Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

Sora took in Riku's angry smirk and his words, making his anger boil. Riku really did know how to tick him off, and he was utilizing that talent now. "Spit it out, Riku," he said, taking a few steps past Roxas to be closer to the silver-haired teen. "Tell us how you're really feeling." Often Riku was the apathetic one, keeping things inside. That had changed in this castle, though, which was slightly surprising. Sora thought Riku was above the influence of some things, but apparently this could bring him down.

 

"You should know," Riku countered with a shrug. "I mean, ever since you got your memories back, you seem to know everything. Don't you, Sora?" He shook his head at his best friend and turned around, starting toward the small set of stairs. He was in the middle of the room, so he was halfway there.

 

Sora took a moment to recover from that harsh comment. In truth, he felt as if he knew nothing. His confusion was overwhelming, and confusion, along with being provoked as he was now, made him very angry. "Stop playing games, Riku," he said in a low tone of voice. "Obviously I don't know everything. That's why we're here, remember?"

 

Riku stopped walking, but didn't turn around. His grip on his blade tightened. "You're right. You don't know the truth at all," he agreed. "But that didn't stop you from accusing me of crimes I never committed." He turned his head, looking over his shoulder at Sora. "To me, that's enough."

 

"I do know the truth," Sora countered, his voice sounding like a hiss. "And the truth is, you're just a complete jerk." Fighting him in this castle, both in the past and the present, proved that. Sora desperately needed Riku as a friend during both times, and both times, he was the opposite. He was being an enemy now, and Sora's enemies always ended up at the tip of his blade.

 

Riku just shook his head. Whatever. He was done with the fighting. It didn't matter what he said to Sora anymore; his friend was going to think what he wanted, whether it was the truth or not.

 

"You're not acting like my friend anymore," Sora continued, frowning deeply at Riku's head motion. "So I'm not going to treat you like one anymore." He took a few more steps forward, Keyblade tightly in his grasp.

 

"What a coincidence," Riku said, talking to himself, though it was loud enough for Sora to hear. "Back in Agrabah, I thought the same thing." He had told Sora that he didn't like how he was being so different, and the kid didn't even seem to care. Instead, he took off. That showed how much he cared for Riku's concern. Riku flexed his grip on his Keyblade before starting forward again.

 

Sora took a few more steps forward, his grip on the Keyblade extremely tight. "Hmph. Then you've been a hypocrite, Riku," Sora started, eyebrows furrowed. "Staying in a place you hate with a passion to help out somebody you don't care about. Hypocrisy at it's finest." Riku made it sound like they had no friendship left, and yet he stayed in Castle Oblivion. He was sending mixed signals, and it annoyed Sora to no end.

 

Riku stopped walking and tensed instantly. Slowly, he turned around, arm outstretched and Way to Dawn pointing in Sora's direction. Riku didn't look at him, and instead stared at the floor. There Sora went again, acting like he knew everything. Things had changed, immensely. He just wanted Sora to be quiet for once, to just stop talking. He sounded like somebody he knew once, a person that constantly taunted him in his nightmares and in his reality.

Roxas's eyes narrowed at the scene before him, his eyebrows knitting together. What was Riku doing? And if Sora reacted negatively, this would get ugly.

 

Sora's eyes widened at Riku's blade pointed at him, and he took a step back. Riku was challenging him? He thought Riku would be strong enough to resist that temptation, but he was wrong. "If that's how you want it, fine," Sora said. He set his left hand on the hilt of his blade and got into his battle stance, glaring at Riku.

 

"I'm not wanting to fight you, Sora. I just want you to back off," Riku explained. "Words don't get through to you anymore." He wouldn't look up, fighting the emotions whirling around inside him. "I can't even see you and I know you're willing to fight. That's what's changed about you; fighting is the only answer." Riku took in a breath and closed his eyes. "Just stop." That was the only way he could handle his problems in the past, in this awful castle. It was all violence.

 

Sora was still surprised at the turn things were taking, but he didn't let it show. Hmph, so now you don't want to fight, he thought, eyebrows furrowing. If he had been sensible, he would have taken in Riku's tone and dropped it, but he was in too deep to leave it behind. "Why don't you make me stop?" he challenged evenly.

 

Riku turned his head sharply at the words, giving Sora a look of disbelief and disgust. After a brief moment, he frowned deeply and gripped Way to Dawn's hilt tightly. "Fine. You want to settle it that way?" Riku said, his tone sharp and defensive from being so offended. "Maybe a knock to the head will wake up the real you." He didn't move, extremely still as he stared at Sora. However, that was going to change in a few seconds; Riku was going to take the first move, like Sora wanted.

Roxas watched with shocked eyes. He wanted to yell at them to stop, just then remembering how this must have been for Sora back in the Pridelands. But deep down, Roxas knew this needed to happen in order for things to be settled out. It was just something that he felt; he couldn't really put it farther than that. The blond took a few steps back toward the closed door behind him, knowing this was going to get aggressive.

 

"I was thinking the same thing for you," Sora mumbled, speaking loudly enough for Riku to hear him. He held his stare and adjusted his grip on the Keyblade, preparing for an intense battle. He wasn't sure what the ending would be, but he didn't care. They were fighting now, whether they wanted it or not. And for some strange reason, Sora did want it.

 

Riku's frown turned into something worse. His lip pulled back slightly and he gritted his teeth together, his true anger revealed. Another second passed and Riku went in for the strike. He whirled around quickly and swung Way to Dawn at Sora's body, deep inside regretting even swinging his blade.

 

Sora performed a back-flip to avoid the blow, a grunt leaving him at the action. As soon as his feet touched the ground again, he charged forward, swinging the Kingdom Key at Riku.

 

Riku's eyes peered behind his silver bangs and he could see Sora charging. Instinct took over, and the teen quickly defended himself. He brought Way to Dawn up to block the blow.

 

Sora felt his blade impact Riku's hard, a grunt leaving him at the force of it. He pressed the Keyblade hard against his, putting on as much force as he could to force Riku to break.

 

Riku felt the pressure of Sora's blade against his own, and without a second thought he used his own strength to push harder against Sora's blade and send himself a few feet back. Riku instantly used Dark Aura, shooting a few blue fireballs Sora's way, a sharp cry leaving his throat.