A/N: Falls between "What You Cherish Most" and "Family is Everything." I was just going to leave the Riku/Sora couple alone as the drabble in the first story. This just came to me in my rare slumber. Zack from FF7. Oh! Riku and Sora are 18 now. Only adult loving in my fan fiction world. Also, I don't hate Kairi. In fact, I like her a lot. The character bashing is purely from RIKU's POV. Boy has no mercy. Originally published 11/08/08. Revised 2/17/09.
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Summary: Riku did it all for Sora. With Zack's help, Sora will someday understand.
Pairings: Riku/Sora, Some Cloud/Zack , Mentions of Sephiroth/Leon(Squall)
Warnings: Yaoi, MPREG, Non-Con, Cursing, Darkness-induced Semi Sex Change, KH2 dialogue (All owned by Disney/Square-Enix), Kairi-bashing, Character Death, Confused Puppy
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction.
The End Justifies The Means
XXX
I'm no one---just a castaway from the Darkness.
Riku... It's Riku. Riku's here...
I looked for you!
I looked everywhere for you!
I didn't want you to find me.
You're still Riku, no matter what!
To tell you the truth, Sora... I was jealous of you.
I wished I could live life the way you do. Just following my heart.
We'll go together.
Yeah.
XXX
Riku sulked from his perch on his favorite Paopu tree located on Destiny Islands.
Together.
Yeah. Riku's seemingly life-long dream of togetherness with Sora lasted for about a week. It was then dashed, as always, by Kairi.
It wasn't fair. Riku was the one who slogged through the Darkness, striving not to go mad. It was Riku who fought Sora's Nobody, Roxas, and captured him so that Sora's memories could be retrieved, and he could be awakened after a year-long sleep.
All Kairi did was forget about Sora and then pick him back up like a neglected puppy after she conveniently "remembered" him.
Riku felt so depressed and betrayed. He showed his love to Sora, time and time again, and Kairi would always reap the rewards. He even cornered Sora in the Secret Cave when they returned and kissed him deeply, proclaiming that he would always love him and nobody else.
Riku shook his head in dismay at the memory.
Sora had received the affection with that idiotic, beaming smile of his, as if it was his due, and informed Riku that he would always love him too… As his bestest friend.
Sora then stated, to a silently devastated Riku, that Kairi had FINALLY agreed to go steady with him. He even spoke of them getting married as soon as he could get a good job and save up enough money to support her.
Gods forbid, she should have to actually work for anything.
Riku snorted. Only Sora could be so oblivious to the sexual machinations surrounding him.
Kairi knew exactly how Riku felt about Sora from the first. True, she was the one who helped Sora see Riku's true form under the fake Ansem's Darkness-induced guise.
Riku now believed she did that just to see how deep Sora's true feelings for Riku actually were.
Sora, with his head lowered, crying in relief, completely missed the look of fury in Kairi's face when she beheld what true love actually looked like.
Riku smiled meanly, gazing at the azure ocean before him. Kairi would never get that sort of reaction from Sora, no matter what she tried. Riku would swear that fact on his Keyblade, Way to the Dawn.
Hmmm. Perhaps it was time for him to put his secretly non-dormant Darkness powers to use.
Riku had faked, that he had lost his Darkness-fueled powers, to Sora and the other Warriors of the Light back on the Altar of Naught, but he would never truly give up that power. It was even strengthened now by Sora's betrayal and Riku's hatred of Kairi.
Riku tilted his head in rumination. He just had to figure out how to accomplish the deed without his love finding out.
As if the Darkness had heard his hatred-filled call, a cloaked Gummi ship landed behind Riku. Inside, the ship contained the answer to Riku's prayers.
XXX
"I dunno, Seph. Kid looks pretty depressed. I don't think he'll go for it."
"Calm, Zackary. Remember the plan and stay by Strife's side. Even here, your safety is paramount."
"Aw shucks, Seph. Ain't nuthin gonna happen to this country boy now that I'm with you guys."
"Strife?"
"Come on, Zack. Just let Sephiroth talk to Riku. You just got back. Let me hold you more."
"Spiky. Ya held me all the way here and I didn't disappear. I'm not gonna disappear now."
"Fair?"
"Okay, Seph. Me and Chocobo-head will be over here cuddling. You do your stuff."
Riku, after overhearing this odd conversation, finally turned around to a somewhat odd sight.
An almost seven-foot-tall man, who could be mistaken for his own brother, gazed at him with strange feline eyes, while holding the longest sword he had ever seen.
