DISCLAIMER - I do not own the characters of Riku and/or Sora of Kingdom Hearts. Nor do I own any Final Fantasy characters used.

WARNING - Homosexuality. This is just a really cute story, sex is NOT involved in this one.

RANT - I did some major changes to the story. This time, I am TOTALLY SATISFIED with Chapter One and no more changes will be made to this chapter EVER AGAIN. I don't even care if there are typos I missed.

Please enjoy. x3

A scrawny little body sat huddled against his side of the carriage, staring out the window with meek interest. He clung to a stitched-up teddybear, squeezing it tight to his tiny chest as his deep sapphire eyes widened- filled only with the purest form of fright and confusion that any normal child would possess.

Just yesterday, he had been dragged out of his old home when some people had found out he had been in the house by himself for five days straight. He wanted to be a good boy and wait for his parents to come home, not be taken from it before they got back. They had left plenty to eat and he knew how to clean, why couldn't he just stay home and wait there instead of coming here? Would his parents even allow this if they knew? He wasn't being kidnapped, was he?

The lady said she was there to place him under the guardianship of his aunt and uncle, since his parents had decided to go missing.

Missing? Missing…? What does that mean?

She also said, in that most stern and proper way of hers, that he was probably better off. That they weren't meant to have kids because they were just kids themselves. As if that was comforting to hear at all...

The boy looked down sadly at the teddy his mother had gotten for him when he was born. It was as old as he was, maybe even a year or two more, and was a cinnamon and chocolate brown. Just like his hair. It had one eye missing from where he, as an infant just getting his first tooth, had chewed it off.

Tiny fingers daintily touched the place where the button was missing, remembering some of the stories that his mother would tell about how the bear lost his "eye". He knew the truth, but it was always fun to hear tales about how his very own teddy was a pirate that sailed the seven seas in search of Atlantis. Or that the scruffy thing looked the way he did because he had been a soldier, the type that would hide ever-so-cleverly in the underbrush as they awaited the signal to surprise attack the enemy troops. They always made him feel less guilty about hurting the poor stuffed creature…

Blue-eyed, brown-haired Sora loved stories. He tried to remember each one he was told and loved hearing them over and over again. They gave him comfort when he was scared, or happiness when he was sad. Yet there would be no stories shared in this small space that made him feel so trapped with this woman who sat so straight, as he felt both terrorified and on the verge of tears. Now was the time where he would lift his knees to his chest, just over his courageous teddy, and bury his face into the scraggley, but soft fur...

At least, it should have been. This was his last defense against the on-coming hysterics that most children would be having, this curling up upon his seat, but the lady would have none of that. She jerked one of his legs to the floor and tapped at his limbs and head until he was sitting with his feet on the floor and his back upright.

"We'll have none of that now. None of that! Act like a proper gentleman, not some low-class monkey. What will your aunt and uncle think?" She said, quirking a thin, black brow at him. Sora sniffled and bit his lip as he looked down at his feet, getting tapped back into his "gentlemanly" sitting position almost immediately. "They are some of the most respected people in the county, so you should at least show good posture. And none of this sniffling! Most boys dream to be as lucky as you. Be greatful!"

Little Sora looked out the window again, almost choking as he did his best to hold back the tears he so wanted to let go of. Luckily, his teddy was there to be brave for him- to be hugged close to him right when it was needed, and it very much was. Not that this ever even occurred to the bony lady.

"And what's this thing?" She began, eyeing it with pure distaste. "So disgusting! What would your aunt and uncle think? Give it here, I shall rid you of it." She snatched it right out of his hands, getting a wide, horrified look from the brunet boy in return.

"No! Give him BACK!" He lunged at her, biting the hand that held his precious bear. His teeth had always been sharp, so it didn't take much to make her drop the thing before she could throw it out the open window. After, he scurried about the carriage quickly to grab and cling hard to his "Mother's Momento" as he moved back to his seat.

