Title: 100 Steps To Somewhere
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Claim: Cloud/Riku
Theme: 045. Fame
Word Count: 5,322
Rating: M
Summary: Riku is on a quest to find and collect the famed Nobody named Roxas. Good luck with that, kiddo.
Disclaimer: I wish, okay? It's all lies. I don't own Kingdom Hearts, I don't know anyone who owns Kingdom Hearts, and I am not affiliated with anyone who is affiliated with anyone who owns Kingdom Hearts. I think that about covers it.
Author's Note: I humbly apologize on how long it took this to come out. I'm working a lot and I don't have many days off much less get the time to write. Please don't eat my face off/attack me with sporks/carve my eyes out/shoot me/cause me bodily harm in any way.
Step Forty-Five: Confrontation
Nobodies. Organization XIII. Roxas. Sora. DiZ. Keyblades. Darkness.
Try as he might, Riku couldn't manage to fit the pieces together in one, coherent whole. DiZ never cleared anything up; instead of providing answers, he only burdened Riku with more questions. Like about this Roxas kid. Where had DiZ heard of him, and why did he have two Keyblades when Sora only had one? Furthermore, why could he wield the Keyblade at all when he was a Nobody, because Nobodies didn't have hearts? According to DiZ (though this concept was somewhat difficult for Riku to wrap his mind around), Nobodies were nothing but the empty shell left after a heart was taken by the Heartless, acting on their own accord, and therefore were nothing at all. They didn't really exist, except that they did because they could think and plan. But they were nothing, because what did exist was an empty void without feeling.
Riku supposed he wasn't esoteric enough for this concept. He'd just have to take DiZ's word for it.
Though now that he touched upon that subject, it really needed to be said that DiZ had (and Riku supposed always would) given him an eerie feeling from the first time they met. He crawled under his skin—brought out an irritation that made him short with his words and unable to control his mouth. It took a great deal of humility for Riku to take DiZ's word for it when Riku wasn't sure if he could trust him.
To make matters worse, while this Nobody business was far above his head (it took a great deal of humility to admit that as well) he still had to track down Roxas. And Roxas was a powerful Nobody. Maybe Riku didn't remember Sora very well or what he looked like, but Riku remembered most of what happened in Castle Oblivion. He remembered Naminé. He remembered the Replica. It would be ages before the fake Destiny Islands and the Organization members in their black cloaks became blurry.
Organization XIII was powerful. Riku wasn't oblivious; he could tell that much. They had powers and abilities Riku didn't know how to start to deal with. He'd almost been drowned by the light. He was almost killed by the big guy with the tomahawk. One of their members made that horrific, torturous replica. He wasn't even going to touch on how very annoying it was that he'd mistaken the meaning when those members of the Organization had referred to themselves as 'nobody.'
What could he expect from the famed Roxas? Especially when—as Riku had just expressed to Cloud over the phone—he feared Roxas might be Sora's Nobody.
A powerful Nobody like the members of Organization XIII was one thing, but a Nobody from the Keyblade master was another. Especially when Riku had repeatedly failed to defeat said Keyblade master on numerous occasions despite all the 'gifts of darkness' Maleficent and Ansem repeatedly infused his heart with. Could Riku actually do this? Defeat this Roxas? After all, he could say it one more time.
Roxas had two Keyblades.
He'd wonder what DiZ was thinking by sending him on this mission, but then he'd have to question himself, and Riku had already wondered too many times what had made him think he could actually succeed. Perhaps it was the desperate need to fill the holes in his memories. More so, he thought he was doing it for Sora more than anything. It wasn't a plea for forgiveness. It wasn't an attempt to make things right. Riku thought, perhaps, he just felt so very awful that Sora had been forgotten by everyone from Leon and Cloud to himself—Sora's very best friend. Just before Sora's disappearance and the forgotten memories, Riku knew he fucked the kid over pretty badly. Throwing himself at the mercy of this Roxas guy was the least he could do.
