Author's Notes:

I know, I know. You want Sora and Riku to make out already. But it's not time yet! I'm still building up to the angst. And I'm shooting for plot, y'know, and right now, a full-blown make out scene is not part of the current plot, nor would it fit. Yet. Anywho....

10,563 words. This chapter deals with plot. Plot plot plot. No action, no adventure, not much angst. It's plot. And some inserted fluff (because it stood up and demanded attention). Prepare yourself for an extremely long chapter that contains, well, characterization, basically. And plot. It's kind of boring, but it leaves you going "Ooooohh... So that's what she was planning." Ah yes.... There's lots of other shounen-ai pairing hints now too.

Thanks to Lane, as always, for her support (aka stupor killing or "If you don't write, I'll stop drawing yaoi for you!" or "This scene sucks, add in more Yami"), and this time, thanks to Fumi for her e-mail inspiration. ^^ Both of you guys helped me a lot. Along with those Riku and Sora action figures. ^^;; hee. And of course, thanks to those who have reviewed (and I express my deepest gratitude to those who keep reviewing).

^^ Truthfully, I had no idea what to do for this chapter, so, basically, it was written on a whim. Several of them. Halfway through it I decided to go back and add in some scenes, which is why it's taken so long (that, and that I kept deleting it on accident... no really, I'm an idiot). I was going to update on Feb 11, but since that Friday was Valentine's, I decided to just wait and add in a few extra scenes with Sora and Riku to reward readers. And then I fell into another stupor that lasted a few days. -.- Sorry. I promise the next update will be faster. But look! I made it EXTRA long for you!

A look ahead:

Duck, duck, goo-- er... dog? Aerith and Yuffie conspire against boys. And drinking soda can be dangerous.

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Chapter Eleven: A Passing Judgement

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks since they had arrived in Traverse Town. The world then had been nearly overrun with the heartless, but now that Riku had sealed the keyhole in the second district, the town was stable again, and the refugees were beginning to move on with their lives.

But the world was already getting boring for the silver-haired boy.

Riku sighed as he rolled over onto his side, causing the old, tattered bed he laying on to creak noisily in the dry, dusty air. It was nearly impossible to make sense of the past few weeks, but it didn't stop him from trying whenever he found time alone to think. To him it seemed like time didn't matter any more, as if it was flowing through his fingers like loose sand in an hourglass. Two weeks had passed like two days, even with all that he had accomplished.

Though he had sealed the world, a few strong heartless appeared now and then to torment pedestrians and try to steal his heart. He had Leon to thank for helping him, although Sora most of the time insisted on helping--he never had liked being left out of the things Riku did.

Both of them were somewhat pleased to see more people like them settling into the small town--people whose worlds had been swallowed by the strengthening darkness. They were now a part of those survivors, having seen no sign of Destiny Islands since they had left it, so they and Yami had fixed up a vacant building in the Third District and claimed it as their home. They helped others, of course, establish new homes, but Riku's main job was heartless hunting. He was always busy, day and night, and barely had time to spend with his Sora.
Sora.

Recently the boy had begun to drift away from him.

And there was still no sign of Kairi. Since that day nearly three weeks ago, the last time Riku had seen Destiny Islands, he had been sifting through his memories of her, wondering if she had been someone completely different from who he had known. Judging by the encounter that night, when that strange Outsider had approached him and Kairi in the secret place, there was more to Kairi than what she was letting them know.

Agh! All this thinking was getting him no where. He was considering taking a nap to forget his troubles, but there came a sudden tugging at his collar, pulling him away from the issues swimming around in his mind. His eyes slid open to find red scales and a disproving frown.

"Hey Riku! Wake up! I've met some freaks who can probably help us save the worlds!"

It was Mushu (who had settled quite comfortably into the new world), but Riku really didn't want to deal with the dragon, his crazy antics, or saving worlds right now. So he closed his eyes again, hoping the dragon would take the hint and leave him alone to catch up on much-needed sleep.

Mushu, true to his nature, lost his patience rather quickly. Taking a large breath, he blew right into Riku's ear.

As sparks threatened to singe his hair and mar the skin of his ear, Riku flailed out with a surprised cry and rolled off the bed, hitting the cold floor with an ungraceful *thunk* that reverberate throughout the empty room of his new home.

"What the hell was that for?!" he demanded, covering his ear as he shot up from the floor and gave the dragon a nasty glare.

"It's because you never listen! You need to come down to the accessory shop now so you can meet the newcomers! They're total freaks! And I thought I looked weird. Hah. And besides, Sora and Yami are already there," he hissed, emphasizing the last sentence with great purpose.

Rubbing his poor ear, Riku scowled at the reminder of the last problem he wanted to worry about.

Yami.

His eyes narrowed as he thought about the creepy yellow-eyed boy, who had seemed to have taken an immediate liking to Riku ever since they had arrived at Traverse Town. And it seemed like Sora, lately, was putting his trust in Yami more than he was with Riku.

And as for Riku...

He didn't trust Yami at all.

It could have been jealousy, that Yami was with Sora more than Riku was because Riku was always too busy hunting or sleeping. It could have been Yami's eerie eyes, or the way the boy spoke so formally yet managed to always twist his words into a tease specifically crafted to irk Riku.

Yami also never spoke about himself (one of the many reasons Riku didn't like the boy--he was too damn mysterious!). He never even shared their little home--he was never there and spent most of his days missing. At least, when he wasn't busy hanging around Sora or watching Riku train with his keyblade.

Mushu took careful notice of the scowl Riku was giving him before he continued. "Y'know... Yami has been teaching Sora magic to use with that new sword of his... Einlanzer. How much munny did that cost again?"

"A week's worth of heartless hunting," Riku grumbled, brushing his pants off before reaching over to the small table by his bed to snatch up his shirt.

He was all too aware of Sora's new fascination with magic and the things he was capable of if he could master the right spells. The boy was already running around, lighting candlesticks with Fire and constantly asking Riku if he was hurt so he could Cure him.

And then there was Einlanzer. Sora had fallen in love with the long magical blade as soon as he had seen it displayed in the Moogle synthesizing shop. It had cost Riku a fortune, but the munny had been worth it when he saw the captivated, animated grin on Sora's face when he had held the sword for the first time.

He would have gladly spent every last cent, and maybe a limb or two, just to see that look again.

"But it was worth it," Riku added, before Mushu could reprimand Riku for spoiling his boyfriend.

