tampered | ➥LOG || Ongoing || closed.

➥LOG || Ongoing || closed.

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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Roxas wasn't sure what to make of any of this. He'd meant to RTC after the day's ice cream time on the tower only to end up in a completely different world. What kind of world could be so powerful that even Xemnas couldn't break free? He'd never actually seen their leader fight, but there was a reason he was number I.

He wanted to be back at the castle. He wanted to be with Axel and Xion. But if he couldn't yet, then at least there was someone who knew what was going on to look out for him. "Thank you," he said to Xemnas, only to look up at the sound of someone else shouting his name.

All things considered, Xemnas could hardly believe his luck. Here he had lost an enemy in the previous XIII only to find a new one. One that trusted him implicitly. One who could be molded; guided away from the influence of both Sora and Riku.

If he had had the heart for it, he would have been overjoyed. This was the chance he'd been waiting for.

Still the sound of Sora's voice was none too welcome, and he all but pushed Roxas forward into the open portal.

"Go," he spoke, with an almost unyielding insistence. "I will deal with this."

Part of Roxas wanted to disobey. If that was one of the people who'd been trying to convince him of crazy things over the little device, shouldn't he stay to tell him in person to leave him alone? Especially if he was against the Organization like Xemnas said.

All they wanted was to be whole. To be real people who could feel and understand things. Why was that bad? What sort of person would want to stop that from happening?

It was unsettling. And when it came down to it, Xemnas was their leader and knew what he was doing, so all Roxas could do was agree. "Okay," he said, and stepped into the dark.

As Roxas stepped through, was practically pushed away, Sora reached out, but it was too late, and in truth he was too far away to have grabbed Roxas' shoulder or cloak or anything, but he couldn't help the reflexive motion, as if reaching was enough to get him to stop. It wasn't of course, and as Roxas was lost from sight, Sora turned toward the man remaining. Keyblade in hand, he gripped it tightly enough that the tension ran up through his arm almost visibly, some of that meant to remind himself to stay calm. Easier said than done though.

"Xemnas!" he all but shouted at him, upset that the being they had just fought so hard to defeat faced them now again--as whole as he ever could be, and maybe as powerful. Sora had no way to know for sure except to test it, and even though he and Riku had won before, part of him had alarms going off that said to be careful anyway. "He's going to find out the truth eventually." His words were spaced out by deep breaths, still regaining it from such a long run, but he glared at Xemnas, as if all his frustration could be expressed in one look.

Riku would be here soon. They needed a plan.

Try as he might, however, Sora found he was drawing a blank, teeth gritted as he kept his eyes on Xemnas.

Nothing made sense. Riku was only starting to get used to the City, only to be left with yet another mystery. He'd known that things would go awry the second he'd heard Roxas' voice, and what he was seeing from afar now did nothing to reassure him.

"Roxas!" he shouted, and he ran faster as he did so; he was naturally swift, but he knew he'd never reach him in time to stop him. Sora was already trying, and he himself was out of reach.

No, it was too late. For reasons he didn't know, Roxas trusted Xemnas. Hadn't he said that he didn't know him, too? Riku frowned at the memory, and seeing Xemnas so close to his best friend now triggered a spark of rage inside him. Why?! After all they'd done to get rid of him, why was he still there? Was it because of him, of his past actions? His mistakes? If this was punishment, why was his friend being dragged along? He didn't deserve this!

"Sora!" he reached them at last, taking a step further to stand beside him yet just slightly ahead of him, a protective gesture. He all but glared at Xemnas, eyeing the opened dark portal in alternation. Roxas was gone, but perhaps they could have their way with The Superior.

"Let's get this over with!" he challenged him, taking on his fighting position. Even if he entered the portal, he couldn't possibly go too far, could he?

Could he?

Oh, he could certainly go farther than Riku might have expected, and even as the two of them watched, the portal slid quietly shut. If they wished a fight, he would give them that small satisfaction. But he would not let them have the prize he had so recently acquired. His hold was still far too tenuous for his liking, and he was not about to simply let them have their way with his Keybearer.

"If that is what your hearts truly desire, come. I shall give you your fight."

And they'd be playing right into his hands. How glorious it would have been, to see the look on their faces if only they knew. Not, of course, that he had the slightest inclination of mentioning that. Oh no, that would send all crashing down.

Give them a fight? Sora's eyes narrowed at that. It was the same as ever, like the man thought he controlled everything around them even when they all knew the truth. Even where they came from that simply wasn't it. For all the power he had--too much, Sora thought, biting the inside of his cheek under the guise of a glower--it wasn't all there was, wasn't a trump card. At the same time, he didn't expect any of this to be easy, even as they were invited to attack, like he was looking forward to it, but that wouldn't surprise him at this point.

Adjusting his grip on the keyblade, his breaths finally evening out, regulating after the rush to get here--for nothing apparently--he took a half second to look at Riku. They didn't have a specific plan, but maybe they didn't need one with Roxas already through the portal. On the other hand, maybe they did. If they could get rid of Xemnas, that would give them plenty of time to try to explain to Roxas what they meant, but on the other hand he might have nothing to do with them--really nothing--if they destroyed the one entity he seemed to know.

Swallowing sharply, Sora searched the older boy's face for some kind of indication that the idea was still to go forward. It was less a matter of follow and lead than it was to check in now, though, rather than it would have been when they were younger. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept Xemnas in vague focus, not knowing what to say to him, not wanting to say anything at all, just wanting things to work out. Hadn't they earned that?

