Chapter 19: A Favor
They were in Wonderland. There wasn't a clear reason why they were in Wonderland. They just were. It seemed like a good place to randomly slaughter Heartless for some odd reason. Maybe it was because of all the… unique Heartless here. There were a lot of the Music Heartless here, "Music" being a nickname Joseph had given the family of Heartless, which consisted of flying Heartless that all had names that had to do with music. Therefore, the nickname was fitting, and a nice way to group them together.
"Isn't it nice to see some different Heartless after a while?" Sora asked, glancing over at Riku. Riku remained entirely silent, completely lost in thought. He was still managing to fight, but it wasn't quite up to his usual standard.
Sora destroyed a Red Nocturne and then lowered his blade.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"What?" Riku said, looking up. He was quiet for a moment, still processing the question. "Oh, yeah. I'm-I'm fine. I just… I don't think I got enough sleep last night, that's all. I kept having weird dreams and-" he stopped. "Never mind…" he muttered. "It's not important."
"If you want to tell me about your weird dream, go ahead," Sora said, turning and attacking the random group of Scarlet Tangos that appeared behind him.
"I don't remember most of it," Riku replied roughly. "So forget it, alright?" He brought his blade crashing down on a nearby Grey Caprice, killing it instantly.
Sora raised his eyebrows. It took him a couple of hits to get rid of those guys, usually. And he and Riku had become quite even in terms of strength. However, Riku was obviously still stronger.
"You miss her a lot, don't you?" Sora asked, pausing once again in his killing of Heartless. Riku only replied with a grunt that Sora had learned to take as a yes. Sora sighed, and then returned to killing Heartless.
He's still not focusing… I really need to figure out how I'm planning on doing this… I have no idea how I'm supposed to tell him that I think he needs to go home for a bit. Maybe it WOULD have been easier just to have Joseph shove him through a dark corridor.
He glanced over at Riku again, who was only just managing to hold his own, which still was very unusual.
This is getting ridiculous, Sora thought. I need to talk to him sooner rather than later…
Riku was killing Heartless without really trying. He was just swatting at them so they wouldn't kill him. His thoughts were not at all on anything to do with Heartless, but most definitely on Namine.
I wonder if she'd listen to that odd dream. I mean… I've never told her about my dreams before, but… they've all been nightmares. All the ones I can remember, anyways. He shook his head. No… this dream was too… weird. I don't think she'll listen.
Besides, by the time I'd see her again… I'll have forgotten about this dream. So I guess it doesn't matter.
Unless I were to go home sometime soon…. But, no, I can't do that. What would they say? Whoever… they are…. Joseph would probably insist on going too, because he's just like that. I don't know what Sora would think. And, I'm not sure about the Vexen Replicas either.
It's not like I've needed to go home before this.
I've barely even thought about it…
But- I-
It was never this bad before. I didn't start feeling like this until…
He sighed, and slowly sat down on a rock. He almost reached into his pocket to pull out the picture, but didn't, again. It wasn't the first time he had thought about it while being in the Worlds. But… as usual… he didn't want to get it dirty.
Or… have it get destroyed by some random Heartless.
He closed his eyes. He didn't really need the picture anyways. He had stared at it long enough that he had memorized what it looked like. He knew every little detail by now. Every stray pencil mark, every little part that hadn't been colored in completely.
He could remember when she had given it to him. It had been forever ago, before Sora had fallen into Darkness even, while they were all still on the Islands.
"Hey," Namine called, running up to him. "I want you to have this." She handed him the picture.
Riku took it, looked it over, and then smiled. "It's wonderful!" he said, turning to her. "Thank you!"
She glanced down at her feet. "Well… actually…" she muttered, sounding nervous. "I'm only giving it to you because the page fell out of my sketchbook… I hope you don't mind…"
"Why would I mind?" Riku laughed. "In fact, I'm kind of glad it fell out of your sketchbook. I love it! It's an amazing picture."