Behind his ramrod straight figure, rolling around on the sand, was another tall, extremely pretty blue-eyed man, with the oddest black hair, currently being mauled by a petite man, who resembled nothing less but a golden chocobo made human.
Riku's attention was again riveted to the silver-haired man when he cleared his throat. "Entertaining puppy, isn't he? It was to save him from the Darkness that my life-long enemy and I have united under our sole cause."
Riku couldn't help but be intrigued. "What cause would that be?"
Sephiroth inwardly smiled, as he saw Riku, unconsciously, reveal to his searching gaze his still developing Darkness powers. "We plan to overthrow the Light and crush it for good."
Riku frowned and Way to the Dawn automatically materialized in his hand. He sensed the other two behind Sephiroth immediately pause and then crouch to attack at Sephiroth's behest. "If you've come to harm the Keyblader, you'll have to go through me and I won't make it easy. I don't care how many you are."
Sephiroth held his hand up to still both parties.
Sephiroth waved his free hand in front of him to reassure the tensed teenager. He then lowered his hand, palm down, so Zack and Cloud would be at ease. "Riku. I'm afraid you misunderstand my intentions. The Darkness has heard of your plight and has sent me, as her chosen leader, to request that you join your considerable powers with ours, so Sora can finally be truly yours."
Sephiroth placed his hand to his chest in a show of sincerity. "As the Keyblader and Champion of the Light, Sora would always be at ends with you. But with the Light's speedy defeat, his Light-powered abilities would be weakened or even expunged. He will be all alone and defenseless. Sora will need you then to always be there for his safety and protection."
Riku stood upright on his perch, so he would have the higher ground. "What if I don't accept?"
Sephiroth shrugged as if it mattered little to him whether Riku said yes or no to his offer. "Light shall still fall, but Sora will have no one to protect him. In the end. he will die. Whether you join us or not, Darkness shall prevail. I have sworn my best friend Zackary's life on this and it will come to be."
Riku lowered his Keyblade hearing this new information. "He's your best friend?"
Sephiroth's stern countenance broke for a moment into a rare, happy smile and he motioned to the tall, black-haired man behind him, who had a constantly confused look on his face. "Yes, Riku. Zackary is my best friend. He was lost in the Darkness, like you once were. But unlike you, he had no means of escape. With Cloud's and my allegiance to the Darkness, he was returned to us safe and alive."
"Cloud?"
"Yes. The other man behind me. He is Zack's mate and will be the father of his future children."
Riku sat back down on the tree trunk with a bewildered frown. He stared at the beaming General before him, wondering if he really came off as gullible as Sora. "Umm. Sir? Don't know if it's the same way from the planet that you came from. But men can't have babies here. I've also been to most of the other Worlds and traveled extensively through the Darkness. I've never seen a pregnant man."
Sephiroth shook his head and chuckled. "You are not mistaken. It is a gift the Darkness has decided to bestow on those warriors strong and worthy enough to bear the future of the Darkness's forces. If you decide to join us, Sora shall be blessed the same way as Zackary."
Way to the Dawn disappeared from Riku's limp hold and he folded his arms across his chest. "So you're saying Sora would be like a girl and have babies."
Sephiroth nodded in affirmation. "Yes, Riku. If you join us; Light will fall, Darkness will win, and you will be the father of Sora's children."
Riku wanted nothing more than to disbelieve this tall tale and start fighting. There was just something about the three of them.
Riku sent out an inquisitive wave of Darkness to judge Sephiroth's power threshold. He almost fell off the tree when Sephiroth, with a smirk, nudged him back. This man wasn't lying, or if he was, Riku wasn't going to call him on it.
Riku jumped off the tree and looked up into Sephiroth's amused feline eyes. "If I join you, Sora will be safe and under my protection?"
Sephiroth sensing victory, lowered his eyelids in a sleepy sort of way, and nodded. "Yes, Riku. Sora will be safe and he will be yours for as long as you both shall live."
Riku looked down to Sephiroth's boots, seeming to judge the pros and cons of the deal, and then gave a firm nod to himself. He looked back into Sephiroth's eyes and held his hand out to him to seal the deal. "Okay, Mr. Sephiroth. Ya got yourself another soldier."
Sephiroth shook Riku's hand and then turned around to Zack and Cloud. "Strife, why don't you play Chase the Puppy for awhile. Riku and I have much to discuss before we can commence the campaign. Zackary would be bored and he needs his exercise."
