Chapter 12

Sora Enters the Family

Sora and Riku agreed that they would go to Riku's home a couple weeks after they had their talk. It was on Friday, Sora dropped his bag at his house and got into the car with Riku again. Sora stared in awe to see that Riku lived in a mansion.

It was a long, towering mansion made of a blacken weathered stone. It stood three stories tall, its windows all symmetrical to each other, outlined in white and seemed to be the only light in the dark building, lights seemingly glowing out from them. The driveway up to the manor was curved, ending at a row of cars, all expensive and all parked in front of a small staircase that led up to the manor. "It's like a castle or something," Sora gapped as he stepped out of the car.

Riku smirked and looked at it. "Senshi Manor," he said. He looked at Sora and bit his lip. "Nervous?" he asked.

"Yeah… a bit," Sora said. He looked at Riku and took his hand, "But as long as you're here, I'll be okay."

Riku smiled and kissed Sora briefly. "Come on, my father already knows we're here," he said.

"Really? How?" Sora asked. "He's not having us followed is he?"

"No, Terra told him… he texted me," Riku chuckled.

"Oh." Sora said as Riku tightened his hold on Sora's hand and the two walked up the small marble staircase to two heavy wooden doors. Riku opened them and they stepped inside. There, an old man was waiting, wearing an old-style suit. "Master Riku, and Master Sora I presume," he said. "Excellent, you will find your father in his office. …The main one, Master Riku."

"Thank you Alfred," Riku said. He turned to Sora only to see a shocked look on Sora's face. "What?"

"You have a butler!" Sora whispered in awe.

"Yeah… Sora, we're the Yakuza, of course we have a butler," Riku said.

"You are also a teenage boy who still needs to learn how to do his own laundry," Alfred the butler snarked. "Shall I presume you still want your silk boxers pressed?"

Whatever tension Sora felt in front of the manor was gone as he giggled. "Silk boxers Riku?"

"Shut up," Riku growled. He pulled Sora close and growled in his ear, "Giggle more about my clothes, and I'll punish you."

"Riku, you keep promising me that you'll do that, but you never did," Sora flirted. Riku chuckled and bit Sora's earlobe. "Then after this, looks like I'll just have to punish you for good," he whispered.

"R-Right…" Sora said, his mind clearing as he remembered the reason why they were here at Riku's home. Sensing Sora's change in attitude, Riku stepped away from Sora and just held his hand, rubbing his thumb softly on the outside of Sora's. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's get this over with."

"Yeah…"

The two walked through the large foyer and entered a long, lavishly decorated hallway. Sora barely looked around as Riku went to a door and opened it, revealing a spiraling staircase that led downward. They descended it quickly and walked into what looked like a wine cellar. Sora looked at Riku confused, only for the teen to pull Sora along. They walked towards the closest wine rack and Riku started to pull out a bottle of wine on the fourth row. Hearing a click, Sora watched in amazement as the wine rack began sliding to the side, revealing a very rusted door with a numbered keypad. Sora watched as Riku pressed the numbers in a certain order. There was a very small sound of a lock clicking and Riku smiled as he opened the door. "After you, Sora," he said.

The hallway they walked into was pure white. There was no distinction of where the floor ended, or the walls and ceiling began. Sora felt a very odd feeling as before them, getting bigger and bigger with each step, was a huge emblem. It looked to Sora like an upside heart, with only instead of the bottom of the heart pointing upwards, the heart transitioned into a spiked cross. Under the emblem was a large silver door that slid open when Riku and Sora got near it.

The room was huge. A long table sat in the middle, on which were several slim computer screens all pointed towards several simple-looking chairs that sat around them. At the head of the table was an imposing looking chair where a tall, thick man was sitting. He had long silver hair, bronze-colored skin and, most surprising to Sora, amber eyes. There were others sitting around the table. Sora recognized Terra immediately, and next to him was a taller man with blue hair. Next there was a man whom Sora could only describe as a pirate with the eyepatch on his eye and many scars on his face, and lastly there was an imposing looking man with dreadlocks, blushy eyebrows and sideburns.