The truth was, Riku didn't even have time to spend with Sora. Not even to fulfill his promise to be submissive, even though the very thought of it made him shudder.

Him? On bottom...?

Riku actually had to thank Yami for keeping Sora busy so that the boy didn't have a chance to wander off and go adventuring or hurt himself. Or get depressed, since Riku was never around.

"Worth it, huh? Well... Anyway. I'm just warning ya. Find more time for Sora," Mushu said, jabbing a finger in Riku's direction to emphasize his point. "But after you meet the newcomers. Get down to the accessory shop!"

With that, the little red dragon scampered out the scampered out the open window and into the busy Second District streets.

Riku mentally sighed.

Newcomers?

He already had enough skilled fighters to help him keep the heartless under control. Yuffie and Leon were fine warriors. Even Aerith and Cid had skills to boast about, though they tended to like the sidelines more. Then there was Sora, of course, the bundle of energy that he was. And finally Yami. The amber-eyed kid knew magic--he hadn't shown many powerful spells, but Riku could sense that they were there.

As he slipped on his shirt, pulling his silver hair out and running his hands through it, he stalked towards the door, grabbing his gloves on the way out.

Anyway, whoever these newcomers were, he didn't need their help. Unless they offered a way out of here.

When Riku entered the spacious accessory shop, he realized what Mushu had meant by "freaks." The newcomers were, literally, a dog and a duck. Their size and gaudy attire only added to their bizarre nature, and, even though he knew it was a rude first judgement, he couldn't help thinking that these creatures were probably useless.

How could they help Riku?

Assorted around the accessory shop were some of the people Riku had gotten close to over the past two weeks, and they all turned to face Riku when the door jingled to a close behind him, announcing his arrival. In the far corner of the room sat Aerith, Yuffie standing next to her with Mushu perched on her shoulder, and Leon against the wall in his usual detached way. Sora was lounging on the counter in a boyish manner, and Cid sat next to him, picking at his mouth with a toothpick. Yami was opposite Sora, sitting quietly on the floor next to Leon, his body turned towards the newcomers even though his yellow eyes were fixed on Riku at the moment.

Riku caught the gaze before smiling over at Sora, who sat up and swung his legs over the counter, raising one hand in a small wave. Then the silver-haired boy looked to Leon, who was the unofficial leader of the small group of humans.

"Right. This is Riku, the keyblade master," the older man said, speaking deeply and slowly. He was the kind of man that could quiet a room with just one hushed word because he spoke so little, and unknowingly demanded so much attention.

The duck eyed Riku reprovingly, but the dog immediately hurried forward, grasped Riku's hand and spiritedly shook it, nearly pulling the boy off-balance. Riku firmly planted his feet in place and stooped forward as the dog tried to pull him close.

"Uh-huck! I'm Goofy! Pleased to meet you."

Riku managed a polite smile as he composed himself. "...Hi...?"

Goofy grinned widely before pushing the duck forward. "And this is Donald! Donald, say hello to the keyblade master!"

The duck stubbornly crossed his arm... er... wings. "I don't like him!"

"Whether you like me or not, I'm still the keyblade master," Riku said, his voice tight with slight irritation. "I heard that you might be able to help my quest."

"Your quest?!" Donald spat. "You don't know anything about it!"

"Then enlighten me. Leon and Aerith have already explained Ansem's disappearance," Riku said pleasantly, pushing his irritation and exhaustion aside and not letting the duck get to him. "He may be related to the spreading of the heartless and how the worlds are all connected now, and that, supposedly, we can figure out what happened if we gather all the pages of his report on the heartless."

"They came for a different reason," Aerith said, and Riku turned to look at her, curious. "The king who watches over all the worlds in this part of the universe has disappeared, leaving only a letter explaining his absence."

"The worlds are disappearing, so he got concerned, and left to find out why," Yuffie added. And after Riku gave her a how the hell do you know? look, she added, "Er... Donald and Goofy briefed us before you showed up."

Goofy nodded quickly. "King Mickey told Donald and me to find the keyblade master and look for Leon."

"They had trouble on the way though," Leon said quietly. "The worlds around here are disappearing at an alarming rate."

"As soon as we landed on a world, it would disappear!" Donald exclaimed, clearly upset. Understandably worried.

But something about what he said caught Riku's attention.

"Land?" he asked.

"In a gummi ship," Cid explained. "Traverse Town has its own port, but not many of the people in this town will risk their pretty little necks out there, those cowards... Not with the heartless controlling the roads between worlds."

Riku's brow furrowed in angry realization. There had been a way off the world and no one had told him? He could have been out there saving worlds instead of pointlessly protecting the streets of Traverse Town!

"Why hasn't anyone mentioned this to me before?!" he demanded. "Those worlds out there are dying while I'm rotting away in this town!"

"We didn't say anything because the mayor shut the port down when the heartless invaded our town," Aerith said softly. "Many of the ships were damaged beyond repair... Now that people are moving on with their lives because you saved the world, they are considering reopening the port and seeking out other worlds in need. Cid has offered to repair some of the ships."

"Also, this is one of the few worlds that is aware that there are other worlds out there, and that they're being invaded, and that the heartless exist. That means that very few of the worlds out there know about gummi ships and how to use them," Yuffie said.

"And you would have been meddling!" the duck cried, jabbing a feathered finger at Riku. "King Mickey has managed to keep the worlds safe and separate from each other, but the heartless are ruining all of it!"

"Meddling?" Sora asked, speaking up for the first time.

"It's not good for the worlds to know about each other, so the king doesn't let many people travel," Goofy explained.

"But this is an emergency so we have permission from the king," Leon added quietly. "Any other questions?"

"Yeah," Sora said, curling his feet under him as he sat on the counter. Something about his tone caught everyone's attention. He continued with a fake smile, a hint of sadness showing through his mask. "Why did the keyblade choose Riku? Why don't the heartless care about me? And why hasn't anyone from our world made it here to Traverse Town?"

"I can answer that last question," Cid said hoarsely, chewing on his toothpick. "It's because their hearts were too weak to pass through the roads between worlds. They're either dead or have become heartless themselves."

Sora stared wide-eyed at the man, lowering his pale face as the truth settled in. "Oh... So my mom... and Kairi..."

"But I want to know about the keyblade. Why did it choose that kid?" Mushu asked from Yuffie's shoulder.

Donald shrugged. "The keyblades choose their master."

