"There you are! What's goin' on?"
Sora couldn't believe who he was seeing before him. "Riku!" Sora gasped out, stepping toward the figure of his best friend, uncertain if what he was seeing was real. His method of testing it was...quite unconventional, as he stuck his thumbs into the side of Riku's mouth.
Riku's eyes crossed goofily at Sora's ridiculous gesture before he shrugged Sora's hands out of his mouth. "Hey, hey, cut it out!" he said, smiling that familiar, confident smile Sora knew so well.
He actually felt the touch of Riku's hand shoving his arms away. And he wasn't vanishing. Did that mean that he wasn't imagining things? "I'm not dreaming this time...right?" Sora asked hopefully, remembering how he thought he saw and heard Kairi, only for her to suddenly disappear. Was this really Riku?
"I hope not. Took forever to find you." Riku replied brushing a bit of his hair out of his eyes.
And that was it. That was the confirmation that Sora needed. It really was him. His best friend. "Riku!" He was okay!
Riku smirked back at Sora, not seeming too bothered about their separation. But then again, Riku was always made of sterner stuff than Sora, so that didn't surprise him. He was just so happy to have him back.
Ruby and her friends smiled at Sora, happy to see that Sora finally found one of his own friends after all they'd been through. First Yang found them, and now Riku found Sora. Despite the unexpected introduction of the Grimm, things were looking up brighter than ever.
But it was then Sora realized something. Riku was alone. "Wait a second. Where's Kairi?" he asked, earning a confused look from Riku. "Isn't she with you?" Sora could only lower his head sadly. He'd hoped that Kairi was with Riku, and yet Riku seemed to have assumed the opposite. That she was with Sora. He was glad to have found Riku, of course, but...he couldn't stop worrying about Kairi. Where could she be?
Riku realized he obviously didn't have Kairi with him either and though a little bummed, he smiled and tried keeping things positive. "Well, don't worry. I'm sure she made it off the island, too." he said, taking a few steps away from the group. Everyone else remained silent and listened. "We're finally free. Hey, she might even be looking for us now."
What nobody realized as their focus was on Riku, was the emergence of a Shadow Heartless rising out of the ground. It's yellow eyes locked onto Riku as it closer to him stealthily as he kept speaking. "We'll all be together again soon. Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I know this-."
The sudden sound of something popping caught Riku's attention as he pivoted to see something fading into the air like black smoke. The only thing he saw was Sora holding his Keyblade out near the dissipating remains of the Heartless' body. Riku looked in surprise, both that one of those things something managed to almost get the drop on him, and at how Sora reacted fast enough to stop it. "Leave it to who?" Sora asked with a smug smirk as he slung the Keyblade onto his shoulder.
Riku was surprised and nearly speechless from what Sora did. Something that didn't happen often back home. He seemed to have gotten much better instincts since the last time they saw each other. "Sora. What did you-?" "I've been looking for you and Kairi, too. With their help. Everybody here." Sora said, reaching his hand out to present the rest of his group. As he looked at them, Riku's face seemed to...almost fall. "Who are they?" he asked, his voice shifting to a much more unreadable tone. Sora didn't seem to notice as he was just too excited to have Riku back.
"Ahem. My name is-"
"We've visited so many places and worlds looking for you." Donald didn't have a chance to introduce himself as Sora interrupted him excitedly. Riku however didn't seem very excited to hear how Sora had been looking all over for him. "Really? Well what do ya know. I never woulda guessed." His voice seemed to suddenly carry a subtle edge of bitterness. Though it seemed to go over everyone's heads, given the moment of shared happiness.
"Yeah! Sora helped me find my friends and teammates in all the worlds we've gone to so far. It's been crazy." Ruby's interjection drew Riku's attention as he looked at her with that same unreadable expression. Almost like he was barely regarding her.
"Hm. And just who are you, exactly?" he asked in that exact same tone, but with the subtlest edge of derisiveness added on.
