Once upon a time, their lived a beautiful blue butterfly, its wings shining with the most brilliant luminescence.
His hair was brown and naturally gravity-defying, eyes a brighter cerulean then even his wings.
All day long, he played with his friends in the bright sunshine, laughing and having a grand old time.
One night, despite his brother Roxas's warnings, he stayed out later than was normal for the butterflies, for these splendid creatures lived for the warm sunshine, as opposed to the cold night.
Once upon a time, their lived a crow, its wings blacker than the darkest shadow.
His silver hair flowed to his shoulders, eyes a serene sea-green.
All night long, he ignored his comrades and spied on the butterflies that had made their home unknowingly beneath the old hollow tree.
One night, as he was about to go on his rounds, his eyes caught a bright blue, and brimming with curiosity, flew closer to inspect it.
Lo and behold! It was the blue butterfly that had caught his fancy the most!
He landed softly behind the butterfly, it being enchanted by a Moon Lily and not hearing the soft Thu-wump the crow made landing on the ground.
"You are out late. You should be home." The crow said, frightening the boy. The butterfly started and turned, staring at the crow.
"I-i'm sorry...i-its just that I...never been out so late before...I-I was curious..." The poor butterfly stuttered. "U-um, I'm Sora! W-What's your name?"
"Riku. Now go home. It's dangerous for a young one like you to be out when the crows are awake."
Sora pouted. Then smiled. "Okay! But, hey...Riku? Will you be my friend?"
The butterfly could never tell the crow that it wasn't truly the first time he was awake at night. During the day, he felt eyes burning into his back, and looked around, spotting the odd crow. He made no movement that he noticed the crow, and went on about his business, but was not entranced with the crow as the much as the crow seemed entranced with him.
"Fine." Riku sighed. "Come. I will escort you. My comrades are out, so as long as your with me, you'll face no trouble."
"O-okay!" Sora squeaked just as Riku spread his wings out wide and took off, the butterfly shaking his head to clear his head before taking off as well.
Sure enough, no trouble was caused, until another crow with black hair caught in a ponytail and bright green eyes swept up and beated her wings to stay before them.
"Caught a snack, Riku?" The female crow grinned, looking Sora up and down. Riku moved to block Sora from view with his own body.
"Go away, Kira. This one's mine."
Kira scoffed. "Please. I've already got my sights set on someone. He's all yours. But you better not let the Old Man catch you! He's on the warpath tonight, man!"
"What did you do this time?" Riku deadpanned. Kira grinned sheepishly and scratched his cheek.
"Maybe...I helped Axel set fire to his hollow?"
"SORA!" The butterfly looked behind them, in time for a spiky blonde butterfly with black and white wings fly up between Sora and the two crows.
"Sora!" Another butterfly with black and blue wings and brown hair, a scar plain as day across his nose.
"Roxas! Leon! It's okay! Their not dangerous! Their my friends!"
Leon scowled at the crows and yanked Sora back behind him.
"Their crows, Sora! They don't know how to make friends!"
"You brainwashed him, didn't you, you filthy birds!" Roxas demanded.
Kira growled. "Watch it, insect. I just might get hungry for a midnight snack! I always did like the taste of blondes!"
"Kira, stop it." Riku commanded. "Let's go."
"Riku! Kira! Goodbye!" Sora called.
"What were you thinking, Sora? You could've been killed!" Leon demanded, as he and Roxas began pulling the brunette back home.
"But, Riku's not dangerous! He was protecting me from the other crows so I'd get home safely!"
"Ha. As if. He's probable a stalker. I mean, how would he even know where we live? Theirs millions of flowers in Radiant Garden!"
The next night, Sora sat at his window, unable to sleep as thoughts of the silverette crow he met buzzed around his head.
A beating of wind and a flash of black later, Riku dropped onto his windowsill, startling the poor butterfly.
"I'm sorry. Did I scare you?"
"Yeah! Kind of!" Sora told him, face slightly pink from embarrassment. He tried not to notice how the full moon made his hair shine, or his eyes sparkle.
Riku held his hand out to help the butterfly back up. He pulled Sora up with too much force, however, and the poor brunette bumped into the crow's hard chest. Sora looked up, face red, now noticing how tall Riku was compared to the brunette.
Unable to help himself (the boy was just to damn cute with that red face and big eyes!) Riku leaned down and captured the butterfly's lips with his.
"Ready to go?" Riku asked the stunned butterfly when he let him free.
Sora nodded dumbly, and Riku took his hand, and out the window they flew, unbeknownst of a certain blonde brother of Sora's spying on them from around the doorway.
"Your not getting my brother, filthy crow!" He growled and disappeared.
"Hey, anyone see Riku around lately? Bossman wants to see him." A redheaded man with his hair stiffened into a porcupine-like do asked a small group of crows conversing up in the tallest branches.
"No, I haven't!" A blonde crow with his hair in the crack baby of a mullet and a mohawk told the redhead from his seat, being pinned there by the black and white streaked pony tailed man, an eyepatch covering one of his golden eyes.