The one called Zackary jumped back in alarm, and without even looking to see where he was going, ran for his life. He was followed closely by a grasping, growling Cloud.
Riku gave no indication, but he wasn't focused at this moment on Sora, or the upcoming war. He was focused, instead on Kairi, and her imminent demise.
Riku would rid Sora's world of her permanently and he now had the perfect means of doing it.
With the coming invasion, Sora wouldn't blame or condemn him. Riku would just blame the Heartless for her death.
Riku gazed out again to the ocean. His mind now completely comforted. Poor Sora would have no one to turn to but him. It was everything he could ever wish for. They would even have children too.
Yep. Riku always knew that serving the Darkness would come through for him in the end.
XXX
Riku made Sora promise to stay in the room, but he was so bored. He didn't know why he had to stay cooped up, away from Sephiroth. He couldn't even make his Keyblade materialize anymore. Goodness knows, he tried. It just seemed that the more time he spent around Riku, the less access he had to his Light-induced powers. He didn't think he could even do spells anymore.
Sora sighed and flopped backwards on the big bed.
Sora couldn't understand where he went wrong. He had been on the good side.
The good side always won. Right?
Sora would fight his hardest and he would always defeat the Darkness with the power of the Light. It was his Gods-given job. He was the Keyblader; at least he was the Keyblader. Keyblader wasn't any good without a Keyblade.
Sora huffed in annoyance. He didn't even know where Kairi was now.
Destiny Islands had been overrun by the Heartless again, like it had been before. But this time, it had General Sephiroth to direct the Darkness-powered army.
Sora was lucky to escape with Kairi. He had been hit by 'Sin Harvest,' and it was only through Aerith's healing intervention that he lived to make it to Radiant Garden. It was only a matter of time, though, before the rest of the Worlds fell to the Darkness.
Radiant Garden had been the last stronghold of the Light to fall.
The Final Battle of Radiant Garden turned out not to really be a battle at all.
The Light had been quickly defeated when it's leader, Leon, formerly Squall Leonhart, had been beaten and captured by his old friend Cloud and delivered to the hands of Sephiroth.
Sora wasn't allowed to see Leon, but he had ventured out once at night, just to look around. He quickly ran back to the room he shared with Riku, in fright, and locked the door when he heard Leon screaming Sephiroth's name, begging him to stop whatever he was doing.
Leon had sounded like he had been in excruciating pain.
Sephiroth.
Sora shuddered and hugged himself for comfort.
If Riku hadn't shielded Sora's almost dead body with his own during the Battle, Sephiroth would have killed him without an ounce of regret.
Riku had shouted at Sephiroth, calling him a back-stabbing liar.
Sephiroth stated that he was only making sure Sora would behave, and if Riku kept him in line, it would all come to be as he promised.
Sora wasn't sure what Riku had been promised by Sephiroth, but he was sure now that it would bring nothing but pain and hardship to himself.
XXX
Sora had been greatly saddened by Riku's betrayal of the Light for the Darkness.
Sora had felt Riku had come so far. He thought their relationship as best friends had been going along swimmingly. He had even planned on asking Riku to be his best man when he finally married Kairi.
Now Riku was a slave to the Darkness again and Kairi was missing.
Sora asked Riku everyday, when he returned from his Sephiroth-ordered duties, where Kairi was and if he could see her.
Riku would always shrug, never looking Sora in the eye, and report that he had no idea what happened to Kairi after the Battle.
One night, out of pure frustration and deep desperation, Sora had threatened to kill himself.
Riku never raised a hand to stop Sora. He just stood there, utter desolation telegraphed throughout his whole body, and began to cry.
Sora had never seen Riku cry, not even when he had been at his lowest due to his possession by the fake Ansem. He instantly ran to Riku and held him tightly, apologizing and kissing his tears away. He swore that he would never leave Riku alone to the Darkness.
Riku happily returned Sora's affections and it quickly turned into their first time having sex together.
Sora had wanted his first time to be with Kairi, but it meant so much to Riku and he was suffering so much.
If Riku wanted him so badly, Sora thought it was the least he could do for his best friend. He just didn't know it would hurt so badly.
Riku swore that it would hurt less the more they did it. This was proven true later, especially when he found that place inside Sora that made him see stars.
It just seemed to Sora now that it was all that they ever did together anymore.
Riku wouldn't talk to him about the conditions of the Worlds. He said it would only upset him.