By then, the lady had recovered herself. She used the hand that was bitten to slap Sora hard across his face, more then once, screaming things like, "You ungreatful, insolent brat!" and, "You little horror!" or, "May your new parents throw you in a cellar like you deserve, unclassed little brat!"

New parents…?

Even in his state of pain, shock, sadness, fear, and deep need to protect his beloved bear, he was still able to understand what she was saying. She huffed after another minute, straightening her dress out and readjusting her bonnet, the glare never leaving her face as she stared forward. It seemed the lady's breathing was ragged from anger as well.

What did she mean by new parents? I don't need new parents. Mine are fine!

"Brat…" She breathed one last time, finally returning to her composed and perfect posture. "You do realize such a thing won't be allowed in the new household. They'll probably destroy it when you're not looking sometime. They may even pretend to like it at first, just so you won't think twice about keeping your damnable rag of a toy safe or wonder if they've done something with it when it suddenly goes missing."

Sora gaped at her, making the black-haired lady smirk in a rather smug way. It was obvious this woman hated children, loved making them miserable, and had a heart as feeling as coal. There was no telling how, or even why, a woman like her was actually doing this kind of volunteer work.

"It'll be for the better. Maybe then you'll even learn some manners."

A whimper came floating forth softly from the boy's side of the carriage, his face buried once again into his teddy.

It was already night-fall when the carriage was starting to rock back and forth more harshly, bumping here and there as it drove down a torch-lit, gravel path. The horse's hooves made cracking sounds as the small pebbles that laid beneath their gigantic feet crumbled apart or broke.

Sora was tired- very, so horribly tired, but he wouldn't allow himself sleep or to even show sleepiness. He even refused to allow the millions of yawns trying to escape him out in fear the woman might try and snatch the bear away again in that moment of weakness. Not that she was paying attention to him anymore, too busy worrying over her face and hair.

Finally, the ride stopped. The man that had been commanding the horses came to the door the lady was seated at, opening it up and offering a hand to help her out.

"Thank you, sir." She stated most politely as her feet touched ground. "Please inform the lord and lady that I have- "

"Arrived. Yes, we know."

Sora still hadn't moved out of the carriage, but he could definitely hear the new man's voice. It was a rather sultry sound, something slow and sad, yet affectionate and comforting. It made Sora relax, though only a bit. He sniffed hard, wiping his eyes where a tear had crept out from exhaustion as the woman began to speak again, just as his door opened to reveal the face of the unfamiliar man.

"Don't cry, Sora." He said kindly, offering a large, pale hand in the same way the driver had to the lady. "Won't you come inside? We have dinner waiting."

Every word this man said seemed to linger on for a moment, like he was trying to excentuate every word to make sure their meaning came out the way he wanted them to. He had hair that was the same color as the moon, or perhaps nighttime snow. His eyes were a greenish color and they seemed to glow an eerie light, even in the shadows. The clothes he wore were that of a soft, black material that appeared to be some form of trench-coat and a white scarf that was almost the same color as his very colorless skin. Underneath, where the boy couldn't see, was a long-sleeved, also black sweater and white undershirt. His pants were for dress and as jet-black as his nice, custom-made shoes.

"I'm your Uncle, Sora. My name is Yazoo." He offered the hand again, smiling softly to show he wasn't going to hurt the boy. He was obviously a very patient man, not at all attempting to rush the young one.

"H-Hi… Uncle… Yazoo…" Sora replied hesitantly, putting his very small hand into the very grown one of his uncle. The brunet was surprised to find how soft the skin was.

"Uncle Yazoo" gave a sweet chuckle and another smile to match, just before pulling Sora quickly into a big hug, that then formed into a gentle carry.

As they began the short trek back to the house, the teddy being clutched defensively as Sora allowed himself to be carried by the seemingly nice man, the woman tried moving forward, with her hands lightly held together and an enormously fake smile on her lips.

"Sir, I'm so glad for you and your nephew, but- "

"Yes, yes. Now, please leave." The reply was rather quick and had a slight exasperation to it.