Riku was scared. He hadn't even met Roxas, and the Nobody already made him feel fear.
Nothing had worked to defeat Sora, and though Riku tried to deny it, he knew the second he faced Roxas he would know it was all true. Roxas was Sora's Nobody. That's why DiZ needed him to wake Sora. That's why Roxas could bear the Keyblade. Above all, that's why Riku had to do this.
His heart seized. He had to do something to win this, but . . .
But just what was he going to have to do to succeed?
-----0-----
The World that Never Was. Organization XIII's stronghold.
Riku thought of nothing else as he traveled farther from Cloud and deeper into the darkness. What kind of place had a name like that? The World that Never Was? It was much like the Nobodies themselves, fitting, but Castle Oblivion had been so awful. It reeked of the darkness defied by the sterile purity of its blinding white interior. If that wasn't their stronghold, he hardly dared to imagine what he could expect upon arrival. As the light grew dim with the knowledge he still walked in the right direction, the anxiety increased.
The phone call from Cloud was one weight off his shoulders. There was a bit of regret in him upon knowing Sephiroth wasn't active and that Riku hadn't been keeping him from anything. He'd have preferred to travel by Gummi instead of these black, dank corridors that weighed down his heart with despair. He'd have liked Cloud to be by his side. His unyielding faith in Riku was both confusing and a great inspiration. At least he wasn't angry, though. At least he understood.
His voice was a comfort itself. It was his voice that first drew him in, and to this day it continued to bring peace when all he felt was turmoil. If Cloud was here, he could quell the anxiety that sat heavy in his body, push away all the hesitation that might be his downfall. More than ever, he knew he had to make things up to him when this was all over—when Organization XIII was defeated. He had to live long enough to do that much.
Riku knew Cloud had more than his fair share of insecurities and problems. He knew that it sometimes kept him from accomplishing things that needed to be done. It covered so many areas of his life from Sephiroth to the little jealousy fit on New Year's Eve. He understood that as long as darkness lingered in Cloud's heart—as long as he continued to use and accept it—Sephiroth would only be strengthened. To Riku, though, Cloud was this invincible pillar of strength and courage. He was a pacifying presence when he needed it most.
It seemed to happen so often that he resisted the urge to call Cloud and cry. He knew Cloud wouldn't mind (he'd probably be happy), but Riku did. Riku minded more than anyone could ever understand. Cloud tried to be there for him and Riku worried. What if Cloud couldn't shut out the darkness because Riku walked within it? Was he holding him back in more ways than one? He couldn't ask Cloud to come with him—not now after he'd already left. Not when his own darkness could be influencing Cloud's. Not when he could be making things worse than they already were.
The light's pull grew fainter. Riku closed his eyes and took a moment, took a breath. He resigned that Cloud was back in Hollow Bastion and Riku might not see him again for a very long time. He resigned that he was a creature of the darkness again. He'd have to fight with darkness to survive in this looming world that grew closer. He'd have to use everything in him when he walked up to Roxas and picked a fight.
When this was all over, he was sleeping with the lights on.
-----0-----
Neon lights cast shadows in this twisting, winding world. There wasn't much of a difference between the corridors of darkness and this place that reeked through his senses. Riku struggled to breathe as he looked upon the towering buildings that cut through the bleak skyline. He felt the darkness in his heart respond and rise to the surface. It course through his veins down to his toes and out to his fingertips. His head felt fuzzy and intoxicated.
Riku's hand fell to his Keyblade. He paused and then spun around, striking out. A Shadow fell to the ground. The Way to the Dawn pulsed in his hand; an uncountable amount of Shadows rose from beneath the ground. Riku readied his weapon as his eyes darted to the side and then fell closed. There were too many. He couldn't see them all. He'd have to rely on his instincts and trust the Keyblade would sense them out as it had with the first.