"Have you asked the Spaz? She's usually hanging with him."
"Naw. Can't find her anywhere either. I think she's still hiding from Bossman." Axel crossed his arms. "Damn, I don't want to have to look for that brat!"
"Just do it and stop complaining." A slate-blue haired boy leaned against the tree trunk, book in hand.
"Be nice, Zexy!" Demyx admonished.
"Yeah, be nice Zexion, before I fetch Lexeaus!" Axel grinned, dodging the flying book that was most likely aimed for his head.
"Call for Lexeaus and I'll murder you in your sleep." The boy threatened, picking up another book from the stack next to him.
"OMGWTFBBQ? ARE YOU TRYING TO RAPE MY BABY, RED?" Kira flew in from nowhere and hugged an indifferent Zexion to her ample bosom, glaring at Axel. "HOW DARE YOU! I CHALLENGE! RAWR!"
"Get off of me." Zexion sighed. "I'm not your baby! Crazy woman..."
"And now, to avoid Kira killing me by sicking her zombie penguin army on me, I'm gonna hightail it out of here. Let me know if you see Riku!"
Zexion sweatdropped. "So he's scared of the nutcase, but not me?"
"I think your both insane." Xigbar cut in, smirking. Kira retaliated with a spear to his head, Demyx ducking down on pure instinct, as this happened almost every night.
"Wow~~!" Sora cried in awe. Riku had guided him an empty field just beyond Radiant Garden, showing Sora the large, bright full moon that seemed to take up the whole sky from where they were sitting.
"This is awesome, Riku!" Sora grinned at the silverette, who just smirked and put a arm around the butterfly's shoulders, bringing the petite brunette to lean on his chest.
"I come here, when I want some time to think." Riku told him. "Only Kira knows about this place. And now, you."
Sora snuggled into the silverette's chest. "Riku, do you think we can be together forever?"
Riku was silent for a moment.
"We can damn well try." Riku confirmed.
The moon began setting on the two that had fallen asleep in the middle of the field, unaware of eyes from both sides spying on them.
Sure enough, Axel found them, and hearing Riku, snatched Kira (She was busy strangling Zexion as a sign of her undying platonic love) and dragged her back to the field to spy on the two, and identify the butterfly with him.
Roxas and Leon were on the other side of the field, hate burning in their eyes at the crow, who was most likely planning to steal their little brother's innocence.
The dawn came, and the couple still slept, finally, the two parties came from hiding and strided towards them. But once the groups caught sight of their enemies, wings began twitching (the butterflies) or bristling (the crows).
"Your friend is planning something! Be sure he stays away from our brother!" Leon growled, snatching up the dead-to-the-world Sora.
Kira threw the out-cold Riku over her shoulder and flew off without a word. The sunlight was dangerous for their kind.
"As long as you do the same for him. We don't want him corrupting our comrade." Axel growled. "Got it memorized?" He flew off without another word, the two brothers flew back home and dropped Sora onto his bed.
Sure enough, the two were tailed, Roxas, Leon, and Leon's lover Cloud took turns watching over him at night, to make sure eh didn't sneak off.
The same could almost be said about Riku. Kira, Axel, and Zexion took turns tailing the silverette. And whenever eh got to close to the line separating their land, Hollow Bastion, and Radiant Garden, they would cut the silverette off and send him a withering look.
After a week, Riku had enough.
"Get out of the way, Kira! I don't want to hurt you!" Riku growled, beating his wings to stay in place.
"Sorry, Riku. But its against the laws for you to be with that butterfly. Your lucky Mansex left you alive."
"Out of my way!" Riku held his arm out, his weapon, Way To Dawn, materialized in his hand. Kira frowned and called for her barbed spear, Discipline.
"Leon, you don't understand! Riku isn't like the others! He's different!" Sora tried pleading his case once again.
"He's a crow, Sora! They kill our kind!" Roxas told the brunette. A bobbed black-haired girl came flying in through the window, green wings fluttering wildly.
"Squall! Come quick! The treaty line, two crows are fighting on it! Their too close to Radiant Garden!"
"C'mon, Roxas! Sora, stay here!" Leon commanded, snatching up his gunblade as Roxas called for his keyblades, Oblivion and Oathkeeper.
Sora waited a moment before calling for his own keyblade, Kingdom Key, and rushing after them.
"What's going on?" Leon demanded the brunette woman with twitching pink wings, her hands up to protect Radiant Garden in a pink hazed barrier.
"Two crows, a silver-haired male and black-haired female began fighting a full-scale battle right on the border. It seems like the girl was trying to keep the boy out of Radiant Garden, but he pushed her back, and now their in our territory. Several homes have been destroyed, but so far, no casualties. Everyone escaped safely, albeit a few cuts and bruises. Those flowers are never gonna grow back, because of the destructive magic that they were hit with.
"Dammit. Keep holding up that barrier, Aerith! Someone stay on the lookout for more crows heading this way!"
With one last blow, Riku knocked Kira from the air, just to smack into the barrier Aerith was upholding. He swooped down look level at Aerith and Leon.