"It's said they choose those strong of heart," Goofy added, patting Riku on the shoulder.

"There's more than one keyblade?" Yuffie asked. "But Riku carries only one."

"So they say," Cid replied gruffly. "There's one we know of, but there could be more."

Donald nodded, the grumpy look on his face deepening. "Others exist or can be made."

"What about the heartless' tendency to ignore Sora?" Riku quickly cut in. "And why can he travel between worlds using the darkness?"

"I'm afraid that answer is a little more difficult to understand," Aerith said sadly.

From the corner of the room, Yami raised his head and spoke, "I think I know."

Riku turned to stare at the boy, his eyes immediately narrowing. "Do you?"

"It is merely a theory that has yet to be proven." The white-haired boy inclined his head slightly, his own eyes not moving from Riku's. "Something happened the day your world was destroyed. From what I have seen during the time I have known you two, you are quite close to each other, in more ways than one. Not just physically close in your relationship, but close mentally and ability-wise," the boy explained, his amber eyes momentarily shifting from Riku to Sora before returning to stare at the keyblade master. "Sometimes it seems you know what the other thinks, feel what the other feels... Like brothers. Twins."

Sora exchanged glances with Riku before speaking up. "We've always been that way, I think. But lately it's gotten stronger..."

"On our world, there's a legend that says if you share a certain fruit with the one you love, your bond will become unbreakable, and nothing will separate you. Sora and I shared the fruit," Riku explained. "Like Sora said, we were always really close as friends, but we became closer after we shared the fruit. And that very night, the heartless attacked."

Yami nodded again. "Continuing with what I was saying.... I have a theory. Maybe you and Sora were equals up until that night. Shared the same fate, same dreams, same love. But that night you had to make a choice, did you not?" He paused there, studying their confused faces. "That choice set your paths apart. Made you opposites."

"Opposites?" Sora asked.

"Opposites," Yami confirmed. "You will excel in magic and Riku will become an even greater swordsman. He wields the keyblade for the light, and no doubt the darkness is seeking out to dominate his power."

Yami said no more, but Riku caught the hidden meaning behind his words.

Dominate his power.

Yami was referring to Sora.

He could have merely said "seeking out to destroy him," but he purposely fabricated the sentence to relate it to Sora and Riku's relationship. Yami knew about their little bet, ever since Sora had let it slip a week or so ago, and knew that Sora had won the right to be the dominate one.

From what Yami was saying, because Riku held the keyblade, the darkness chose Sora.

And they were really enemies.

From the look on Sora's face, he had understood Yami's words as well. He looked over at Riku and shook his head, saying without words that they were never be torn apart by this stupid war... Their bond was too strong.

...right?

But Donald broke the silence before Riku could ease Sora's worry.

"Well, get ready. We're leaving soon," the duck huffed as he waddled past Riku, who took a step back towards the wall, out of his way.

We're leaving soon.

That implied only Riku and the king's messengers.

From what Riku had just heard, there was no way he could leave Sora behind. If Fate had intended to make them enemies, Riku would just have to defy that destiny. He took a deep breath and settled his thoughts before he spoke.

"I don't want you to come with me."

All eyes turned towards Riku.

"You don't have a choice!" the duck suddenly cried as he spun towards the silver-haired boy, his eyes narrowing in anger. "King Mickey sent us to find you!"

"Uhuck, we can fight too, y'know," the odd dog-human said, his ears flapping against the side of his head as he nodded vigorously.

"So what if you were sent by the king?" Riku sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned against the wall, arms crossing over his chest in defiance. "I don't want a dog and a duck to fight with me. I'll just borrow that ship of yours and seal the worlds myself. Anyone inexperienced will just slow me down."

"But you can't do it alone!" Yuffie pitched in, taking a step towards him.

Leon stopped her with an icy glance before turning to Riku and asking, "Then who are you taking with you?"

"I checked the ship myself. There ain't more than three seats in it, kid," Cid said, mindlessly scratching at his neck. "If you bring me more gummi, I'll try buildin' a larger, more kick ass ship, but until then, you're limited to just two blokes per trip."

"Well," Riku said, not bothering to open his eyes or raise his head, "the limited space on the ship is easily solved. Just take more than one ship."

"Then how many people are you planning on bringing with you?" Aerith asked quietly from her corner next to Sora.

"Well, where am I going first?" Riku asked as he pushed away from the wall and stepped further into the room.

"The worlds around here are already gone," the duck said, a bitter tone in his voice. "Because it took so long to find you."

"But there's a strange world nearby," the dog said, "where fighting the heartless has become some sort of game."

"A tournament?" Riku asked, finally looking up.

"That's what it sounds like," Leon said, exchanging looks with the boy. "Who are you taking with you?"

Riku studied the older man for a moment before responding. "Leon, Sora and I will take one ship, and participate at this tournament, if it really is one. The king's lackeys and Yami will take the other ship and follow us," Riku explained, narrowing his eyes at the white-haired boy sitting silently across the room.

Yami returned the cold gaze, his amber eyes hiding a smile.

Donald looked around the room before making an irritated sound. "Fine! Take your own ship!" he grumbled. "But tomorrow we're leaving with or without you!"

That said, he stormed out of the accessory shop, Goofy bumbling after him, waving and saying a kind good-bye. As soon as they were gone, Cid slid back behind the counter.

"I'm reopenin' the shop for the last time before I quit to work on gummi ships," he announced, winking at Riku. "You want a good ship, right?"

Riku nodded a thanks to him before crossing the room towards Sora, who was now talking animatedly with Yuffie and Aerith. But before he could reach his boyfriend, Leon pulled him to the side, the man's dark hair falling over one eye as he studied Riku.

Riku blinked up at him in surprise, feeling a little naked under those sharp blue-gray eyes.

"You're worried about what Yami said," Leon muttered, his voice barely audible so as to not let Sora or Yami overhear him.

The keyblade master managed a resigned nod.

Leon's grip on Riku's arm tightened. "Don't be. Your worry will only make it worse."

Riku nodded again, letting the man know he was listening, and was thankful for the advice.

The swordsman released his hold on Riku, but didn't step away or raise his voice. "I'll have Yuffie and the others take care of the town while we're away. And when you're busy with Sora--"

Riku's eyes widened, his cheeks flushing a little.

"--I'll keep an eye on Yami for you."

"Thanks," he murmured, grinning lightly up at the man.