It was then that Ruby realized introductions still weren't done. "Oh! Right. Sorry. I'm Ruby Rose. It's uhh...nice to meet you, Riku." she introduced, trying to push aside her embarrassment.
"And I am her partner, Weiss Schnee." Weiss followed up, elegant and proud as ever as she gave a small bow of her head and a slight curtsy.
"Blake Belladonna." Followed by Blake's even-toned introduction, along with a faint shift of expression from her. Despite everyone else's joyful obliviousness, her bow gave a faint shift as she noticed the subtle edge of bitterness in Riku's tone and expression.
"Yang Xiao Long. Ruby's big sis." The blonde bombshell was the last of Team RWBY to introduce herself putting one hand on her hip and using the other to give a swish of her radiant, golden, immaculate locks of hair.
Riku looked at the four girls, though he didn't seem particularly impressed at them. In fact, he didn't seem to care much for them at all. "And you two?" he asked, turning to Jaune and Pyrrha.
"Oh! Hey there. I'm Jaune. Arc...Of the uh, Arc family. Las-Last name's Arc."
And after an anticipatedly awkward introduction from the blonde boy, his red haired partner followed suit with a warm smile and a polite bow of her head. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos. It's wonderful to finally meet one of Sora's friends. He's been so eager to see you again."
Each time Donald tried speaking, somebody else spoke before him. He waited until Pyrrha finished and finally thought he had a chance. Until Goofy gave a friendly wave and followed by saying, "I'm Goofy. Pleased to meet ya, Ahyuk!"
Finally fed up, Donald squawked with fists raised, making Ruby and Jaune jump before he cleared his throat. "Like I was trying to say, my name is Donald Duck."
Riku remained neutral faced though there was the same underline of bitterness in his tone and in his more narrowed eyes as each of them took turns introducing themselves. Slowly taking one last look at everyone, he finally said, "Seems you've got your own little group."
"I guess?" Sora said with a shrug, still not notice the dissident air Riku suddenly had about himself. By now however, Ruby's friends began to notice at least some degree of it. And at this point, they were starting to feel a bit concerned.
"Oh, and guess what? Sora's the Keyblade master!" Goofy said in pride for Sora when holding his shoulders from behind him. A gesture which made Sora smile at the captain of the guard.
"Who would have thought it?" Donald's sarcastic words broke Sora's moment of pride and cheer, and replaced it with annoyance. "What's that mean?!" he asked, bending down to Donald's level with an angry frown. Was Donald doubting him after all they'd been through thus far?!
"So this is called a 'Keyblade'?" As everyone else was more focused on Donald and Sora nearly about to get into another altercation, they turned back to Riku and much to their surprise...he was holding the Keyblade! Sora blanched with shock and confusion, looking to his right hand where the Keyblade had been. When did he-"Wha? Hey! Give it back!" Sora demanded and lunged for Riku, only to topple to the ground as Riku deftly backstepped.
Still holding it and looking at it, Riku seemed uninterested. Blake perked up when realizing how many seconds passed since Riku held it and whispered to Ruby, "Ruby...didn't you tell me on the way here that the Keyblade can only be held by the one it chooses?" Ruby only just realized what was wrong with this picture when Blake brought that up. She and looked back at her then to Riku as she whispered, "You're right. Jiminy wrote about those exact words Leon and Yuffie said, in his journal." Weiss noticed it as well as she whispered to her teammates, "Then why hasn't it come back to Sora, yet?"
Before Jaune or Pyrrha could give their own comment on the strange situation, Riku suddenly tossed the Keyblade back to Sora with a dismissive, "Catch." Fortunately, Sora got to his feet enough to barely reach up and catch the Keyblade. Yet because he was so focused on having Riku back, he still didn't seem to notice what was wrong with this picture.
Sora barely managed to reach for the Keyblade and catch it as Riku tossed it back to him. Sora didn't seem to realize what was wrong with this picture. How Riku held the Keyblade without it vanishing back into Sora's hand. Perhaps it was because he was just too happy to see Riku again "Okay, so you're coming with us, right?" Sora asked enthusiastically. "We've got this awesome rocket. Wait til you see it!"
