had the Keyblade first, which was supposed to be Riku's but ended up getting it as the second cut. Saved the known multiverse (twice), lost and regained his memories in a coma that caused him to miss a year of his life (and a big chunk of puberty apparently... lucky runt..) And in the end gets upstaged by Riku. Again. Like he had his whole life..
It wasn't just that though. The island trio along with Axel (Everyone was just too used to the name and 'Lea' wasn't exactly the same as he was even with his heart back, he was technically marked dead for years anyway) had practically moved into Yin Sid's tower for further training and easy contact with the King. In the weeks since the exam Sora seemed to be slowing down lately, tired, sluggish to react, and hiding winces of pain when he thought no one was looking.
Worst symptom they see was his attitude. Contrary to popular belief Sora can get grumpy, snappish and downright pissed. But when Riku outright corners him, trying to get the brunet to just admit he was sick and rest a little; ends up getting HISSED at, shoved, and called an 'effing overprotective mother hen'. Something was seriously wrong.
Of course an hour later Sora found him again, apologized and told him not to worry a dozen times over, but not the point. How can Riku not be concerned? It was his fault all this started in the first place, Sora had literally gone through hell and back to find him again. Then when he gets trapped in his own dream and almost..
Riku shook that thought out of his head before he could finish it. One last place to check and he'd need to move on. It's been nearly two and a half days now since the morning Sora's room was found empty. No note, bed not slept in, not even any of his equipment missing except what he already kept in his pockets at all times. Kairi was understandably beyond enraged, her wrath was even setting Axel on edge. It only took an hour to plan out search party routes.
Surprisingly the princess had dumped the list marked with the more likely 'I need time alone' hidey-holes Sora would use on Riku. He was sure she would stake claim to them but that scheming knowing grin Kairi gave him before he left was something he did not want to think about thank you very much!
The docks looked just the same as the last time he saw them, of course town would be more likely to house a person having real shelter and food and whatnot. None had the high chances of here though. Riku struts out across the sands of Play Island. Home.
The silverette turns the corner to get around the back of the island and stops cold. Someone was sitting in the sand at the opening of the smaller sheltered cave, Riku didn't take the time to register just who this person was as he was more focused on the unusually large Shadow they seemed to be enticing out inch by inch with an outstretched arm.
Riku's Keyblade flashed into his grip, yellow eyes snapped to him and scrambled away to hide. The unknown person gives a shout while Riku runs past, cornering the Heartless quickly. It growled at him warningly, not attacking, not defending, but that hardly registered when Riku swings. A flash of light in the corner of his eye, the sound of metal meeting metal rings as his arm stops cold and gets flung back, followed by an angry and strangely familiar voice. "You Hearts damned IDIOT! I was this close to finally getting through to him!"
Riku drew back, distancing himself from his new opponent to take stock of the situation. It took all of two seconds for his brain to stall in confusion. "What the..?"
Before him stood Roxas. As in Sora's Nobody, who shouldn't physically be here right now but inside Sora. The blonde had a black tee, pants rolled up to the knees and sturdy looking boots. That odd X shaped necklace glinted in the sunlight along with both his Keyblades, (why did he always pick the ones that represented Kairi and himself..?) drawn and standing between Riku and the Heartless, defending it.
The silverette's stunned look slowly drifted between the two before it finally clicked. The Heartless cowering behind Roxas was wearing a standard Org. XIII cloak. The hood that had hidden the signature hairstyle had slipped down in its haste to escape. Riku's already pale skin grew even fainter, "Sora..?"
Roxas dragged Riku off away from Sora. The poor Shadow was still too worked up and recoiled every time Riku tried to get close to him. It made the older teen feel sick, to think he almost killed his best friend, and couldn't blame it on being brainwashed this time. It left him pacing small laps anxiously. Habitually starting to run a hand through his hair before remembering how short it was now. So he settled for drilling into the Nobody instead.
"What happened?! Why is Sora a Heartless?!"
"He's not a Heartless! At least not really. I think.."
"That doesn't make any sense!"
"Look! I don't really get it either! The best we figure is it's a cope for being exposed to darkness too long, it pops up sometimes when he activates a Drive form and burns away any darkness that he absorbs accidently."
Riku drew silent, Sora hadn't used his Drive forms since the battle with Xemnas. He never even heard about this darkness covered one. Is this what he meant back at that black beach? That 'he thought darkness had gotten to him too'?
"If it's a Drive shouldn't he be out of it by now?"
"That's just it!" Roxas cries throwing his hands in the air. "This isn't normal! I'm out here working on my tan. Sora is still fit to run around Halloween Town unnoticed. And for the last two days I've been trying to convince him to go back to Dumblebeard for help. Almost did too, until you tried to decapitate him!"
Riku flinched softly. Obviously the blonde wasn't happy to see him first anyway, but this might be a hard point to get over anytime soon. But they could work on that later.
"….You were talking to him? He still understands us like that?"
Roxas sighs, anger mellowed for now. "Kinda? I didn't really get the sense that he was really clear thinking when it started happening. I figure its more a base instincts thing most Heartless have, but names, faces, and body language seems to get through pretty well.."
Meaning with Riku attacking him like he did Sora wasn't willingly going anywhere near himself or a Keyblade anytime soon… Then again when it came to his set-in-stone mindset, sometimes the direct approach was best.
After debating with himself for several minutes, Riku marched back off to where the Shadow was still hiding. Roxas followed after, nearly lunging at the other when his Keyblade reappeared. "Hey! What-"
"Sleep!"
Sora slumped to the ground limply, Roxas' jaw snapped shut, looking frustrated and making a mental note to learn that spell later.
Riku carefully scooped up his friend, surprised at how incredibly light the transformation seemed to make him (at least he hoped that was just the transformation..) adjusting to where Sora's head rested against his shoulder. As he stood up though, he felt a cool face snuggle under his chin.
Willing the red away from his face (Riku swore he could faintly hear Sora purring, not that the rumbling he could actually feel against him did anything to suggest otherwise) they moved back out to the open. Riku opening a portal back to the tower.
"Uh were you coming back too or..?" Riku glanced to Roxas, if he really wanted to leave he would have by now right?
The blonde seemed uneasy at that, looking away awkwardly. "I'm not comfortable leaving Sora yet, I owe him.. Seems like there's a lot more to the Keyblade that I could stand to know too.." That is if they didn't try to get rid of him again, was left unsaid. "Besides, where else would I have to go to? And I still need to kick your ass from that last cheap trick you pulled." Roxas smirks striding off ahead and vanishing through. Yep.. still salty..