She blushed. "I'm glad you like it," she said, still sounding nervous. "It's not perfect… I'm terrible at drawing noses. I had to redraw them like… ten times."
"It looks fine," Riku told her, before she could say anymore.
"Oi!" Sora called, dragging him out of his thoughts. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Riku nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he insisted. "I'm just… tired, that's all."
Sora rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he muttered. "Well, I think I've killed all the Heartless in this area. We should be moving on."
"Yeah."
Riku stood up, and they moved on to a different area.
xxx
"Riku! Focus!" Sora shouted, destroying a Heartless that had snuck up on Riku.
"Sorry…" Riku muttered.
Sora frowned. Riku was really out of it.
He never apologized for something as small as this.
"That Heartless nearly took your head off!" Sora shouted. "You need to start focusing! I can't keep coming to save your butt!"
"I just… I feel like… I don't feel right," Riku muttered, rubbing his head. "Something's just… something's not right. I don't know what… but… I- never mind. It's probably nothing."
"Do you want to go back to Castle Oblivion?" Sora asked.
"No, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me. Just continue with… whatever it is…"
Sora rolled his eyes and returned to killing Heartless.
Riku frowned. He killed a few of the Heartless in his area, most of which were Pink Concertos, for some reason. They were really annoying, he decided, even though he was hardly even thinking about it.
Something's not right…
I don't know what it is… but something just isn't right. Something's wrong, somewhere.
Namine…
I hope she's alright.
I wonder what could be wrong…
He was slowly starting to panic.
No, she's probably fine, he told himself, shaking his head. I'm probably just… I don't know.
But, hey, that would be a nice reason to go home. A legit one, too. That I was worried about her, and I thought something was wrong. If something IS wrong, then I can deal with it. If not, well, I get to see her.
That would be nice…
Sora groaned. Riku was hardly fighting. Thankfully, though, the amount of Heartless were slowly beginning to dwindle. He finished off the last few and then walked over to Riku.
"Riku," he said.
He received no response.
"Really?" he muttered in disbelief. "Riku!" he called louder.
"Yeah? What?" Riku asked, looking around frantically. He seemed really out of it.
Might was well just tell him now, Sora sighed. "Listen, Riku, can you do me a favor? As soon as we're done here, go home."
"What?" Riku asked, sounding a lot less out of it with that.
"You don't need to stay for long or anything," Sora continued to explain. "Just go home and talk to Namine for a bit, yeah?"
Riku was silent for a moment.
Sora's telling me to go home… he thought.
Sora's TELLING me to go home.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
I don't need a reason, then, Sora's got it covered…
He shook his head.
No, I can't do that…
"I'm fine," he insisted once again.
Sora rolled his eyes. No you're not… he thought.
"Riku, come on," he sighed. "I've kept you away from her for four months. I know you miss her. Just go home, talk to her, and come back."
"Wh- did you not hear me when I said that it was the Rebellion keeping me in Castle Oblivion? I mean, I was looking for you, yeah, but—"
"You were the one who said it wouldn't hurt to go back for a day!" Sora argued.
Riku scowled. "Well, no, but. Sora, I'd- I can't go home without you!"
"Why not?"
"I mean I promised I'd bring you back—"
"So!?"
"What am I supposed to tell them!" Riku shouted, frustrated. He continued, in a mocking tone: "'Oh, yeah, I found Sora but he refused to come with me because he's being an idiot'?"
"I mean, yeah," Sora answered, to Riku's surprise. "Though you could do without calling me an idiot…"
Riku scowled, though. He still wasn't convinced. "But—"
"Seriously, Riku, tell them exactly that," Sora pressed. "It's fine. It's my fault, not yours."
Riku scowled harder as he thought about it. Sora's… INSISTING I go home… This is the chance I've been waiting for. I should- but I can't. I can't… that would be selfish.
"I don't know…" he said.
"Are you telling me you don't want to see Namine?" Sora asked.
