➥LOG || Ongoing || closed.

[faroffdream.livejournal.com]

When; RIGHT NOW. GOSH. Well, after Xemnas and Roxas basically finish talking soon after Roxas' arrival.
Rating; Fine for everyone, really.
Characters; Riku (afterlighted), Roxas (binarysky), Sora (faroffdream), and Xemnas (letxequalnull)
Summary; In the City, time is a joke, but it's one Sora and Riku are particularly unappreciative of as Roxas has arrived a fair amount of time before knowing either of them at all. Add to this that Xemnas is City-side too and it's Trouble.
Log;

He should have expected something like this, really, but the truth was that Sora had been overwhelmed with being in yet another new world when he had thought he and Riku were finally going home. Time differences hadn't had enough, well, time to settle in for him, so when Roxas' voice came on over the network, he didn't even stop to think that it was possible, period. All the more his error, he found out that was exactly the case, and worse, that Xemnas was hot on the trail first. It ate at him more than he wanted to admit; that he was still around, still causing trouble, still something they couldn't escape despite what they'd been through. Running now, all he could think was that even if he didn't know how to handle it, no matter that Roxas had clearly told him to stay away, he had to get there first. The chances were slim but he had to try, and try he did, lungs fit to burst with the burning feeling that came from such a sudden and sustained chase. He did his best to avoid bumping into strangers, finding it easier to avoid the ones that--for whatever reason--seemed to be sparkling. On another day, without the situation now presented to him, it might have grabbed his attention, but now all focus was directed toward his other half who didn't even know him.

The fountain coming into view, he spotted the familiarly spiky blond hair and the equally familiar but entirely unwelcome form of Xemnas. Sora felt anger clutch at him beneath the general frustration of just not knowing what to do other than to stop them from leaving. A bare thirty feet away, he was close, but not close enough, trying to run faster because part of him knew already that Roxas wouldn't immediately listen to reason. Especially not when 'reason' sounded totally crazy.

"Roxas!" he called out toward the other boy, waving in a way that he hoped made his likely image of charging in less aggressive, but considering the extent to which they were strangers, Sora didn't hold his breath. What had Xemnas told him? Nothing good, he imagined, and that probably wasn't the half of it.

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[faroffdream.livejournal.com]

Roxas was a priority, that was certain, but the truth was that Sora had spent the better part of his life chasing Riku, whether in competition or after darkness seemed to swallow the home they had known for so long and Kairi with it. When Riku fell it was instinct and urgency that had Sora come to his aid, both by stepping in front of him--rather, jumping--keyblade raised no longer prepared for striking but defending.

For nothing, at least for the moment it seemed as Xemnas took his leave, but Sora didn't lower his weapon, didn't turn back to his silver haired friend until another moment passed. It could have been a trick, easily; that seemed to be what they dealt in most, or at least Xemnas, but he didn't return and so Sora turned, kneeling. Riku would be okay. They had magic and Sora even had a few potions left on him, but this was a blow all the same.

Xemnas wasn't as powerful as they had known him, but he was still strong. Riku was no weakling and on top of that, much as Sora hated to admit it, he was cunning. But plans for how to find Roxas, and then for how to convince him of their truth would have to wait. He placed a hand on Riku's shoulder, frowning, as he used his other hand to fumble through a pouch for one of said potions before offering it to him.

"Here." There was no need to say Xemnas got away. That much was obvious, so he tried to focus on something else that he felt was obvious. "Don't worry. We'll get him."

Whether he meant Roxas, to get him back, or Xemnas, to get him for good, well, he didn't clarify. Maybe he meant both.

[afterlighted.livejournal.com]

Riku found himself on his knees once more, a perfect replica of their last battle... with a twist; Xemnas was not defeated this time. No, in fact, he escaped, and quite easily. Too easily. Riku didn't look up as The Superior vanished, but he felt him go - or rather, he felt the foul, dark stench fade, and he knew that he was gone.

"Ugh," the pain Xemnas had caused him made him wince, but it was nothing compared to the rage that was building up inside him. Not against the Nobody, no; against himself, for being so weak. He felt as though he was letting Sora down again - he needed to be strong, he needed to be able to protect his loved ones, especially now that he had so much to make up for. What did his existence even mean if he couldn't keep anyone safe?

You could say I am...the biggest nobody of them all, he remembered telling Xion. And that was pretty much how he felt right then, an unpleasant journey that led him straight to the past he couldn't stand. His own.

He saw the potion Sora was offering him from the corner of his eyes, but he stubbornly tried to get back on his feet on his own, refusing to take the medicine. Of course, after a couple failed attempts, he had to come to the realization that he did need that potion, and it only contributed to increase the sense of failure that was consuming his thoughts. It wouldn't have mattered so much if everything had ended when it had been supposed to, but it didn't look like they'd get a break anytime soon now, and Riku needed to be functional.

More than ever.

"Thanks," he sighed as he took the potion, and he felt the effects almost instantly; it was weaker here, it seemed, but it helped nonetheless. The pain was still there as he stood up slowly, his gaze shifting to the spot Roxas had disappeared. Seriously? It really felt as though the past was repeating itself... and if it was the case, there was something else Riku would need. Something more.

Don't worry. We'll get him.

He shot him a brief glance, his fists tightened on each side of his body; they would, of course. He would make sure of that.

"Yeah," he agreed at last, his voice determined, his heart already set on his new goal. "I'll make sure of that."