"Where is Sora?" Riku demanded.
"Stay away from him, filthy crow! Get out of our lands!" Leon demanded.
"RIKU!" Leon and Aerith turned around in surprise, Aerith accidentally loosing her grip on the barrier, allowing Riku to swoop in and gather the blue butterfly to him.
"Sora..." Riku whispered happily.
Tears fell down Sora's face. "Riku...I missed you so much!"
"Get away from him, Sora!" Roxas yelled loudly, wrenching the brunette from the crow's arms.
"No! Roxas! Let me go!"
"Sora, how can you want to be with him? His kind killed our parents!"
Riku stiffened, eyes wide in shock.
"But...we never..."
"RIKU! Let's get the hell out of here before we get killed! By either them or Superior!" Zexion and Demyx flew over and started dragging the shocked silverette away back to Hollow Bastion.
"Sora...SORA! I never! I have never killed a butterfly in my life! None of us have! Zexion, tell him! Demyx, Kira!"
Sora dropped to his knees, crying at the realization. In all his happiness, he had forgotten the cold, hard truth.
No butterfly could be with a crow.
"Riku..." Sora cried, fists pressed to his eyes to hide his tears.
"I'm sorry, Sora." Aerith hugged the poor boy.
"They won't ever stop being our enemies. Best to forget you ever met that filthy bird." Leon told him gruffly.
"I can't!" Sora cried. "I love him!"
"Riku, you are here for associating with a butterfly, in disregard of prior warnings that such behavior is illegal?" Xemnas asked, eyes glaring down at the younger silver-haired male.
"So what if I am."
Xemnas flew down and smacked him.
"I have been lenient so far because you are my son, but no more! Take him to the Sunroom. That will see to it he learns his lesson, once and for all."
"Are you [BLEEP]ing kidding me? That is WAY too harsh, Mansex!"
"What is harsh, is the way those lowly insects have persecuted our kind for generations, over something we had nothing to do with. Better the punishment then being killed by THEM. Now go!"
Xigbar and Xaldin took Riku by his arms and lead him away to the very top of the tree, where branches parted to reveal a gated hollow, forming a cell that exposed one self's to the elements. The purpose, the cruelest punishment Xemnas could give above death, for the sun is dangerous to a crow.
Under the sun for even a few hours, could leave the crow forever haunted, blind, and unable to fly ever again from the shock to his system. A full day, even the crow's wings would be bleached, and sent off to live as an outcast.
"That is compete and utter bullshit, Xemnas! Are you trying to kill him? You know what that place will do! He won't even be Riku anymore! He'll be an empty shell!"
"His punishment is not up for discussion. Now leave before your transgressions are reviewed, and you are placed in there with him!"
Kira growled and flew off.
The sun was hot, and filled the cramped cell, but once Riku's eyesight began going, he tried his best to huddle in the darkest corner he could find, which wasn't much. It did no good at all. In no time at all, Riku's eyes were completely gone, the green color replaced with a milky white. Already, (event though he couldn't see it) the tips of his beautiful dark wings began to lighten.
"Sora! Psst!"
Sora loomed up from where he dug his head into his knees, seeing Kira looking in from his window, a dark purple cloak shading her from the sunlight.
"Wha-? What are you doing here!"
"Riku needs your help! Superior, he put Riku i the Sunroom! He'll die if you don't help me!"
"What do you want me to do?"
"Come with me, quick!"
Sora nodded and followed Kira. She kept him close to her side, away from any prying eyes that could awaken and see her out in the sunlight at any moment.
She took him up to the Sunroom. Sora cried at seeing his love already looking so different, so broken.
A loud clang made Sora look over to see Kira breaking the lock with Discipline. Riku looked up as well, Sora crying even harder when he saw Riku's eyes.
"W-who's t-there?" Riku croaked.
"Kira and Sora. We're busting you out!"
Riku gave a tiny smirk before falling over in a faint.
"Dammit!" Kira cursed. "Take that side!" She told Sora, swinging the door open. Between the two, they flew off, a white-winged Riku dead weight, heading North to Twilight Town.
They settled Riku down in the shade of a tall tree.
"I have to go back. Take care of him, Sora." Kira grinned and took off.
Sora nodded and held the silverette to him, tears falling once more, but he smiled, since Riku was back in his arms.
"I love you, my white-winged angel..." Sora whispered into the silverette's hair.
"I love you too, my beautiful blue spirit." Riku replied, a smirk playing on his lips.
..::OWARI::...!
Yeah, the ending was so corny -is shot-
I'm done attempting Multi-chapters. I'm just happy I could get out of my slump to come up with this one and 'It's Not Over'.
And just so ya know, yes, I'm aware I took the title from the Shinedown song. It was actually the title that gave me the idea, and the fact I've been on a HUGE Kingdom Hearts kick lately, bypassing Naruto. (I'm so sorry Kishimoto-sensei! *sob*)
Thanks for reading! R&R bitches!
Kira Nitedream OUT!