Well, it upset him more now just sitting and waiting all day for Riku to come back.
XXX
Riku returned looking more somber than usual.
Sora hastily got up off the bed and ran to him, giving him a tight hug and kiss hello. "Riku? What's wrong?"
Riku led Sora to the bed and faced him as they both sat down. "We found a witness today who saw what happened to Kairi."
Sora, always thinking positive, began butt-jumping on the bed, with a gleeful smile on his face. "Did they find her, Riku? Oh! They must have found her! I can't wait to see her!"
Riku stilled Sora by putting his hands on Sora's shoulders and holding him down to get his attention back. "No, Sora. There isn't anything to be found. The witness saw Kairi get devoured by the Heartless. She's dead."
Sora looked into Riku's eyes in disbelief. He hoped that Riku was lying, but he knew the truth.
In a way, Sora had known the truth ever since the Battle ended and Kairi had disappeared. He just never wanted to believe it.
Sora broke down and was quickly enveloped in a possessive hug by a shushing Riku.
Riku kissed the top of Sora's head and rocked his love gently. He failed to mention that he killed the witness right after he confessed, just like he had killed Kairi.
Riku's secret was now air-tight. There was no one else to tell Sora of Riku's true ultimate betrayal. He smiled serenely. Once he got Sora calmed, he could then give him the good news delivered by Sephiroth.
Sora halted his crying and breathed in a shaky breath. "Riku? I feel like there's something' else ya wanna tell me."
Riku tightened his hug around Sora and his smile widened. He and Sora were truly soul-mates.
Sora could always read him like a book. Fortunately, the Darkness helped Riku obscure Sora's searching gaze from the lying, murdering parts. "I'm sorry that I had to give you such bad news. I have some good news, though. It should make you very happy."
Sora disengaged himself, with a sniffle, from an unwilling Riku so he could look into Riku's face. He didn't like what he saw.
Riku's face looked just like it did before Destiny Islands had been overrun the first time. He didn't look sane at all.
Sora attempted to move away, but Riku grabbed his arms so he couldn't move. "Whah… What's so good about the news, Riku?"
Riku leaned forward and gave a resisting Sora a deep kiss.
Sora pulled away. "Riku, not now! What's the good news!"
Riku, disturbed by a rare, serious Sora, frowned and huffed. "Fine! Sephiroth informed me today that the Darkness has finally deemed you worthy."
Sora once again tried to pull away from Riku, but Riku had gotten so much stronger, since Sora had been imprisoned. "Riku! You're hurting! What am I worthy of?"
Riku, as if he hadn't heard Sora, tightened his hold on Sora's arms. Sora was afraid he was going to break them.
"Sora. You're going to be a mommy."
XXX
Six Months Later…
Sora was wrapped up in a terrified little ball on the bed he shared with Riku.
Tonight would be the night he and Riku were supposed to make their first baby.
Sora vehemently shook his head, sending tears flying. It shouldn't have been this way. He was going to be the daddy and Kairi was going to have his babies. Now Kairi was dead and Sora was married to a slightly crazed Riku.
Sora had always known Riku was sorta possessive about him, even Kairi would remark now and again about it. If he had only listened to her warnings… It was too late now.
Sora had nowhere to escape to. If he tried to leave Riku's protection, Sephiroth would kill him on the spot.
Six months ago, Riku had held him down, while the Darkness changed his body so he could have babies. He had cried and screamed to Riku that he didn't want this. He didn't want his babies growing up in a world of Darkness.
Riku had just smiled down on him with that strange smile on his face and leaned down to kiss him, so his screams would be silenced.
Sora bolted up when the door opened to a happy, whistling Riku. He snarled inside with indignation.
Why shouldn't Riku be happy.
Riku got everything he wanted. It was Sora who suffered and who would continue to suffer under Sephiroth's new regime.
Sora knew there would be no escape tonight and he would become pregnant. He just wasn't going to make it easy for his former best friend.
Riku had gotten careless with Sora's perceived subservience these last few months. He never dreamed Sora would run for the slightly opened door and flee down the hall away from him.
Riku ran after Sora, yelling at him to stop. His heart quickly entered his throat when Sora was caught hard by the neck and hauled up to a greatly amused Sephiroth's smirking face.
"Well, well, well, Riku. It appears I caught a live one. Should I make him a dead one?"
"Sephiroth. Please don't. Sora was just scared. We're going to make our baby tonight and it's his first time. Please don't take him away from me. He's all I have."