Leon gave a solemn nod of acknowledgment before stepping aside to let the boy pass, but when he did, Yami raised his eyes and stared at Riku, his yellow eyes narrowed and knowing. Riku studied that look for a moment, wondering if Yami had actually overheard him and Leon, but hushed giggling drew him out of his thoughts. Both Aerith and Yuffie were staring his way, hiding smiles behind their hands while Sora was giving the girls a rather confused look before he followed their gaze and also looked over at Riku. The chocolate-haired boy frowned, his lower lip sticking out a little as he reached up to tugged on Yuffie's arm.

"So are we going?" he asked the ninja girl, who inclined her head to grin down on him.

"Of course!" she laughed, and Aerith nodded in agreement. "Just the three of us. And don't worry--we'll pay for everything."

Riku raised an eyebrow at that statement. Just what were those three planning any way? But before he could open his mouth and ask, Sora had bounced over and leapt onto him.

"They're taking me shopping, Ri~ku!" he cried happily, clinging tightly to the silver-haired boy like a sugar-rushed monkey.

Reaching over to ruffle Sora's hair, Riku asked, "Shopping? What for?"

"Clothes," Sora replied, his voice hinting at clandestine intentions.

"What's wrong with the ones you have now?"

Sora tilted his head to stare purposefully at Riku. "Back at home I had more than one outfit, y'know. The only way I can get my clothes cleaned now is when I take a bath, because any other time I'll be wearing them. It's stupid. So, as an early birthday present, Aerith and Yuffie are taking me shopping."

Birthday.

That's right. Sora was turning fifteen in a few weeks. He and Riku would be the same age for about four months, and then Riku would turn sixteen.

"Well, I hope you have fun. And don't spend all of their munny," Riku said as he leaned in to give Sora a chaste kiss.

The boy widely grinned in response, bright blue eyes cutely closing, and Riku swore that if Sora had a tail, he would have been wagging it in glee. "Don't worry! I'll get something for you too!" was the boy's response before he released Riku and bounced back over to the two brunette women.

"You two are so adorable together..." Aerith commented quietly, gently smiling down at Sora.

"Adorable? It's hot! Hot hot hot," Yuffie laughed, winking as she grabbed Sora's arm and began dragging him out of the shop, leaving a rather surprised Riku behind staring after them.

Aerith followed closely behind, stifling a small giggle behind pale fingers as she darted past Riku as well.

The silver-haired boy watched them disappear before he turned to Leon, sighing. "I don't understand women."

The older man managed a short smile before he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his cloudy blue eyes. "Be careful around those two. Yuffie was too young to know what she was doing back then, but they tried to get me to go out on a date with one of my male friends."

Riku raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh. I didn't know you..."

"I don't," Leon cut in sharply. "Relationships aren't my thing. Men or women."

"So then why did they try to hook you up with your.. Er.... male friend?"

"Girlish fantasies. I don't really know," he sighed, waving a gloved hand through the air. "After our world was destroyed, and our leader Ansem vanished, the two of them stopped their little antics. I guess they couldn't continue since my intended partner had disappeared too. You and Sora seem to have restored their interests though, which is why I thought I would warn you."

"Aa, I remember that time."

Both Leon and Riku turned towards Cid, who had spoken up so suddenly. The blonde man was scratching at the stubble on his chin, one eye narrowed as he intently studied Leon. Leon narrowed his eyes as if to ask, "Which time?"

Cid gave a crooked grin. "His name was Cloud, right? Pesky little brat. Blonde hair, liked to hang out with you. The women were always sayin' he was goin' to grow up to be a looker. Can't say much about him now--probably wanderin' aimlessly somewhere."

"He was your best friend?" Riku asked.

"More like a leech. Always wanted to do what the older kids were doing," Leon responded with a sigh.

"He thought of you and Sephiroth as older brothers or something," Cid laughed gruffly. "Worshiped the ground you walked on. 'Course, he was just a kid then. Didn't know better."

"We pulled the most awful pranks on him," Leon said, a bitter smile on his face. "He never cried, and always came back, asking us if there was anything he could do."

Riku suddenly laughed, causing Leon's eyes to flutter open to stare at him curiously. Rubbing at his forehead in an attempt to assuage his exhaustion for a bit longer, Riku said, "That sounds like Wakka and me always teasing Sora, who would gang up with Tidus and the girls to try to beat me up. Sora can't stand losing."

Cid grinned over at Leon. "See Squall? And Sora and Riku are together now. Makes me wonder how you would have ended up if that whole heartless thing never had happened."

Leon pushed away from the wall, glowering at the older man. "My name is Leon now. And Cloud was nothing more than an annoyance to me."

"Aw, c'mon," Cid laughed, "the kid must have meant more to you than that. You said earlier he was your friend. And though it disturbs me to admit it, Sora and Riku really go together."

"We are not going to discuss my sexuality, Cid," Leon growled as he headed towards the door, his eyes sliding shut to indicate the conversation was over. Finished. And was not going to be picked up again any time soon.

And from the corner of the room, Yami remained sitting there, his yellow eyes curiously watching Riku.

"And what about you, Yami?"

Cid's brass voice cut through the air, causing Leon to freeze on his way to the door. He wanted to hear this conversation. Rarely did anyone address Yami so directly, and no one really knew why either. Then again, even if they wanted to, the boy was hard to find, spending most of his days missing--something Riku constantly found himself speculating about. Today Yami just happened to still be there for Cid to pick on. And so Leon turned his back and pressed against the wall in a casual lean, his interests sparked.

The white-haired boy lifted his chin to meet Cid's questioning gaze, managing a short smile. As usual, he spoke elegantly, his voice soft and deep for his age.

"Usually I found myself too lost in my own thoughts to ever consider inviting romance into my life," he said quietly. But then he paused, gesturing with one hand. "No, no. Forgive me. Romance is rather a significant part of my life, however ordinary minds would probably misunderstand just how."

"So enlighten us as to what goes on in that brain of yours," Cid said, pulling the toothpick out of his mouth. He took a moment to brush it against his dirty shirt before slipping it back between his teeth. "You never say much, so here's your chance."

"As of late, the heartless have entertained my thoughts," Yami admitted immediately. "I believe the heartless, hinted from their name, take hearts. They are born from those who have lost their hearts, and thrive on the hearts seized from others. Then those hearts taken by the heartless become Heartless themselves and their victims vanish without a trace, leaving only the memories they shared with those they had known. Like the stars in the night sky, they simply wink out. Become part of the darkness."