Riku's arm grew tired as he struck in all directions. These weren't all normal Shadows, either. They were accompanied by the same type he'd fought in Castle Oblivion. Mickey called them Neoshadows, but whatever they were didn't matter. They were more powerful than the ordinary breed—darker at the core. His feet carried him through the masses as both kinds of Shadow fell with every strike. Riku opened his eyes at a third presence—the same kind he'd felt in Hollow Bastion. The beings in the white jumpsuits (Dusks, DiZ called them) joined the mix.
Just as he felt hopeless that the Keyblade would continue to call the Heartless, the Nobodies would keep protecting the Organization, and this would go on forever, the Nobodies disappeared. A wave of darkness chilled his heart and shot down his spine. The Heartless, too, disappeared. A soft clapping sounded from behind and Riku whirled around. A man stood there with long, flowing bluish-silver hair and an 'x' across his forehead and the bridge of his nose. Riku let the Keyblade fall to his side.
"Well done," said the man. "Riku, is it?"
Riku's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah. Who are you and why do you know my name?"
Riku could've sighed at himself. He was always a little short-tempered when he should have proceeded with caution. The man didn't frown, though. He didn't laugh, didn't crack a smile. He didn't even look perturbed. His face remained blank and expressionless. The fury in him grew.
"We've been watching you for some time. Best friend of the Keyblade master. You met some of our numbers in Castle Oblivion. They tried to use you for our efforts."
"I got that you're with the Organization. And I figured they were watching me. I'm not stupid. So what do you want with me now? You still trying to use me?"
"Your presence resonates with our Superior. I knew you were here, and so I came. What is your business here?"
Riku hesitated. He tried to tell himself not to goad.
"I'm looking for Roxas."
There was no glint of surprise in the Nobody's eyes.
"I imagine that you are. The Keyblade master needs to be awoken from his sleep."
"How do you know about that?"
"I think you'll find there isn't much I don't know about."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"An honest one. Do what you will with Roxas. He has betrayed the Organization. We have no further use for him."
Riku searched for a reply, but none came. He watched the man turn and walk away. Riku got the bad feeling that he'd been the one goaded. The impassive face, monotone voice suggested a composure that Riku lacked. He all but invited Riku to use Roxas to awaken Sora. The Nobody didn't seem concerned about Sora's return, and that concerned Riku. Hadn't the Organization tried to use Sora once before?
Riku didn't have time to worry about this. Sora had to be awakened. He pushed aside the hesitation. If the Organization was planning something, he'd deal with that when the time came. Until then . . . Until then he'd have to walk right into the trap unflinching. Things could be fixed and plots intercepted later.
One thing stood out from the brief conversation. Riku was right. He would need Roxas to awaken Sora. Roxas was Sora's Nobody, and the Organization wanted him to know it.
-----0-----
Riku's speculative nature got the better of him as he wandered through the alleyways. The world seemed deserted save for the Heartless, the Organization, and the Nobodies they commanded. He took residence in an abandoned house by the castle Riku figured must be Organization XIII's. Finding Roxas would not happen as quickly as he thought.
Riku stretched out on the bed and stared at the ceiling. That Nobody said his presence resonated with their Superior. Why? Why would Riku's presence resonate with the powerful Nobody leader of Organization XIII? He had thought their only need for him was for the Replica or to pit him against Sora, but they wanted Sora awake. He could wield a Keyblade. That was something, but the Nobody specifically said his presence resonated with the Superior. That it was why he came to speak to Riku. Something about this all seemed very off. The Nobody—the Organization in general—was sly when it came to revealing new information as proved by all those 'nobody' comments in Castle Oblivion. They said what they wanted to be heard, and a few of them lost their temper and revealed more than intended, but this Nobody in particular . . . He was meticulous in his word choices. It was probably that very reason he and not some other member came when his presence was sensed. He wouldn't have said Roxas betrayed the Organization unless he wanted Riku to know it. He wouldn't have told him that his presence resonated with their Superior.