Sora stopped wiggling in Sephiroth's iron grip and looked at Riku with tear-filled eyes.
Sephiroth was still smirking, and it looked like he was going to tighten his hold on Sora's small neck to break it, when he was stopped by a curious puppy named Zack. "Hey, Seph! Finally found ya! Been lookin' all over for you!"
Everyone froze as Zack came up behind Sephiroth, who had stopped smirking, and now looked chagrined. "Watcha got there, Seph? Looks kinda young for ya. Does the Lion know your casin' the schoolyard now?"
Sephiroth dropped Sora like a sack of rocks and turned around to a grinning Zack. His mouth curling in slight disgust. "Zackary. Do not be obscene. You know too well that Leon is all I shall ever want or need. Sora was just making a nuisance of himself and I was returning him to his mate, Riku."
Zack's eyebrows raised sky-high towards his ridiculous hair. "Ya sayin' these two are already hitched. Man, what happened to all that abstinence crap I was taught way back when?"
Sephiroth folded his arms in front of him and quirked an eyebrow. "They deemed the class a complete failure after it failed to deter people like you."
"Aw, Seph. I luv ya too." Zack neatly dodged around a stern Sephiroth to help up a shaking, still-crying Sora.
Zack then enclosed the poor kid in a certified Zack Fair glomp. "Hey buddy. Watcha cryin' for? Heard ya were gonna make your first baby tonight. Nothin' to be scared about. Me? I've already got two cookin' in the oven."
Sora had stopped crying and was looking up at Zack in amazement. He couldn't believe Zack was still alive in all this Darkness.
To Sora's eyes, Zack was almost completely made up of Light.
The babies inside of him amplified his Light even more. It hurt Sora to even look at him.
But Sora had hungered for the Light for so long, he never wanted to leave Zack's embrace.
Sora looked over to Riku's sad face. Sora understood now.
Riku had told him after he first got captured that this all had come about because Sephiroth and Cloud wanted to retrieve Zack from the Darkness.
Sora didn't understand before why people would do so much for just one man. It now immediately all made sense to Sora.
Zack was Hope. He was warmth, forgiveness, and unselfish love. He was the living embodiment of Home. For people who had been mired in the Darkness for so long, like Sephiroth and Cloud, Zack was salvation.
Gazing over to Riku, it suddenly occurred to Sora that Riku might feel the same way about him that Cloud and Sephiroth felt about Zack.
Sora backed away when Zack let him go and sniffed, while wiping his eyes free of tears. "Um, Mr. Fair? 'm okay now. Thanks for helping me. I think I want to go back to my room. Kinda tired."
Zack bent down and ruffled Sora's hair with a big smile. "Sure thing, Kid. Runnin' and cryin' will do that to ya."
Sora walked to Riku and took hold of his hand.
Riku began to lead Sora back to their shared room, when Sora stopped and turned slightly back to Zack as if he wanted to say something.
Zack nodded to him in encouragement.
"Mr. Fair? When my baby's born, can you help me? My mom never taught me any of the stuff I'm gonna need to know."
Zack chuckled and placed his fists on his hips, puffing his chest out. "Call me Zack, Kid. Sure I'll help ya, but ya know we're both gonna be bawlin' on Leon's shoulders. The Lion'll take care of all of us; babies included."
Sora gave Zack a smile that held in it a tiny smidgen of hope. Then the exhausted former Keyblader turned back to his mate, Riku, who lead him back to their room.
XXX
Zack waited until his heightened senses couldn't hear them anymore. He then deflated into the confused puppy he had been since he had been brought back from the Darkness. "Seph? What gives? I kinda understood the way things went with the Lion. You never were good at expressing yourself, especially with people you love. But these kids? Darkness got no right messin' with them. No honor there."
Zack felt Sephiroth's firm grip on his sagging shoulders. "Just let me take care of everything, Zackary. Concentrate your energies on the babies inside you and on Strife's continued well-being. It will all turn out well. Trust me."
Zack violently shook his head as if it would finally clear it of all the ever-present cobwebs.
Sephiroth, in consternation, released Zack's shoulders.
"I trust ya, Seph. Ya know I do. I can't help feelin' like I'm bein' played here, though. I'm tryin' to find the honor in all this and it's getting harder and harder to see."
Sephiroth's feline eyes squinted in deep thought as he watched Zack, with lowered head and hands shoved into the back pockets of his pants, walk slowly down the hall, farther and farther away from him.