The amber-eyed man smiled and stood up. Sora looked around and was shocked to see that Lexaeus had somehow gotten himself behind Sora and Riku. He didn't even hear the tall giant walk up to them. "So… you are Sora, I am pleased to finally meet you," the man said. "I am Xemnas. Xemnas Senshi, the head of the Senshi Family."

"I'm—"

"I know who you are, Sora Strife," Xemnas continued. "Son of the soldiers Cloud and Leon Strife; you lived in Destiny Island until an unfortunate car accident killed both your parents and forced you to move here… where you've met my son."

For some reason Sora wasn't surprised that the man knew all of this. He just simply nodded. Xemnas continued, "Your aunt works in a flower shop while your uncle is a military instructor. But they're not nearly as interesting as you and your fathers… Adamantoises, Ochus, the mighty Midgardsormr… your fathers seemed especially skilled at slaying beasts. Tell me, do you hold their skill as well?"

Realizing that the man was waiting for an answer, Sora said, "They were going to. I started practicing with their swords. Just swinging them around, getting to feel their weight."

"I see… and where are these swords?" Xemnas asked.

"In my room, hanged as a shrine."

"Pity." Xemnas walked slowly from his throne, circling around the table and towards Sora and Riku. "So you are defenseless, is what I am gathering… is that why you've gravitated towards my son? Looking for a shield to take your enemies' blows?"

"No! I can defend myself!" Sora yelled.

"Is that so? Then why my son? Why have you chosen Riku? Is it because of our influence? Our wealth, our—"

"It's because I love him!" Sora yelled. "I love Riku with all my heart! And nothing you or anyone else can do to change that. Riku… Riku holds my heart!"

"I see," Xemnas said, looking entirely disappointed. "Xigbar, Xaldin, if you would." He snapped his fingers and the two men stood up.

The man with the eye-patch reached them first. "Move along little Riku, I need to have a good eyeful of him," the man laughed as he walked towards them. Sora stood his ground, and glared at him. Xigbar stopped and began to laugh a deep gruff laugh, "This kid's all right! That's it, I'm done. He passes my trial! That look says everything." Still laughing he returned to his seat.

"Pitiful," Xaldin sighed. He turned to Sora and asked, "Are swords your weapon of choice then?"

"Yeah," Sora said, confused at where the man was going at. Xaldin turned to Lexaeus and said, "Bring him a sword! Riku, go to your father."

Riku looked hesitant. Sora turned around and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I can handle it," he said. Looking as if he wanted to protest, Riku sighed and kissed Sora's cheek before walked towards his brother Terra, sitting next to him.

Lexaeus came back with a simple broadsword. Sora took it and smiled, it was very light, only five pounds. He took some practice swings, the sword cutting the air easily, moving as if it weighed nothing in Sora's hand. He flicked it around a bit and looked at Xaldin. "Too light," he said cockily.

"Good. I just wanted to see if you were familiar with them," Xaldin said. "How old were you when you first held your fathers' swords?"

"They started teaching me how to use them when I was fourteen," Sora said.

"I see… and these are them, correct?" Xaldin said as he walked towards the long table towards a computer screen. He made a couple of swipes and pokes, and turned the screen towards Sora, showing him pictures of his fathers' swords.

"Y-Yeah… how did you—"

"They are from your fathers' military records," Xaldin said. "I've took the liberty to read them both. I must say, I am impressed. It's a shame that they have died the way they have."

"Thank you?" Sora said questionably, not knowing if the man was complimenting him or not. Xaldin just nodded. "Is it true that these swords are rather heavy?"

"Yeah, they're eighty pounds each," Sora said.

"Such a ridiculous weight for a weapon. Why is that?" Xaldin questioned.

"They're mainly for fighting huge monsters like the Ochu and Adamantoise. Even though they are rare, they still can cause massive destructions when they show up," Sora explained. "These things won't even scratch an Adamantoise's shell." Sora waved the broadsword for emphasis.

"Interesting… that is all. You may give the sword back to Lexaeus," Xaldin said. Sora nodded and turned to Lexaeus, handing the broadsword back. Xaldin turned to Xemnas and said, "He passes mine, the boy is not completely useless. Though it is clear he is just an amateur. If he wants, I can easily whip him up to shape."