Riku shook his head. He was overanalyzing. All that Nobody wanted to do was rile him up so that when he met up with Roxas, he'd take it out on him. They just wanted to use Sora somehow. Riku wasn't going to let that happen. Once Sora was awake, Riku would do everything he could to help finish off the Organization and that was it. He'd worry about the piece of Ansem in his heart later.
He stared at the ceiling for several more minutes before he reached over the side of the bed, grabbed his phone, and called Cloud. He answered on the first ring.
"Hey," said Cloud.
His voice—as expected—cut through the sinking in his heart. Riku snorted.
"What were you doing? Sitting on the phone waiting for me to call? You never answer so fast."
"Oh . . . yeah, well, I had it close by."
"It's really noisy on your end. What's going on?"
Cloud paused.
"Oh . . . eh, I'm helping Cid at his garage."
Riku nodded. He smiled.
"I thought it sounded like a Gummi. How is Cid?"
"Good. Leon, too. Everyone's good. They're all ready to kick your ass for taking off without saying goodbye, but they're also saying that it's expected since you're my boyfriend and I do this kind of shit all the time."
"Oh, great. I'm getting a bad reputation because of you, huh?"
"Yeah, but you proved them right on your own."
"Touché."
"So what's up? You find Roxas yet?"
"No. I just wanted to call to let you know I made it. The place is absolutely horrible. Can't walk two feet without five million Heartless trying to eat my soul, but I made it. I'm okay."
"Be careful, all right?"
"Yeah. I just . . . yeah. Wanted to hear your voice. Tell you that I love you before I go to sleep. I'm exhausted."
"Have you slept since you left?"
"In corridors of darkness? You crazy?"
"You've been awake for two days now?"
"Has it been two whole days?"
"Yeah."
"Then yes. I haven't slept since I was with you last."
"Get some rest, Ri. You're going to need it against Roxas. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"I don't want to stop talking to you."
"I will hang up on you. You have to sleep."
"I miss you."
Riku heard Cloud pause on the other end. His face came to mind, smiling, and Riku grinned.
"I miss you, too."
"I miss your arms."
"I miss your lips."
"Horny bastard. You just miss my ass."
Cloud laughed.
"Maybe."
"I love you."
"I love you, too. Get some sleep. Take care of yourself."
"Yeah, I will."
"Love you."
"Love you, too. Night."
"Goodnight."
-----0-----
Despite the exhaustion Riku spent most of the night in and out of sleep. Nightmares plagued the dormant periods—nightmares of the realm of darkness, the Heartless, Ansem. He woke in fits, sweaty hyperventilating, and he'd only grasp at fistfuls of dirty sheets until he realized where he was. Cloud—the solace he sought—was not there. He lay down again and tried to steady his breathing, willing away the panic coursing through his veins and the heavy thump of his heart. He tried to imagine away the dense fog of darkness over this world. He tried to replace it with the lingering sound of Cloud's voice in his head and the barrier of Cloud's arms around him.
He reminded himself that his would pass. He put himself in this situation. He owed it to Sora.
The sun never rose. Riku supposed that maybe it never did in the World That Never Was. It was like the corridors of darkness. Night. Day. None of that mattered where dark swallowed the light.
These intervals of wakefulness paired with sleep deprivation were maddening. When Riku started to think along such tangents he rolled out of the bed, pocketed his phone, and grabbed the Way to the Dawn. There was no comfort here; he would achieve no rest. There was, however, a famed and elusive Nobody to track down. Riku would be damned if he wasted away this time at the mercy of his tired body's rebellion. Not when he had such an important task to accomplish and had come so far already.
Riku pulled several times at the door. It released a loud creak in protest as the warped, weathered wood broke free of the jamb and the door swung open. He stepped out, Keyblade at the ready. He wasn't so exhausted that he'd forget about the Heartless problem around here. It still continued to amaze him that the swarm didn't come inside when he attempted to sleep. He supposed that maybe it had something to do with the Keyblade being out of his hands so maybe his heart didn't resonate or call out to the Heartless. Maybe the Keyblade just knew its wielder needed rest. Riku didn't pretend to understand. He wondered if Sora, too, had trouble with sleep.
