Fast Food Madness: The Epic Return

Namine met his eyes and gave him a small nod. "I will," she said, meaning that she'd be brave. She had no other choice. And besides, she needed to prove to herself that she was stronger than the girl Smith had abducted a few months back. Although she wished she wasn't in this situation, she wasn't going to be afraid. Okay, so maybe she was afraid, but still....this was a time for courage.

 

Roxas nodded once before bringing one arm back and lowering their hands. It was time for them to get going, and finally get back home.

Kairi bit her lip, a little nervous with the situation at hand. Not knowing where Sora was scared her most, but also the fact that she had to navigate through this huge castle without one of the boys made it worse. But she was confident she could do it; her determination was high enough to tell her that.

 

Namine brought her arm back to her side and then lowered her gaze to the hand that Roxas still held. She slowly pulled hers out, knowing that they couldn't afford to waste any more time; Sora needed help. Where ever he was, he needed Roxas to come. She just knew it.

 

Roxas stepped to the side so Namine could approach Kairi, but also because he wanted to make sure she could walk. When she got up she seemed a little shaky.

 

Namine looked over at Roxas, understanding what he was implying by moving over to the side. The blond girl took in a silent breath before lowering her gaze to her feet, taking her first step. And then a second and third. She kept walking until she was over by her best friend. It wasn't an easy task, but at least she could do it.

 

Roxas followed behind, coming up beside the two girls. He looked from Namine to Kairi, his expression now serious. "I'm counting on you, Kairi. Keep her safe." He couldn't risk losing Namine, no more than he had lately.

Kairi nodded. "Of course," she replied softly, adding extra assurance with a soft smile. She knew this was probably hard for him, but she was trusting him as well. "Please find Sora."

"Promise." Roxas offered her a faint smile, his eyes darting from her to Namine. "Just follow the staircase to the bottom floor. You should be able to reach the boarding dock easily from there," he informed them both.

 

Namine nodded softly. "Alright," she said quietly. No backing down now; she was going to be brave and strong. She wasn't going to get into trouble--that would only make things harder on her and Roxas. He was choosing to leave her, and while she understood the decision, she also knew he would blame himself if anything happened.

 

"Got it," Kairi told the blond boy. She was pretty familiar with the way. It was getting to the stairs that would probably be the hardest part; there were many hallways in this castle. "Be careful."

Roxas nodded, looking from Kairi to Namine. He gazed at her for a second longer before summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion into his hands. He then left through the door, taking off in the direction Sora had drug the guards.

 

Namine bit down on her lip lightly when she saw Roxas leave. She hated that he had to go, but she understood it. After a moment, she turned to look at the girl beside her for instruction. Namine didn't know which way to go; she had been conscious in this room.

 

Kairi looked to her side. "Follow me, and stay close," she instructed Namine softly. She then began to exit through the door, and knowing Namine's condition, she was aware that this couldn't be rushed. Namine was still a little weak, from what Kairi could tell; she had to go at a steady pace.

Roxas rounded a corner, immediately finding the guards that Sora had disposed of. But that was the last trace of him. The boy made a decision to follow the direction the bodies were dragged, continuing the same way.

 

Namine nodded. "Alright," she said softly, staying close to her friend. It would not be good to lose Kairi here...not good at all.

 

Kairi paced herself, making sure Namine was only a beat behind her as they made their way down the hallway. She was very alert, paying attention to every direction--behind them, in front of them, to the side... She never knew who would come out of those doors.

Roxas turned his head, glancing down a turn in the hallway. He then stopped. There were absolutely no signs of Sora anywhere. No evidence of struggle, or battle... The only way Roxas knew what directions to go was by the feeling in his gut; his instincts. They always seemed to help him in the most important moments, and so he carried on straight, following the same path.

 

Namine nervously tucked some hair behind her ear, her eyes never leaving Kairi. She trusted her friend one hundred percent. Honestly, she wasn't expecting to see any guards. After all, if Roxas thought that was very likely, he probably would have offered Kairi one of his Keyblades.

Sora and Dark Sora were turning out to be equals in the fight, standing right in front of each other while pressing against each other's Keyblades. They were trying to break each other, but neither was giving in.

"You pathetic boy," Dark Sora sneered, trying to distract his gullible self. "You really think you stand a chance in this fight? You're weak! You're useless! I don't see how anybody could see any value in you. They're idiots."