"The darkness...?" Riku murmured, and Yami slowly turned his head to gaze at him.

"Hearts are said to have been born from darkness," the white-haired boy said softly. "Perhaps the heartless are merely returning them to their original states."

Cid suddenly shuddered. "Those stupid creatures can do that?"

"Though they obviously lack emotions," Yami continued, brushing distractedly at his bangs a little, "they do seem to have some intelligence."

"They do," Riku agreed. "They speak to each other sometimes... about their mission, though they never say what it is. And sometimes they argue over things so they won't anger their master."

"Their master?" Leon asked, speaking up finally. "Like the keyblade that fights for the light, the heartless fight for the darkness?"

"The keyblade does not necessarily fight for the light," Riku said, his brow furrowing. "There's no proof. I think it's neutral, and just does what its master wants. If the master fights for the light, then so does the keyblade."

"Then let me rephrase that," Leon sighed, waving a hand. "Like the Keyblade Master who fights for the light, there is a 'master' who works for the darkness?"

Yami said nothing, his yellow eyes staring intently at Riku.

"But, hey, what about what Yami said earlier?" Cid asked, worry crossing his face. "Riku and Sora are 'opposites' or whatever, right? So if Riku's the Keyblade Master, then Sora works for the darkness? He controls the heartless?"

There was a long silence, and then...

"Shit. But Sora doesn't know, does he?"

"If the theory is true, it doesn't necessarily mean Sora has to fight for the darkness," Leon said darkly, staring directly at Cid to assuage the man's concerns. "The boy hasn't shown any signs of leading the heartless on, has he?"

"He's scared of the dark," Riku added. "And besides, Sora wouldn't put me in that kind of danger."

"How can you be so sure?" Yami asked.

Riku turned his green eyes towards him, meeting the amber eyes with a cold glare. "Because he loves me!"

Yami simply smiled. "Perhaps the love you share will not be enough."

~~~

Elsewhere in Traverse Town, Yuffie was browsing through racks of dark clothes and handing random items to Aerith, who held them up to Sora, who was standing there, being bombarded with comments about his looks and how "this cut is too girly for him" or "this shirt is too tight--he has to grow into it, Yuffie."

When the two girls had pulled him into a looming Second District building with oddly-dressed mannequins in the display window (skimpy shorts, revealing shirts, dark colors), Sora should have known this had been coming.

He tried his best to argue with the girls--they seemed fond of shirts that would show off his still-pudgy belly, and Sora knew he would never see the end of Riku's teasing if he ever wore something like that in public.

"Sora's right," Aerith had said sometime earlier. "He's only going to be fifteen and still has some of his baby fat."

But something had flickered in Yuffie's eyes then. "Then we need to get him something a few sizes bigger, so that when he really hits puberty, it'll cling to his newly-formed muscles." She paused there to savor the image in her mind, not noticing Sora's blue eyes go wide and his cheeks turn a nice cherry red. Nodding with a new purpose in mind, Yuffie grinned, "I'm sure Riku will love that."

"Okay..." Aerith agreed slowly, "but what is he going to wear now?"

And so the search for Sora's new outfits had ensued whilst Sora was also browsing, but not for himself--he had said he was going to bring Riku something back, after all. Sora constantly felt helpless as the two girls rounded on him and tilted their heads, studying him like an open book. He could only imagine what was going through their heads, for neither of them spoke, only making contemplative faces, Yuffie twisting her mouth one way as she stared at him, and Aerith biting thoughtfully at her lip.

"But Sora's so young..." Yuffie sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "I feel kind of bad."

"You didn't have second thoughts when helping me outfit Cloud when he was twelve."

"I was six at the time," Yuffie reminded her. "I thought it was a game."

"Well, Cloud certainly liked it. He thought we were saints because we were trying to help him get closer to Squall."

"Who was about Sora's age at the time," Yuffie realized, suddenly smiling again.

"Squall?" Sora asked innocently, finally speaking up, having been too lost in the clothes racks to follow much of the conversation. But the names Cloud and Squall had sparked his interest, for he could have sworn he had heard them somewhere before.

Yuffie and Aerith turned back towards Sora.

"Oh," Yuffie said, realizing they had left Sora completely out of the loop. She smiled in apology. "Sorry. Squall is Leon's old name, before our world was destroyed..."

"Oh..."

"Cloud, who was one of Squall's friends, had a childhood infatuation with him," Aerith explained.

"She tried to play matchmaker," Yuffie added, "but it didn't work out."

"Did Leon like him too?" Sora asked innocently. Frankly, he was surprised to hear this about the sullen stormy-eyed man he had begun to trust over the past two weeks. And for a moment he wondered if Riku knew about this piece of Leon's past.

Aerith sadly shook her head, her soft brown hair shifting with the movement. "Squall never showed any signs of returning interest in Cloud."

Sora blinked, confused. "Then why aren't either of you with him? You both seem to know him so well."

"He's too old for me," Yuffie laughed, "and I know Aerith has tried--I mean, who wouldn't? Half the women he's met have tried. Squall is just... not interested."

"Oh."

Silence filled the air as Yuffie and Aerith exchanged glances before they returned to inspecting Sora.

"I think Sora should stick with red or try black," Yuffie said, raising an eyebrow. "Red goes with his hair. Black will make him look more mature."

"Sometimes black can make a person seem younger, though," Aerith pointed out quietly.

"But what about my belly?" Sora asked, slightly worried as they went back to digging through the exposing shirts. "I don't want to be teased...."

"If Riku teases you about something, he probably loves it about you," the haughty ninja grinned. She suddenly paused and whipped out an article of clothing from the rack, a triumphant look on her face. "Ah-ha! How about this?!" she asked, holding it up for Aerith to see.

The flower girl bit her lip as she studied it. "I thought were shooting for sexy, not cute?"

"We'll buy him more than one outfit then, and he can choose which one to wear on his date."

Sora snapped to attention, the word "date" ringing in his ears. "D-Date? Riku and I are going on a date?" Why hadn't they told him about this before? And he was going to have to wear one of his new outfits in public...?

"Yup," Yuffie said nonchalantly as she held up a net-like shirt in front of Sora. "As soon as you ask him."

Eyeing the article of clothing skeptically, Sora failed to see one of the attendants of the store approach the three of them. The woman kindly smiled at them. "May I help you?" she asked, her voice tinny and accented.

Aerith immediately turned to the woman. "Yes. Do you have anything cute, yet sexy, preferably in the colors black or red, that would fit this boy? He is trying to impress his boyfriend on their date out tonight."

Sora stooped his head, feeling the blush cover his cheeks as this new woman raised her eyebrows and curiously inspected him. He could practically hear the wheels in her head turning as she snapped into Dress-up mode.

This was going to be a long day.

"Well, this shirt would go nicely, though since it gets a bit chilly at night here, a jacket wouldn't hurt..."

