Dearly Beloved
Your First/Last
Hospital
Retelling/HISHE
I'm Coming Home
Psychological
Detective/ Murder Mystery
Crossovers
Past, Present, Future
Hero or Villain?
Trapped in an Elevator/Traffic
4th of July
Song
24 Hours
A Choice
20 Minutes or Less
Three Day Challenge
Usernames
Fantasy
Confessions
Road Trip
What Frightens You?
Your First/Last
Hospital
Retelling/HISHE
I'm Coming Home
Psychological
Detective/ Murder Mystery
Crossovers
Past, Present, Future
Hero or Villain?
Trapped in an Elevator/Traffic
4th of July
Song
24 Hours
A Choice
20 Minutes or Less
Three Day Challenge
Usernames
Fantasy
Confessions
Road Trip
What Frightens You?
Spoiler Show(Kingdom Hearts AU: Canon divergence; Riku fails to capture Roxas, and so Roxas sets out on his Kill Bill-style vendetta journey against the Organization XIII.)
The plan was for this to be a multi-chaptered fic. I have more written, but this is really all I ever had the chance to polish. I'll probably revisit it soon.
Weak.
“Without having Roxas return to Sora, there is no way for me to finish repairing his memories,” It was almost unbearable to look at Naminé’s solemn face as her fingers gripped the drawing tablet closer to her chest, sorrow dimming the girl’s normally bright periwinkle eyes. “I don’t know what else can be done. I—”
Riku rested a gloved hand on her delicate shoulder and shook his head. He didn't blame her, not when she spent a year trying her hardest to undo the damage the Organization forced her to do to Sora’s heart. He didn’t blame Xion—a face like Kairi’s and the determination he thought only somebody like Sora could possess, and even that was quickly leaving him as it became harder to see her face—who had unwillingly become the container for Sora’s unchained memories. He didn’t even blame Roxas, the blond Nobody of his best friend who almost landed a killing blow on him earlier that day, for he was just as much of a victim of circumstance as they all were.
Instead, he blamed himself.
I’m weak.
He had been too weak to stand up against Roxas, too blinded by the bright blue eyes that stared at him fiercely across their impromptu battlefield in the dark city. A familiar tone, that something that was so inherently Sora, burst forth from Roxas’ mouth, rising to Riku’s mocking challenge and lulled him into a brief sense of security. A mistake that simple had nearly cost him his life in more ways than one.
If Axel hadn’t arrived when he did and pulled Roxas away into a hastily-made corridor, Riku would have either been dead or he’d have finall—
It was futile thinking about what-ifs. He survived, and that meant he had more chances to make things right.
Turning away from Naminé, he moved across the bright white room to place a hand on the face of the lone egg-shaped machine situated in the middle of the room. Within it was the sleeping Keyblade wielder, resting peacefully as if the worlds were not in a worse place for having forgotten their savior who had stopped Ansem from shrouding the universe in Darkness just over a year ago.
Sora had grown while he slept despite not being “complete”.
(the word burned inside his head, his heart, his stomach. Sora wasn’t some puzzle to be put back together)
His brown locks had grown out into a more wild look and seemed lighter than before; strange since Sora hadn’t been out in the sunlight for the duration of his slumber. His arms, legs, and torso had also lengthened, accentuating defined, toned muscles that were never visible on Sora’s slender form before, and Riku wondered briefly if they would have to change him out of his trademark red jumpsuit soon now that was much too small for the growing teen.
As soon as he thought it, the very idea set his teeth on edge with a reluctance to make any kind of changes to Sora when Riku still thought of him as that lazy fourteen-year-old boy who shirked off responsibility to nap or…do something.
What did he do?
Right, he played Blitzball with the other kids. …I think.
Although the memories of his dearest friend were beginning to blur and fade as the days passed and Sora’s condition stagnated, there were still enough of them so for now that was enough for Riku. He clung to them, his last lifeline in the sea of darkness that threatened to consume him, and used them to motivate him to see things through.
He’d save Sora. He didn’t dare think that it’d be enough to fix things, but at least Sora would be back.
––*––
The golden light that suddenly filled Roxas’ eyes stung like never before, contrasting painfully with the dark world he had just been forcibly transported away from by his red haired best friend. The stale, wet smell of rain was replaced with the scent of pine trees, grass, and the warmth of the sun-baked earth.
Twilight Town. Of course.
Roxas turned his body towards his unwanted savior, trying to pull away from Axel as a feeling of uncontrolled rage rolled under his skin and ached down to his bones despite the fear that had gripped him before. “I would have beat him again,” The words came out petulant and arrogant. The dark aura radiating off of that silver haired teen’s body earlier made his stomach lurch and a strange, cold fear creep up his arms and legs. He wasn't about to admit that to Axel, though. “And who said you should have followed me anyways? I can handle things on my own.”
Axel’s grip tightened around Roxas’ upper arm, holding him in place despite Roxas’ efforts to pull away from the older Nobody. “You were reckless, Roxas!” Refusing to look up at the red haired man’s face, Roxas’ other arm flailed with the effort he was exerting before he stopped trying to break free. “What if I hadn’t followed you and pulled you through that portal?”
“I would have—”
“He’s dangerous! You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“And you do? I’m not some weakling you need to protect,” And he wasn’t. Roxas could take on any enemy that stood in his way and he had a mission to complete. This wasn’t something Axel needed to be involved with. Destroy the Organization, destroy Kingdom Hearts, find Sora. If it means hurting Axel to keep him away from this…“I don’t need or want your help so just go away!”
The two stood there at the base of the forest as a tense silence filled the air, but Roxas was unwilling to relent. The less Axel knew, the better. And then suddenly Axel's grip on Roxas’ arm went slack as he heard the familiar echo of a corridor being opened. “Fine. Do what you want.”
A part of him wished Axel had fought harder.
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