Sora growled, feeling the pressure become heavier on him. His feet slid slightly on the floor. "Shut up," he said in anger. He knew that it was all lies, but it was still distracting him from the physical battle.

 

Kairi stopped at the end of the hallway, seeing two different directions they could take. She looked from one way to the other, trying to remember which way Sora had led her before. "This way," she said, waving Namine to her right as she began to round the corner.

Not seeing any traces of Sora made Roxas's adrenaline pump a little more than it had been. The fact that he had to even summon his Keyblades because of the danger was enough to set it off, but now that his best friend was gone without any subtle signs, well, that made the blond somewhat nervous. The only thing he could come up with as he turned another corner was that one of the guards must have gotten a hold of him, one that he must have not noticed.

 

Namine nodded subtly, following right behind her friend. She noticed that Kairi was keeping a steady pace for her sake, and she was thankful that her friend was so calm during a possibly dangerous situation. Kairi was exactly the kind of friend she needed at that moment.

"Face it," Dark Sora growled, pressing down harder on Sora's Keyblades. "They don't even know you're gone," he said, referring to Roxas and Kairi. "Your girlfriend doesn't even care."

Sora's pressure got lighter, making it easier for Dark Sora to get the upper hand. He had to admit...he was wondering where his friends were. He had been gone for quite some time. But then again, it was a large castle. Maybe they were looking for him...maybe.

 

Kairi continued down the hallways, leading Namine through them carefully. She definitely didn't want to get lost. One, it would risk both of them being seen if there were a few guards they had missed. And secondly, with Namine's condition and her safety in Kairi's hands, the redhead wanted to get her to the shelter of the ship as soon as possible.

Roxas took another corner after running down one of the hallways. He arched an eyebrow, slowing down slightly when he got a whiff of something that smelled like smoke... What the...? Roxas didn't know what to think exactly as his pace continued on at the same rate, the boy coming closer to yet another turn in the castle.

 

Namine kept her eyes on Kairi, but she had to bring a hand up to the wall to help her keep her balance. She didn't know how much further they had to go, but she was feeling shaky already.

Come on, focus! Sora screamed at himself, fighting the urge to collapse under Dark Sora's power. He tried to put more pressure on the Keyblades again, but he couldn't. The pressure on his body finally became overwhelming as his feet slid back on the ground.

Dark Sora didn't waste the opportunity. He withdrew his Keyblades and then swung at Sora while he was defenseless, sending him through the air and crashing against a smoldering wall.

 

"The stairs should be right up here," Kairi started, still walking. She glanced behind her to give her friend a comforting smile, but then she saw her condition. She stopped walking. "Namine?"

Roxas stopped in surprise when he heard something crash. His eyebrows furrowed over his bright eyes as he walked cautiously to the corner, peeking his head around. There, about a hundred feet down the hall, was a door, wide open with the sight of destruction inside.

 

Namine stopped with Kairi did, her eyes leaving the floor and going to her best friend. "I'm alright," she breathed. In reality, she didn't know if she could go much further. But she knew it wasn't a matter of if she could or couldn't--she had to. Somehow, she'd have to force herself to keep going.

Sora slumped against the wall, Keyblades loosely in his grip. He mentally was screaming at himself to get back up, but his body didn't seem to want to obey. He just prayed that Dark Sora would get cocky and lecture him while he regained his strength.

"Hmph," Dark Sora said, Keyblades at his side as he approached the teen on the wall. Once he was there, however, his relaxed pose changed. He extended his sharper blade and pointed the tip directly at Sora's throat. "Looks like I win," he stated with a smirk. "Told you I would."

 

Kairi turned worried, tilting her head a little as she looked over her friend. She certainly didn't look alright, but Kairi wouldn't pester. "If I'm right, the stairs should be just down this hall. And then we can get to the first floor and get you to the ship, okay?" She offered her friend a polite smile, one of the things she thought appropriate for the moment.

Roxas thought he heard a voice, one that sounded familiar. But he couldn't be sure from the distance between him and the room. He picked up his speed to a jog as he went around the corner, Keyblades in his grasp. As he grew closer, the destruction was more evident in the room, and he saw one guard lying down, unconscious on the floor just inside the door.