~~~

"I think they're finally giving up," Riku sighed as he swung the keyblade around to rest on his shoulder, glancing up at Leon. "The past few days have been rather uneventful."

He knew the older man wasn't much of the small-talk type (then again, Riku wasn't either), but the boy was trying to keep his mind off other things, namely Sora--Sora's trip shopping, Sora's new outfits if indeed he got any, his and Sora's relationship, Sora's need for dominance.... The list went on. Thankfully for Riku, Leon was also trying to keep his mind off certain things (things Riku was beginning to guess at), and didn't find the inane chatter an annoyance.

"The heartless don't give up that easily," Leon commented solemnly.

The two of them were lounging on the wall in front of the small house, their legs slung lazily over, feet kicking back and forth against the hard brick. So far, that day, there hadn't been any encounters, and they were beyond bored, just sitting there and finding comfort in each other's silent presence. Occasionally someone they knew, like one of the survivors Riku had helped settle in to a new home, would pass by and make a few random comments to try to strike up intelligent conversation with the two warriors--boring announcements about newcomers to Traverse Town, how he/she had heard about Riku defeating the heartless in a small skirmish the other day and how he had fought so "valiantly," or how the weather was probably going to take a drastic change for the worse. Boring things like that.

A few laconic responses from Riku or Leon would send the townspeople on their way, leaving them alone in sweet silence again. Unsettling silence, yes, but sweet nonetheless.

Riku would have much preferred Sora, for the boy always found something to talk about, or came up with the strangest ideas to act out. But Leon was fine--better than Aerith and Yuffie (Riku shuddered when he thought about the torture they were probably pulling Sora through), and certainly better than Yami.

Yami. Even the name painted those yellow eyes in Riku's head and made him scowl.

"We got him an entire new wardrobe!"

Leon's head suddenly snapped up and he nearly fell off the wall as Yuffie's voice rang in his ears and two hands clamped down onto his shoulders, roughly jerking him out of his thoughts and nearly causing him to have a heart attack. Riku, however, kept his calm quite well, turning around to grin over at the ninja and the flower girl, who was standing behind them.

"Should you be spending your munny on potions and armor and such?" Leon asked, irritation seeping into his normally stoic voice.

"Got plenty of defense, and I'm sure Riku will take plenty care of him so that they won't need too many potions," Yuffie casually replied, waving one hand in emphasis. "Right Riku?"

"We're going to be traveling a lot though," Leon put in. "He won't have time to flaunt those new outfits of his."

"That doesn't mean he can't wear them in the future when he's not so busy," Aerith said gently. "He's only fourteen, Leon."

"What about his red jumper?" Riku asked. "You didn't throw it out did you?"

"What?" Yuffie asked, letting go of Leon finally, her head tilting slightly in question.

"The outfit he always wears. It.... has special meaning. It's the only thing he has from home."

"Oh, that. It's already tucked into his dresser," Yuffie grinned. "Cleaned and patched up for use when you guys leave tomorrow. He said that since all his new clothes were so nice, he designated his old outfit as his battle attire."

"And where is Sora now?" Riku asked, leaning to one side to try to see behind Aerith, wondering if the boy was hiding behind her. But he wasn't.

Mushu suddenly popped out of Aerith's ponytail to speak. "Accessory shop."

Riku blinked, realizing he hadn't seen the dragon since that morning in Cid's shop. "Oh, hey Mushu. Where have you been all day?"

"That cooky old wizard Merlin wanted me to tell him about my world," the dragon replied. "Seemed really interested in my guardian status. The crazy bastard kept me there for hours. I'm just about to go back though... Just thought I'd drop by."

"And come ooooon, Riku...!" Yuffie whined, stooping over the boy still sitting on the wall. "You know you want to see Sora!!"

Of course he did! Riku slipped off the wall and straightened his back, letting the keyblade disappear from his grasp.

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed dramatically, letting the enthusiastic ninja pull him to the shop where Sora was waiting.

Wait. Yami would be there, wouldn't he? He would have gotten to see Sora's new outfit first!

Riku suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy melding with his headache and he felt his hopeful spirit drop a few notches. Great. And sure enough, when Riku got there and entered his shop, Yami's eyes were already staring at him, an amused look on the boy's tanned face. But before Riku could glare back a small body collided with his and he fell backwards into Leon, who pushed him back into a standing position as Sora clung to him, a wide grin plastered onto the boy's face.

Riku should have known Sora would have taken the glomping approach. The boy had always been the clingy type when he got excited. But wait...

Brown hair in the same style as always. Cheeks with an adorable red tinge. Blue eyes bright with hope and anticipation.

This was normal Sora, though he still managed to bring a greedy grin to the silver-haired boy's lips.

"Riku, guesswhatguesswhatguesswhat!!" the boy cried, letting go of his boyfriend and leaping back.

"What what what?" Riku asked, but as soon as he did, he saw just what.

Now that Sora had backed up, Riku had a clear look at the boy's clothes, and the reaction was immediate. Green eyes widening, Riku felt one of his hands clamp to his forehead in surprise (or maybe to hold back his bangs so he could get a better look), knowing full well and not caring that a hint of red was creeping onto his face. As Riku's eyes slowly crawled southward, he felt his heart ram straight into his throat and his mind wither down to mere hormones.

Sora, plainly put, looked great.

He.. He was becoming a lecher. From now on, no matter what Sora did, it was going to drive Riku mad with lust. He just knew it. But then again, that was probably what Sora had been aiming for in the first place, the devious devil.

Black choker with crown attached. Red fishnet shirt. Black fingerless gloves. Black boots covered in red buckles. Black belt hanging off one hip, old crowned chain attached. Extremely short black shorts rolled at the end.