"What? But what about- "

Was the last thing the two males heard before closing the front door with a soft click. Yazoo could just feel the woman seething on the otherside, hear her growling obscenities about not only getting intterupted, but also at the fact that she was pushed aside for some kid and had a door closed in her face.

"It's good to be rid of her, don't you think...?"

Sora nodded slowly in agreement as he was finally let down. In all honesty, the boy had wanted to see the front yard, but with the outside so dark he wasn't too sure he'd be able to see anything.

It looks kind of scary out there anyway... But an explorer has to expect danger. I'll worry about adventuring tomorrow, though.

Blue-eyes wandered the new room he was set down in, his feet frozen to the ground. From his position near the door, however, he was able to catch a glimpse of what might have been a dining room… and a woman bending over one side of the table. She seemed to be wearing a long, pink dress, but he wasn't sure. In fact, the only thing he could see of her at the moment was a glimpse of brown hair and the end of her dress.

"That's your aunt, Sora. Her name is Aerith."

The little one gave a jump at the sound of the silver-haired man's voice. He had gotten so caught up in the movement of the woman that he had forgotten where he was.

She... kind of reminds me of my mother. Their names are even similar.

Sora decided to keep his eyes averted from the dining room then in order to look about the little entrance hall, where he continued to stand. There were white, marble stairs to his left that lasted in the front for six steps, then branched off into two separate stairs the rest of the way up- leading to two strips of the upper floors. The front steps were wide, but not very tall at all. In fact, they looked as if they were meant to hold whole groups of people on each step, people that would congregate and gossip during parties held each year- or so said Yazoo in the background of his mind.

They look like fun to roll on, Sora decided in the end, not really caring about all that other stuff.

To his right was a gigantic fireplace that was surrounded by big, cushy chairs of all different styles. A rather soft looking mat laid in the middle just before the brick-laden structure, looking so comfy to him that he almost wanted to walk over and use it for his nap, no matter how silly he would have looked doing so. Everything was covered in deep, relaxing shades of red, grey-blue, black, white, and even some dark-yellow. Nothing seemed too cramped in, yet nothing seemed too broad either. The ceiling above him reached for many feet up, so high it made him a little dizzy.

"So, how do you like the place?"

For the second time since he arrived in the strange new house, Sora jumped. A new, much more feminine voice had interrupted his thoughts and he turned to it questioningly.

It was his "Aunt Aerith", and she was indeed wearing a long, pink dress. She was leaning over Sora, hands on her knees, as she gave a small grin that showed some of her white teeth. Her hair was nearly the same color as his own, just a shade or two lighter. She had big, blue eyes and from the lines on her face, Sora could tell she was most likely a few years Yazoo's elder. The dress had puffy shoulders, long-sleeves, a high neck, and reached to just above her feet. The shoes this new woman wore were like white ballet slippers with a thick heel. A small heart charm- maybe it was a locket?- hung from her swan-like neck, dangling lightly from its thin chain.

"Ye-Yes.." He replied through a whisper, his head tilting toward the floor in a shy manner as his teddy climbed up his chest. He gave it another tight, lasting hug.

"I see." She said softly, giggling after. Aerith stood back up to her full height, moving a step closer to the boy before offering her hand. Sora looked at it through the corner of his eyes... before leading his gaze over to where his uncle was.

Uncle Yazoo was over by the coat-rack, throwing his jacket over one of the many hooks, now showing his sweater. He turned when he felt the large eyes gazing at him through his back, nodding whole-heartedly at the little boy.

With that, he closed his eyes, unconsciously taking hold of Aerith's hand and allowing her to lead him away from the front door to the dining room.

Okay. Anyone who has read this before can see I have obviously switched out Sora's aunt. I did not not NOT like using a random OC character, AT ALL. And the way I made her was too much like Aerith anyway, I just needed to change the description of her clothes. I am not completely comfortable with Aerith being with Yazoo, but it sure feels a ton better then hooking him up with some girl I made. I don't like Mary-Sues.

Read, review, no flames.