"Uhh, Sora I'm more than happy to bring Riku along, but won't the gummi ship be a bit crowded with so many people in it?" Ruby asked. Between herself, her friends, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and now Riku, they was gonna be a packed ship.
"Well uhh...I'm sure well figure something out." Sora said with a nonchalant shrug.
"No! He can't come!" Donald's loud, vehement denial shocked the group, drawing a unanimous "What!?" from Sora and Ruby. "Forget it!" Donald refused adamantly. After all the people they had taken on, Donald chose now of all times to put his foot down.
"Why not!? You let my friends and teammates come along! Why not Riku too?!" Ruby jumped in, not hesitating to take Sora's side.
"You came along because your professor and the King requested it! He doesn't have anything, and we're too packed as it is with all your friends!" Donald's reasoning did not seen to help things at all.
"Oh come on! He's my friend!" Sora argued. He'd gone through so much just to find him and Donald refused to let him come?
"I don't care!" Donald stubbornly refused.
Yang blinked at the argument taking place before her. Of all the introductions to Ruby's new friends, it was one of them arguing with Donald. Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, Blake shook her head, and Jaune and Pyrrha mutually sighed. There they go again.
Goofy however noticed something that none of the arguing trio did when he looked back up in Riku's direction. "Huh? He's gone!"
Everybody snapped up in surprise when they looked where Riku had been... and saw he was gone. "Riku?" Sora called out, looking for any sign of his friend. Yet there was nothing. "Nice going." he said bitterly to Donald. He finally found his best friend, and Donald had to drive him off by refusing to let him come with them. Pyrrha approached and reached toward Sora to try comforting him, but fortunately Sora wasn't that upset. "Oh well. At least he's okay. And who knows? Maybe we'll run into Kairi soon, too!" he said, his optimism returning in an instant. His words relieved Pyrrha as she smiled and nodded to him, saying "That's the spirit, Sora."
Yang looked between them all before flipping her hair back. "So I can come along at least? Ruby's my baby sister. And older siblings are supposed to look after their younger family members. Plus if Ozpin requested you to bring Ruby and the rest of her friends, that's all the more reason."
Donald looked to her, his eye twitching in annoyance. He inhaled, about to speak, before Blake interrupted him with a frank reminder. "You also saw what she did to those Grimm. Imagine how helpful she'd be against the Heartless." Her words caused Donald to sputter, before he growled and yelled in rage. He wasn't even going to try arguing the issue again as he stomped off, muttering to himself.
"Yeesh. And you guys say MY temper's bad." Yang said, crossing her arms under her ample chest as they watched Donald head off. As they did, Yang's face shifted into a cheeky grin. One that Ruby knew very well and dreaded, but realized it too late. "Guess you could say we...'ruffled his feathers'. Am I right guys? Eh?"
A brief moment of silence followed as groans, or facepalms, or shaking of heads resounded from Yang's pun. Her friends should have known that now that Yang was back...the pun train was back on the rails, much to their chagrin. Sora looked confused, as if not quite getting the joke. Goofy however genuinely chuckled. "Ahyuck! Oh, I get it! Cause he's a duck! Oh, that's a good one!" Hearing his praise seemed to make Yang light up with a smile as she said, "Finally! Someone who appreciates my art!"
"Goofy...please...Don't encourage her." Ruby pleaded, her voice practically strangled as her friends groaned in agreement. This moment of reunion just HAD to be soured in more ways than one.
"Hey!" Donald shouted impatiently from the top of the ramp. "We need to meet Cid, don't we!? Let's hurry up!"
"Oh right! Follow us, Yang." Sora said, leading the way. Yang blinked with surprise as they already started moving. But being a woman of action herself, she shrugged, got over it, and followed after.
Even though Riku was now nowhere to be seen, at the very least Team RWBY was back together...again.