Sora. Riku tried to recall his face, his scent, anything other than a name as he fought his way through the city. Riku thought he had a cheerful demeanor and one of those smiles that can brighten a room without trying. He thought Sora had one of those loud open laughs that could break through his deepest depressions. It was all fuzzy, though. He couldn't recall, couldn't be certain. He thought he loved Sora once, and another wave of guilt washed upon him.
Riku had one more than one occasion dampened the sunshine that followed Sora everywhere he went. He'd caused Sora a great deal of both trouble and stress. He's been taunting, mean. Sora was friends with Cloud and Leon, and he'd been fighting with Sora—asked them to lie for him. Lie to this boy that Riku thought was probably sweet and pure. The kind of boy you just shouldn't lie to because it would break his heart. Riku knew at the very least that he'd been a more terrible friend than he could remember.
He wished he could stop tormenting himself like this. Distraction was the last thing he needed on top of the exhaustion.
"Who are you?"
Riku stilled as the Nobodies around him vanished. He turned, expecting perhaps the man with the 'x' across his face again, but it was a boy. Blond hair, short in stature with a hardened expression that didn't fit with his rounded, childish features. For an instant the image almost morphed. Chestnut brown spikes replaced the blond. The blue eyes brightened.
"Sora . . ."
"I don't know who you think you are, but my name isn't Sora. Who are you and what are you doing here?"
Riku stared for a second. He tried to suppress the elation at finally having a face to a name.
"So you're Roxas, huh?"
Roxas's eyes formed into slits. He took a step back and both hands grasped at the handles of what Riku recognized as Oathkeeper and Oblivion.
"How do you know my name? Who are you?"
Riku took a deep breath. He could feel the defensive aura radiate from this boy as it ran over his skin like pinpricks.
"I don't want to fight you. My name's Riku. I've been looking for you."
"Why?"
"I . . ." Riku hesitated. He thought the best approach with Sora might have been honesty. Taking the defense himself and pushing too hard had started this mess in the first place. He hoped the Nobody would be the same. "Have you ever wondered why you can wield the Keyblade?"
The statement hung in the air for a few seconds. Roxas lowered his weapons. Intrigue read in his eyes, but his face remained hardened.
"What do you know about it?"
"You know that you're a Nobody, don't you?"
Roxas's eyes darkened.
"What does it matter?"
"You're the Nobody of the Keyblade master. His name is Sora. That's why you can bear the Keyblade. But you aren't like the others. You weren't created when your true self lost his heart to the Heartless. Sora sacrificed his heart, but he was able to regain it. That's why I'm looking for you."
"My 'true self'?" Roxas scoffed. "I'm my 'true self,' as you call it. And so what if I'm what's left of the Keyblade master? What do you want with me?"
Riku's heart sank as Roxas's eyes became clouded again.
"Sora regained his heart, but he isn't complete. He had his memories modified, and now they're being set right so he can continue fighting the Heartless, but he won't awaken as long as you're still separated."
"Separated."
"You can be whole again. You don't have to be a Nobody."
For a second, there seemed to be a light of registration in Roxas's eyes. He lips curled.
"I hope you're not asking me to go away or disappear back into this Keyblade master kid, because if you were, it's not going to happen."
"Why not? You and Sora are the same person. You'd be one again."
"Whole. One. Same person." Roxas laughed in a way that held no mirth or joy. It was a sinister kind of sound that made Riku's skin crawl. "You're an idiot, aren't you?"
"Excuse me?"
"You seem to be under the impression that I'd blindly believe everything you were telling me. Even if it were the truth I still wouldn't be interested. Maybe I used to be this Sora kid, but I'm me now. I'm me and no one else. I'm not going to go away so you can sleep better at night knowing you helped the precious Keyblade master."