His heart... Riku found himself gritting his teeth at the mention of his heart, by Xemnas no less! What did he know? Hadn't he listened to a single thing Ansem the Wise had sa-- No. His thoughts digressed. It didn't matter what Xemnas believed, or that he even dared speak of hearts at all. Not now. He was standing there right in front of him, and the desire to finish him off once and for all was indeed very strong inside him.

Sora seemed ready. After shooting him a sidelong glance, he caught his gaze, briefly; he saw the spark in his eyes, the same one that probably lingered in his own. Riku nodded slowly, determined: what choice did they have? If he had been able to, he could have opened his own path and followed Roxas, but he didn't belong in that realm any longer, as frustrating as it could be. They couldn't afford to let Xemnas go, not when he still seemed so capable of wreaking havoc. If they didn't try to stop him when they had the chance, who knew what schemes he would come up with next?

He'd decided. Quickly he drew his arm back, summoning his weapon with his other hand; he didn't think he'd ever get to use it again, and there he was, ready to attack the same foe.

And he did. In one swift move he hurled himself at him, a sharp battle cry escaping his throat as he focused on his target, knowing Sora would soon follow.

He had certainly heard what that poor fool had said moments before his own creation destroyed him. He could have hardly missed it. But the ramblings of a fool were just that, and were thus unimportant. And besides, one could hardly understand that which drove them ever on without being one of them. The emptiness and hollowness of that which they were.

Not that he really expected either of them to honestly think to try that. Even here, where the condition would have been reversed in a matter of moments.

So, it was left to the only other option between them. Combat, and Xemnas wasted no time in calling up his blades. He'd taken them on before; there was no cause for alarm.

As Riku took the initiative, Sora reasoned if they could get the upper hand, that they could....well he wasn't honestly sure. This place was confusing, more confusing than any other world he'd been in, and if the rules were different for someone like Xemnas, then they were definitely going to be different for the rest of them too. What were their limits? He wished he had more time to find out, in some other way.

Having already briefly decided wordlessly to take this chance for whatever it could be, Sora ran forward as well, close behind the silver-haired boy and then perfectly parallel--something they had honed without knowing it from a much younger age, though not really in battle.

Closing in, he held nothing back; there wasn't any point in playing it safe, right? The more time they wasted here like this was time that could, in theory, be spent trying to explain to Roxas...well, everything. Maybe not everything. It wasn't like this keybearer had all the answers either. Hardly. Sora had barely known Roxas existed at all until near the end of things.

And that hadn't even been the end, as it happened.

"You can't hide the truth from him forever!" he snapped. He was tired of the same problems cropping up. All he wanted was to go home, and at least when Riku had arrived he thought they might not be as far off from that as he'd been under the impression of, but now...with Xemnas here, with Roxas, with the others alluded to...there was just no telling. It would be a lie to say he was coming at this situation from a completely positive angle, but in the past even frustration had helped him too. He tried to channel as much of that into his fight now. If he thought they could split up--one to fight Xemnas, the other to locate Roxas, or try-- with a chance, he would have, but he wasn't willing to take the risk; in short, it wasn't an option. They fought together or not at all.

Riku put all his rage into his first move, not too sure what he'd hit exactly. Well, he hit something, that's what mattered. It almost didn't feel real; hadn't he just left this same battle a few days ago? They had won, but it had left him exhausted. He was still strong, he was still swift; but the powers he'd gained through Ansem were no more, and it was starting to bother him. It wouldn't have been a problem, of course, if they had gone home like they were supposed to. If Xemnas had stayed dead like he was supposed to. If everything had ended, like it was supposed to.

But it wasn't over, and he had to make do with what was left of his powers.

He noticed Sora from the corner of his eyes and it gave him strength; not physically this time, but it was there. They had always worked better when they were together, and it had taken him a long time to realize that. The competition between them would probably always be there, but things were different. He knew where he stood, he knew where Sora stood, and there were no secrets between them anymore.

"We're not gonna let you!" he added to what Sora had already said, swinging once more, preparing himself to fire a few dark orbs at Xemnas.

Hide the truth? That was the farthest thing from his mind. He didn't want to hide matters from the boy. Merely... adjust them. The truth would out but it would be his truth. He could ill afford to have Roxas slip his grasp again, and that meant arranging matter very carefully. It was work, and he would not let them arrange to foil his plans.

Not this time.

However, any answer he might have had was cut short by Riku's blow. A solid hit, and one he hadn't expected to be feeling so soon, much less one that caught him across the side so neatly.

"It is not a question of letting," he answered, letting the pain and remembered rage color his words until they were nearing a snarl. "Not even should you ask."

It was the only warning Riku would get, before Xemnas swung in with his own blades, ignoring the nagging pain in his side. The first blow came in low, calculated to strike where once he'd hit Riku before. The second came in higher, and at a delay - striking him back down when he was rising again. A fitting end, really, to leave him helpless on the ground before him, and a smile spread across his face as he looked over to where Sora was.

"He may learn the truth, but it will not be from you. Try as you might, I will see to it that it comes to naught."

And with that, he vanished it a swirl of darkness, a smile still on his face as he went.

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.

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."

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➥LOG || Ongoing || closed.

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/strangles riku WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST LET HIM GO

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XEMNAS MUN read your emails 8)

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