Well, they weren't actually that short, they were nice and showed off his legs very well--and what niiiiiice legs they were now that they weren't hidden beneath those large balloon-like shorts, though those Riku loved as well, it was just this outfit make Riku look at him in a new perspective. Not to mention the revealing net shirt--no, revealing was an understatement--the thing barely covered any skin and didn't even cover Sora's belly! Wait. Belly. What had happened to that beloved pudge Riku had grown so attached to? When had Sora lost it...? Not that Riku minded Sora's belly now--it was still rather cute and--

"C'mon, Ri~ku. I'm hungry!" he announced, pulling his still-ogling boyfriend's arm in an attempt to pull him out of the store.

Not really in the state of mind or mood to argue or resist Sora's wishes, Riku was soon struggling to keep his balance as Sora led him to the door, Aerith and Yuffie still giggling like gossip-spreading school girls, and Yami staring at them from the corner with his amber-colored eyes. As soon as the door had jingled close behind them, Riku batted Sora's hand away.

Sora released his grip on the other boy's arm, his smile faltering slightly. "What's wrong?"

"You don't have to drag me, y'know," Riku said, already feeling a headache twinging at the sides of his skull from thinking too much while suffering from lack of sleep. Or it could have been the rush of hormones. "I'm well capable of walking on my own. If you really want to go out to eat with me so badly, you only have to ask..."

Bright blue eyes softened sadly. "I know..." was Sora's slow response. "I just wanted people to know we were going together. Since we never go anywhere, or do anything, just as the two of us..."

Of course Riku already knew this, and already felt bad enough about it without Sora reminding him. But it wasn't Sora's fault, and the boy didn't deserve any more alienation, especially from Riku.

Green eyes lowering, Riku inwardly sighed.

He would just have to ignore his headache, mentally crumple his grumpy mood up and stuff it into the recesses of his mind, pushing aside exhaustion.

Sora, who had seen the look on Riku's face, had begun to get that watery pleading "pity me, I'm cute" look in his own eyes.

Taking Sora's hand in his, glove rubbing against glove, Riku smiled. "Holding hands is generally faster than being dragged," he explained casually as Sora's face began to light up with excitement.

Finally, after two weeks of waiting for Riku, Sora was going to have a day out with his boyfriend.

In his new outfit.

~~~

Even through the haze of the sleep-deprivation in his mind, he couldn't help staring at Sora as the boy approached the table, a tall glass cupped in his fingerless gloved hands. But this time he wasn't ogling the boy's figure--it was the drink in his hands that make Riku look twice.

"Sora? Um... What's that?" Riku asked, poking at the glass containing fizzy sky-colored water, wondering if it was poisonous. Judging by the tiny bubbles furiously swirling around and the metallic odor it gave off, it wasn't safe.

Sora set the glass down on the table and slid into the same booth as Riku, shifting a bit to settle in comfortably next to his boyfriend before he answered. "It's called a soda. Cid, supposedly, drinks these all the time. They won't hurt you or anything. He just says they give you a 'buzz'.... Whatever that means."

Riku looked at the glass, raising an eyebrow. "So who's going to try it first?" he asked, rather doubtful.

As Sora tilted his head and stared at the glass, a wide smile broke over his lips, and he turned towards his boyfriend.

Taking Sora's expression to mean 'You go first, I dare you, and you owe me big time,' Riku smirked, accepting the challenge. "All right. Being the elder, more courageous of the two of us, I'll go first," he announced, his voice ringing with superfluous audacity.

Sora caught the fake tone and grinned back in response, nudging the glass towards him. "Anything Cid likes is bound to be dangerous," he pointed out, watching as Riku slowly took the glass in both hands and cautiously peered over the rim.

"Yeah..." was Riku's reply, the sound of glass sliding over wood muffling his voice as he dragged the glass to the edge of the table before lifting it to his lips.

There was a pause...

And, wanting to get it over with quickly, Riku tilted the glass and took a long drink from the 'soda.'

As his mouth exploded with thousands of those tiny bubbles, Riku slammed the glass back onto the table, sputtering as he struggled to swallow. He squeezed his eyes shut as they threatened to water, and he coughed as the strange drink burned its way down his throat. It tasted bittersweet, a bit like honeyed metal, but it was no thicker than water... so why was it so hard to swallow?

Sora suddenly pressed his mouth to his boyfriend's pursed lips, and Riku's eyes flew open in surprise. Pulling away, Sora paused to lick his lips, tasting the flavor of the soda, and then leaned back in to trail his tongue down Riku's chin where some of the drink had dribbled. Riku flushed miserably, breath hitching in his throat as the short-shorted Sora climbed into his lap, now nibbling on Riku's lower lip.

Riku slid his hands to Sora's shoulders, breathing, "Sora...You're going to get us kicked out."

"And you're not doing much to stop me," Sora replied, a sly smirk on his boyish face.

And for a brief moment, Riku saw someone completely different from the Sora he had grown up with. Not the deep, adventurously daring Sora, but a dominant devil indulging itself in Riku, trying to delve into him, burrowing itself a dark hole in the Keyblade Master's heart.

"You haven't said anything about my new outfit. Do you... like it?" Sora asked slowly, arms winding around Riku's waist, hands slipping under shirt and skimming over bare skin.

Riku managed an edgy nod, trying hard to forget the ache between his legs and dirty thoughts that Sora's touches were invoking. Of all places... in the middle of a restaurant! Riku wasn't sure if he wanted to kill Sora or rape him. The latter was getting increasingly more tempting with each fleeting second.

Sora nuzzled his way into Riku's neck, whispering gentle kisses here and there. "You do...?" he asked softly, grinning against Riku's throat. His hands began to slip under the waist of Riku's pants, cold palms sliding over warm hips, causing Riku to visibly squirm. "How much?"

"S-Sora! Stop!"

Unfortunately for Sora, one of the clean-up crewmen had passed by the table then and, with one glance at the couple, his eyes widened to the size of saucers, mouth dropping open to gape. A minute later Sora and Riku were in the street, Sora feeling a little unsatisfied and was mumbling about close-minded people whilst Riku was walking oddly, still hot and bothered from Sora's thorough flirting. Their only punishment, other than being thrown out, had been a strict warning that if the two of them ever returned to the restaurant and tried "that" again, they'd never be able to come back.

Obviously the waiter had never had the object of his lust and love sit in his lap and try to seduce him.

Sora, a bit ashamed, promised he'd behave in the next restaurant, and thus they trudged away, soda-less, Riku's arm draped around Sora's waist, and the boy's head resting on Riku's shoulder.

It had been a long day for both of them, but the night still belonged to them.

~~~

"Yami's been teaching me magic," Sora said, smiling lightly as he played with his new fingerless gloves, making them dance across the table towards his old pair. Small-talking.

