Chapter 9: Rage Awakened

Riku and Namine stepped out into Traverse Town. The place seemed a bit more deserted than usual. Plenty of people were still standing about though, looking lost, just like last time. But among all of those people, was someone who actually didn't look lost. Just a bit confused, and trying not to look confused, and failing miserably at it. Riku smiled.

"Hey! Sora!" he shouted. Said confused person (Sora), turned around, grinned, and walked over.

"Hey, Riku!" Sora said. "Hey-" he stopped suddenly, glancing at Namine. His smile fell, and he stood silent for a second, before turning to Riku with a glare in his eyes. "Where's Kairi?" he asked sternly.

Riku paused, and his smile fell too. "Sorry, Sora, I-"

"You haven't found her!" Sora asked, in disbelief.

"Well no," Riku said, starting to get confused. "I've only been searching for a day…"

"You found Namine!" Sora shouted.

"What!" Riku asked, his voice rising with anger. "You're getting mad at me because Namine just so happened to be in the first world I searched in! Sora, that's ridiculous!"

"You don't even care about Kairi, do you!"

"Sora!" Riku shouted in disbelief. "Are you even listening to me? I haven't been searching that long! Of course I care about Kairi!"

"Sure aren't acting like it…" Sora muttered.

"What do you want me to do!" Riku asked angrily. "Apologize for finding Namine first? It's not like that's my fault! I wouldn't have left Kairi behind if I had find found her!"

"You weren't even searching for her were you!"

"Of course I was! I was looking for all of you!"

Nothing Riku said was getting through to Sora. Sora only cared about one thing: Kairi. And more importantly, why Riku hadn't found her. In his mind, if Riku had found Namine, that meant he had time to find Kairi, and since Kairi wasn't here, Riku only cared about Namine. Of course, a good portion of these thoughts were forming from the darkness that was slowly growing inside him. Especially the one that was telling him over and over again: "Riku doesn't care."

Frustration coursed through Sora and he clenched his fists in anger. "You never cared about us, Riku!" he shouted. "You never cared about me and Kairi! All you care about is Namine!"

"That's not true!" Riku shouted, about as frustrated as Sora was. "Of course I care!"

Sora's eyes darted over in Namine's direction, a bit of hatred flashing in them. "But you care about Namine more, don't you?"

Riku stopped dead in his tracks, anger brought to a cold halt when confronted with that question. He stood, speechless, unsure of how to answer. He couldn't say no. It was impossible to deny. Everyone could see it, he cared about Namine more than anyone. And that's why Sora had asked the question.

"I knew it," Sora muttered.

Riku's hand slowly clenched into a fist, his blade forming readily. Anger was pulsing through him quick now. So like Sora, he thought, so like him. Of course, he was comparing the Sora standing in front of him to the Sora he knew from his past, which weren't alike at all. He was about ready to strike, when Namine tugged his shirt gently. Riku stopped glaring at Sora and turned to look at her. She simply pointed off to the side, where heartless were slowly appearing.

"Hello…" Riku muttered, watching the Neoshadows slowly form.

"Huh?" Sora asked, anger slowly fading and he started to sound normal again. He turned and looked behind him, also noting the Neoshadows. He swiftly pulled out his Keyblade and started attacking. Riku just smiled and rushed forward, quickly killing one of them with only a couple of hits.

Sora struggled, it took him much longer to destroy the heartless than it took Riku. In the time it took him to kill one, Riku had already killed three or four. Sora kept glancing at Riku, watching him kill the heartless with ease. He grunted, angrily hacking away at the one attacking him until it was gone. Namine stood off to the side, out of the way, warning both of them when a Neoshadow was sneaking up behind them. She ended up warning Sora more, mainly because he was to busy envying Riku to properly pay attention to the heartless.

But within no time, all the heartless had been eliminated.

"Not bad," Riku laughed, turning to look at Sora, quite impressed. He banished his blade and smiled.

"Thanks," Sora said.

Riku looked at the blade in Sora's hand, and his eyes widened in shock. Sora held a Keyblade. It wasn't much of a surprise, but it was still a bit of shock, considering it had been so long since he had last seen one. Sora followed Riku's gaze and grinned. He held up his Keyblade for Riku to see.

"I finally got a real weapon," he laughed.

"That's great!" Riku said, and then squinted, looking closer. The Keyblade looked exactly like he remembered it, except one minor detail. So small that you could hardly see it, but it was still there. There was a tiny crack in the middle of the blade. "Can I see…?" Riku asked slowly, reaching out.

"NO!" Sora said quickly, pulling the blade back and then quickly banishing it.

Riku scowled, a bit confused. He sighed. "This is still about Kairi, isn't it?" he asked.

Sora's silence told him all he needed to know.

"Listen, Sora, I am REALLY sorry I haven't found her yet," Riku said. "And don't think I'm not worried, I am. But listen, if we work together, we can find Kairi in no time flat." He offered his hand out to Sora. "Together, yeah?"

"Together," Sora scoffed. "When have you ever wanted to work together? You always told me I wasn't strong enough. Told me to stay home! You kept telling me that you could handle everything, said that I didn't need to worry about it. I didn't think you would ever ask for my help. I thought I wasn't strong enough for you. But you know what?" Sora's voice had been rising with anger as he spoke, and by this point he was shouting. "I am stronger now. I'll show you Riku, I'll show you! I can find Kairi on my own!" He turned and ran.

"Sora!" Riku called, running after him. But by the time he had made it to the Second District, Sora was long gone. "Sora…" he groaned, a bit shocked and shaken by what Sora had said.

"It's not your fault," Namine told him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"But what if it is…" Riku muttered. "All that time, Sora never said a word, never said he had a problem. If I had known that it had bothered him this much…" He shook his head.

"I-I don't think that's it…" Namine said quietly. She had a feeling something different was going on. Riku didn't hear her, he was still lost in his own thoughts.

"Maybe he did say… and I just never heard. I spent so much time worrying about myself… Maybe that's why he thinks I don't care. Because I was so distant…"

"Riku, I really don't think that's it," Namine said again. "Something else is going on here."

"But what?" Riku asked.

Namine shrugged. She had no idea.