"But you owe it to him!"
Riku knew it was the wrong thing to say the second Oblivion sank into his stomach.
It was unlike any battle he'd ever fought before—against Sora or anyone else. Roxas swung the Keyblades with a skill and grace that Sora had never fully possessed. He was short tempered. Anything Riku tried to say to calm him only made the attacks come harder, stronger. Riku tried to collect himself, focused on his defense and the objective to not get killed. The Way to the Dawn pulsed rapidly in his hands. He had to throw him off-guard. The only way to get this boy back to Sora was to defeat him. DiZ said he was needed. Riku needed to have faith in that.
"Come on, Sora. You can do better than that."
"Shut up."
Riku wheezed as he parried the Oathkeeper and took a step back. He wriggled his toes, tried to keep his balance. He landed a few blows on Roxas, but he was unfazed. Riku's side felt as if it were splitting in two.
"You're pathetic," said Roxas. "Why don't you just give up? Then I won't have to kill you."
"Not a chance."
Riku wasn't fast enough. Oblivion connected to his hip.
"I'm stronger than you, I'm better than you, and you're going to fail. Give up!"
Riku extended his arm and blocked the Oathkeeper from his head. Oblivion got him in the other side.
The pain was blinding. Riku gritted his teeth as he tried to stay on his feet. He heard Roxas taunt that Riku was half-dead. He heard the words mercy and pitiful. The darkness in his heart, the part of Ansem locked away throbbed—the off-beat to his Keyblade's pulse. His body was already on the brink of collapsing. It wasn't supposed to go this way.
Desperation filled him as he heard a sickening crack and a sharp, stronger pain shot through his wrist up to his elbow. Riku cried out as his Keyblade clanged against the ground.
"Give up already," said Roxas. "I don't have time for you or your sad little attempts to talk me into giving up my life for someone I don't care about. Tell whoever sent you that it isn't going to happen. Now get out of here or I won't think twice about ending your life. Got it?"
Riku tried to struggle to his feet. Roxas laughed. It sounded hollow.
"You have a broken wrist. You can't fight. I don't know whether to dismiss you as a moron or be impressed."
"Impressed," said Riku.
He felt a surge through his body. Riku dropped his head and shut his eyes. The pain began to disappear a little. His wrist burned for a few seconds, and then it was gone. He rotated it for a second, flexed his fingers, and looked up. Roxas's sneer fell and he took a step back.
"What . . ."
It shot straight from his heart, down his arm, and then a Dark Aura flew from his fingertips, flinging Roxas against the concrete stairs of a nearby building. Riku straightened.
"You didn't think I'd go down that easily, did you?" said Riku. Roxas struggled to his feet. "You're Sora. Those aren't even your Keyblades; they're his. You aren't supposed to exist. You're a Nobody, and you aren't even half as good as Sora was. You don't deserve a life. All those other Nobodies don't have the chance to become one with their hearts again, but you do so you should just take the opportunity. You're just a Nobody. You're a mistake. Got it?"
Riku punctuated the message with Dark Fiagra, but Roxas moved out of the way.
"Shut up! Don't talk about what you don't understand," said Roxas.
"I think you're the one who doesn't understand."
"I'm me. I'm not going to get blinked out of existence."
"You don't even have a real existence. You aren't real."
Oathkeeper and Oblivion both connected with his head but Riku felt no pain as he sent another Dark Aura at Roxas.
"Even if I'm not real, it's better than whatever the hell happened to you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Roxas smiled and lowered his Keyblades.
"You're just a creature of the darkness, aren't you? You've been possessed. Maybe you aren't a Nobody, but you may as well be. What did you think? That helping the Keyblade master would atone for your sins? It won't. Nothing ever will."