"What! No! Of course not!" Riku replied quickly. "I-I mean, of course I want to see her! I want that more than anything…"
"Then go home for a bit," Sora said again. "I'll wait for you to come back, if it makes you feel better."
It really doesn't… Riku thought with a sigh. It makes me feel like I'm being selfish even more…
But I want to go home.
Sora's given me the perfect chance…
I really—
"Ow!" he gasped, a sudden wave of pain shooting through his head. He clutched his head, trying to get it to stop.
It was another one of those headaches.
"Are you okay?" Sora asked.
Riku nodded. "Yeah, just give me a minute," he muttered, rubbing his head.
The pain was beginning to fade quickly, much to his relief.
Something's not right…
"There's something wrong," he said after a moment, mainly to himself. "I feel like… like I need to be at Castle Oblivion. There's something wrong in Castle Oblivion."
He shook his head, as if to clear it.
"Well, why don't we finish up here," he suggested. "And then we'll see what's up in Castle Oblivion, and then…" He sighed, but Sora was insisting, and maybe a visit back to the Islands would be nice. "And then I'll go home."
"Thank you!" Sora said with a grin.
Riku nodded.
I don't know why he's thanking me. I should be the one thanking him…
I can't believe it! I'm going to go home and see Namine!
And… I have a good reason for it, too.
This is really exciting, actually.
He paused, clutching his stomach, which felt like it had flipped.
Why am I so nervous? He wondered. This is weird. I've never felt like this before…
It's different.
I'm not sure if I like it…
"Riku!" Sora called, pulling him out of his thoughts again. Heartless had started popping up again.
"I'm on it!" Riku replied, readying his blade.
For the first time all day, he felt a lot better.
However, the feeling better didn't last long.
Soon, it was replaced by the nagging feeling that something wasn't right.
Sora noticed quickly.
"Are you alright?" he asked, yet again.
And, yet again, Riku nodded.
Still, yet again, Sora rolled his eyes, not believing him one bit.
It was about that time that a giant Heartless dropped into the room.
Literally, it dropped into the room.
This was the Trickmaster.
"You ready Riku?" Sora asked with a grin.
No… Riku thought. But he replied yes.
It will be alright… Riku told himself, dodging out of the way of one of the Trickmaster's attacks and taking a swing at it. We'll smash this Heartless, and then figure out what's up with Castle Oblivion, and then I get to go home.
And I'll get to see Namine.
That thought comforted him, but not for long.
"It's got fire!" Sora shouted, glaring at the Trickmaster, which did indeed have fire. "That's not fair!"
"Yeah…" Riku muttered, and then jumped out of the way of a fireball that was shot at him.
It will all be alright, he told himself again. I'm going to see Namine after this.
And I'll tell her this ridiculous story.
And then we'll both laugh…
That'll be fun.
But…
Riku paused, frowning.
The more he thought about Namine, the more the feeling that something wasn't right grew.
He was beginning to worry.
He was distracted enough that the Trickmaster knocked him back. Not far, and he had been lucky enough to avoid the fire.
But it had still knocked him back.
Something isn't right…
Namine…
Is she okay?
"Riku!" Sora shouted, sounding annoyed. "Focus, remember!"
"Yeah, I got it," Riku replied.
But he wasn't focusing on the Trickmaster.
The feeling that something wasn't right was continuing to grow, and his head was beginning to hurt again.
He rushed forward, attacking the Trickmaster a couple of times.
Something's not right…
He paused again.
I feel like I need to be…
He opened a dark corridor, and then turned to Sora.
"Sora, I'm sorry," he said, though the likeliness that Sora had actually heard him was slim. "I can't focus…"
Sora turned to him, and sighed.
"Can you handle this alone?" Riku asked, louder, so Sora could hear him.
Sora said nothing for a moment.
But finally, he just smiled. "Go on," he called. "Mr. Impatient…"
Riku laughed slightly, even though that wasn't at all what he was thinking about. Something else was more important at the moment. There was something wrong.
Something terribly wrong.
He stepped through the dark corridor.