That's what he was doing. Even though they had talked all evening, Sora still had something to say. It was still early in the night (well, early by Riku's standards--he was used to staying up until dawn, scanning the streets for heartless), but the two of them had already retired to their small home. Sora had changed out of his new outfit and pulled on his red jumper and jacket, expecting to go out again later. After Riku had inquired the change of clothes, Sora had merely smiled and said that it "felt odd" when people in the street had stared at him--he felt much safer in his jumper.

After a rather peaceful dinner, they'd wandered around Traverse Town, browsing for entertainment. In the first district they had window shopped (Sora had eerily adopted an eye for bargains from Yuffie and Aerith in only one day) and stopped in the second district to go through their purchases (Sora had tried to seduce him there, on the bench, but an old couple had walked by and scared Sora into stopping).

The third district had produced a rather comedic re-enactment of Riku saving the world and sealing the keyhole (costumes had been petty, acting was bland, and the props were obviously last-minute additions). Riku had felt rather flattered that people were taking his deeds so strongly to their hearts, but Sora had been a little disappointed that he had never been mentioned.

In fact, while people recognized Riku everywhere, Sora, to them, seemed to just... be there. He was just another person in the crowd, not his boyfriend. Even Leon had gotten some credit in Riku's deeds.

And here Sora was, trying to keep Riku interested by striking up small-talk. About Yami of all people.

"So I've heard," Riku replied as he lazily tossed his shoes across the room.

They bounced off the wall and rolled to a stop at Sora's feet, who cast a quick glance at them before raising an eyebrow at Riku. "It's still really early... Going to bed already?" he asked, his blue eyes a little hopeful.

After all, this was the first day they had had alone together in a long while. And, even though the day had been exhausting, Sora wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste.

Riku recognized the tone in Sora's voice and managed a small grin. "Yes, I am," he replied, pulling off his gloves and tossing them over to Sora, who caught them in time to see Riku sliding his shirt over his head and throwing that to the ground as well. "You can join me as long as he promise not to molest me. I need sleep."

Sora, whose gaze was now fixated on Riku and admiring how his silver hair fell so nicely against his pale skin, responded with, "What about our other promise though? It's been a long time since I won the bet."

He hesitated there, his blue eyes roaming over Riku's shoulders and down his finely-shaped chest and smooth stomach. Pink tongue darting out to wet hungry lips, Sora observed that Riku was, unfortunately, keeping his pants on, their waist hugging his hips as he stooped slightly over to fold back the covers of the small bed.

Sora gathered his courage and set the gloves down, his voice sounding a bit smaller. "I get to be on top, right? The number is three now."

At this Riku froze, one hand grasping the covers, one knee already on the bed. Slowly he turned to glance at Sora, his silver hair sliding over his bare shoulders to dangle past his chin. "Three...?" he asked quietly, sounding unsure.

Sora nodded as Riku resumed climbing into bed, and, taking this as a hint, the boy grinned, reaching down to pull off his socks. "Yeah, three. I saved you when the forest was dying back in the princess' world. At the time I was the only one who could get us out of there, or we would have disappeared with the world, y'know. I saved you."

Riku tensed, realizing that Sora was right yet again. That did make it three times.

"Oh... Three it is, then."

Sora tossed the socks across the room and bounded over to the small bed, grinning widely and already climbing in when Riku moved to stop him, putting both hands up, one still clutching a blanket.

"H-hey! You're not getting in here with your jumpsuit thing on!" he cried, and Sora paused, blinking innocently at him.

"But I get cold."

At least he wasn't trying to sleep with Riku wearing one of his new outfits. Riku didn't think he'd be able to sleep with tight black leather rubbing up against him all night.

"Didn't the girls buy you something warm to sleep in? You're always cold nowadays," Riku sighed, managing a warm smile at the brown-haired boy. "Anyway, I don't mind. You can steal some of my body heat."

Sora pursed his lips, taking in Riku's suggestion.

Snuggling all night with his boyfriend? Alone? No interruptions?

How could he resist?

Sora grinned, already discarding his jacket, and then began trying to pull off his jumper as he quickly unzipped it, but did one a little too fast and the other too slow, and ended up stumbling over the clothes as he clumsily tried to climb into the bed where Riku watched him, holding back an amused chuckle. When he finally freed himself, he was wearing less clothes than Riku, his tanned skin glowing softly in the moonlight dancing through the window as he leaned over and smiled down at his boyfriend, his crown necklace danging just a few inches in front of Riku's tired face.

"I think that undressing was a record time," Riku commented timidly, wrapping a hand over one of Sora's wrists and scooting over to let the boy slip into bed next to him. He tugged Sora towards him, and the boy hesitated not even a moment before climbing under the covers and curling up against Riku. Riku kissed his forehead as they settled back into the pillows, wrapping his arms around the boy's small waist and pulling him close.

"Feels nice..." Sora murmured, nuzzling his face into Riku's neck and clinging closely to the warm skin of the older boy's chest. "Why haven't we done this before?"

"Life intervenes," Riku replied lazily, gently running a finger up Sora's bare spine before moving it back down to trace under the waistband of the boy's undershorts. Sora squirmed a bit at that, but said nothing, pressing his hips against Riku's and twining their legs together.

"You are my life..." Sora sighed, his eyes sliding close to welcome sleep. "But I get to be on top."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to those of you who went out of your way to brainstorm up your own theories on what's going to happen in Stygian Solace. Some of you have gotten close, so I figure I'm putting enough foreshadowing and symbolism in there. Am I doing a good job?

I hope none of you get angry at me for focusing so much on the FF characters in this chapter. I surprised myself at how much detail I went into them. Also, I would have went with the Aeris spelling, but since I'm trying to stick with the FF characters' KH stories, I used Aerith instead. And Leon. I didn't go too far out of line with Sephiroth, did I?

I'm relieved to hear that most of you have accepted Yami. I wasn't sure if my portrayal of him would fit with the original KH story (it doesn't, not now.... but oh well), but, judging by the lack of (thankful) adversity towards him, he was successful. And now I hope you accept my characterizations of the FF characters. ^^;; Their little side stories added a lot to this chapter. Urk... And don't worry, all will be explained later. I think. I hope.

But, by all means, don't let this stop you from asking those excellent questions! ^^ It lets me know you're still interested in Stygian Solace, and that you like it, and want to know more. So ask away!