Riku moved to defend as Roxas lifted the Oathkeeper, but he didn't attack. Only held the Keyblade out and then Riku saw it. His eyes reflected back in the metal—bloodshot, orange eyes that didn't belong to him, but to . . . The surge in his heart. The dark powers. Ansem. Riku's heart seized. He'd let go of himself.
Roxas dropped the Keyblade to his side, smug smirk still in place. He took a step forward, and when Riku didn't attack he took another.
"Give up, why don't you? I'd hate if you killed yourself before I got the chance," said Roxas.
He regarded Riku for a moment before he passed leaving him alone, breathing heavy. Riku stared around the space before picking up the Way to the Dawn. He glanced back; saw Roxas watching him as he strolled away. Hints of the smirk continued to curl the corners of his lips. Riku paused for a moment and then he ran as fast as his legs would take him back to the alleyway and into the small house.
-----0-----
Tears streaked down his face cutting through the soiled skin leaving clean tracks across his cheeks. Riku stared in the dingy mirror, touching his face, his eyelashes. He looked exactly the same as he had before save for his eyes. His eyes were Ansem-orange, glaring back at him, looking through him. The piece in his heart felt wild, unbridled. He had to get control. His fingers curled around the brown-stained porcelain of the sink. His knuckled grew whiter the tighter he held on.
So many conflicting emotions. So many conflicting thoughts. Nothing would follow in a linear thought.
Roxas. He was losing. Roxas was fierce and Riku was losing. Roxas broke his wrist and Riku had . . .Riku had released a little of that darkness, he thought. Released just enough to use Dark Aura and repair his wrist. It was enough to turn his eyes this hideous color, but it was enough to save his life.
Sora. He failed Sora. He might never awaken now because Riku was weak. Riku was pathetic. It wasn't only that he was no match for Roxas and his two Keyblades. He had let the darkness save his life, and in doing so . . .
Riku stared in the mirror. Back in the other room his phone went off. Had to be Cloud. No one else ever called him. Riku shook his head and stared in the basin. He couldn't talk to Cloud. Not like this. Cloud had been worried. Told him to take care of himself. Worried so much about him as was, and Riku put him through so much already. This was just . . .
The phone rang a second time. Riku took a breath. The urge to hear Cloud's voice overpowered the shame for a moment. It wasn't like he had to tell him just yet, right? He could just . . . He could say he hadn't seen Roxas yet. This had to be fixable. Maybe he could just pretend like everything was fine and just fix this before Cloud ever found out.
Riku padded into the entrance room, grabbed his phone, and flipped it open.
"Hey . . . Sorry, I was . . ."
Riku sighed and rubbed at his face. The sound of the door creaking cut through his thoughts and he allowed the phone to drop, his reflexes still racing as he snatched his Keyblade from the floor and turned. His eyes connected with Cloud's.
"What the . . ."
Cloud's phone dropped to the floor. Riku stared for a few seconds, let his weapon drop, and collapsed on the floor in tears. Cloud was beside him within seconds, and instead of yelling questions or demanding to know what the hell was going on, he stroked the back of Riku's head, his voice soft.
"It's going to be okay," said Cloud.
Riku shook his head.
"I'm so sorry."
Ahem . . .
Hi!
::ducks behind rock as lots of rubbish comes flying from incensed readers::
Okay, now that that's out of the way . . .
I'm working. That's where I've been. Working a lot. I have fifty-eight hours this week. Already worked thirty three so I still have twenty-six to go. In two days. I'm looking into a new job lifeguarding. "Hersheypark Happy" is turning into Hersheypark I'd Like To Shoot Myself In The Head.
I really am sorry. Trust me. I'd rather be writing.
I've decided not to reply to any reviews because it takes me about forty minutes and I'd rather just give you the chapter. So we'll all talk again soon. I would, however, like to thank you all for being so concerned/patient/threatening, apologize to my personal secretary, and welcome all new readers.
If you want to get ahold of me, PM me. I will get it. Or contact me at my Myspace. I'm fairly easy to internet stalk.
Love you all. My undying gratitude,
-December