"Good. Saix."

Sora had any time to react. Saix pounced from his chair like a demon and was on him the next second. All Sora could feel or know was blinding pain as the blue-haired man tackled him to the ground, punching him repeatedly in the stomach. "SORA!" Riku yelled. He rushed to help him, but Xemnas held him back physically.

"Leave. My. Brother. Alone. You. Whore." Saix growled with each punch, earning him screams and coughs from Sora. He couldn't focus. The older man scratched and punched at Sora like a rabid beast, doing his best to punch and claw at any place he can get to, doing his best to draw blood. Sora felt like his body was being torn open as the madman continued his assault on the poor teen. He grasped blindly for Saix's body and, using all his strength, pushed the man off of his body. Sora tried to scramble to his feet, but the demon Senshi was on him again, this time kicking his leg in. Sora turned as he fell, throwing a punch that landed directly on Saix's nose, a satisfying crunch filling the air. Saix flinched and Sora took the moment to run as far away from him as possible. Blood was dripping from his stomach where Saix was attacking, his clothes ripped to shreds.

"What the hell!" Riku yelled, glaring at his father. "Dad what the hell are you doing!"

"Giving the boy his final trial," Xemnas answered unemotionally.

"Father, Saix is going to kill the boy!" Terra argued. "Don't you think that this is excessive?"

"You will not question my motives, boys," Xemnas spat at them. "Saix. Continue."

Saix nodded and ran for Sora again. The boy was ready this time however, and jumped at the man when he was close enough, lowering his head and ramming it straight into Saix's chest. He then grabbed him and, using his full strength, lifted Saix into the air and dropping him, headfirst, onto the ground, Sora's body flexing into a graceful, beautiful arch as he did so.

Sora wasn't even given a second of relief before Saix, somehow, kicked him in the face. "Give up!" Saix growled. Sora fell to the floor, his head ringing faintly as his cheek and jaw ached. He groaned as he tried to get on all fours, only for Saix's foot to slam into his back.

"No!" Sora coughed. He looked down to see a small pool of blood forming underneath him, more blood adding with each cough. Saix continued to stomp on Sora's back, ignoring Riku's and Terra's constant protests as Xemnas held them both back with supernatural strength.

He only stopped when Xemnas told him to, but at that point Sora was laying on the ground, too weak to stand. Riku and Terra ran towards the boy and helped him to his feet. Sora looked half-awake when he turned his head towards Riku, a large bump over his eye, small cuts on his cheek, and his lower lip and chin stained with his own blood. His shirt was completely ruined, covered in blood and in tatters. "'ur family's insane," Sora slurred.

Xemnas walked towards Sora and lifted his face so his amber eyes met Sora's blue. "Will you stay with Riku, knowing the dangers? What my son have dealt to you is only a fraction of what you will suffer through."

Sora stared at Xemnas. His mouth close, his eyes turned into a glare as he spat at Xemnas his blood and spit landing on Xemnas's face. "Riku's my boyfriend," he slurred. "Your son's fucking insane but I don't care. I love Riku."

He expected Xemnas to look angry, to slap him in the face. Instead the man gave a small, creepy smile. "Very well," he said. "Riku… Sora… I will expect that you two will be married after your school year."

"Married?" Sora slurred.

"Yes. Welcome to the family, Sora," Xemnas said.

"Come on… we'll take you to my room to rest," Riku said. He and Terra threw a glare at Xemnas as they moved to support Sora. Sora just nodded and let Riku and Terra carry him out of the room, through the corridor, and up the stairs to the manor. "Riku… he's not serious, is he?" he asked once they were in the manor.

"Yeah… he is," Riku said. "I'm sorry Sora, I wish I could have done this in a more romantic manner but… looks like we're going to be married." His eyes were downcast, looking at Sora's bleeding stomach, he looked up at Terra, silently asking for help.

"Heh…" Sora breathed out a laugh. He smiled at Riku and said, "If I am going to be married… I'm happy it's with you, Riku."

And then he blacked out.