Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 10

Terra stared at the young Siren who was obviously shocked by his words. It wasn't exactly something he told just anyone. He didn't remember how Aqua had done it, he'd been half dead at the time, barely able to hold on, but he remembered her frantic cries, the feel of her hands pressing to his wounds…

"Human?" Riku whispered, and he nodded. "So Sora could become a Siren? I…" he swallowed heavily enough to be noticeable. "He'd still be him? Would it change him?" he asked.

He understood that worry, they were talking about changing the young man's species after all. It would be very short sighted to not consider how it would change him. "It's hard at first, Sirens have senses beyond anything a human can imagine. Then there's learning how to swim with a tail and fins… it's a lot. Waking up from the transformation was very disorientating."

"Terra wasn't really aware at first," Aqua spoke up, taking his hand in hers. "He responded to me but he wasn't really speaking, it was more instinctive. It only lasted a few days though. If you do this, Sora will have a lot to learn, the transformation doesn't come with the knowledge we're born with."

Riku nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable, and Terra figured it was because that knowledge was all he really had. They were opposites in that way, he'd been taught everything from scratch while Riku knew only the basics that were passed down to him from his parent.

"What about the pups?" Riku asked. "Can it be done before he gives birth or will we have to wait till after?"

Terra glanced at Aqua, that was a good point. Would love for Sora be able to override his instincts to keep his pups safe? And why rush when they could wait until after the birth. Unless Sora hadn't wanted to give birth and so wouldn't care if he lost them? But Riku would.

"I'd need to look Sora over before I'd want to say either way," she told Riku.

Riku hesitated, glancing between them all, but the others were staying quiet to let them handle things as was normal in a pod. Ven had been abnormally quiet since Naminé had gone missing but they relied so much on each other that it wasn't surprising. They'd been keeping him very close because of that, though interestingly he'd reacted well to Axel.

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"How about we all get in the cove," Axel suggested. He understood Riku's wariness but they should get out of the open. Yeah, Xion had been allowed to leave the pod and join them, but he wasn't sure how much he trusted that no one else would be sent after them.

"Axel?" Roxas asked in concern, and he shrugged.

"Probably worrying over nothing but this doesn't seem like information we should be talking about so openly."

Terra stared at him before nodding which was nice. Riku stared at them all, understandably wary, but then he nodded and turned to swim back into the cove, the rest of them following him.

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Riku's head was spinning, the idea of Sora being with him, truly at his side… Sora said he loved him, but would he want to be a Siren? Was that too much to ask? Then again, if he stayed human, who knew if…when…he'd wake up. He looked at Aqua and Terra and then towards the cave where he knew Sora would be waiting obediently for his return. He then looked at Roxas who nodded in understanding without him even having to ask which was nice. He motioned to Aqua and Terra before swimming for the tunnel.

He surfaced in the cave, watching them do the same, looking around. He moved to the shelf and reached for Sora who stood up and moved from his hiding place. Sora stepped down onto the ledge, Riku reaching up to help him, holding him close. "This is Sora," he told them as he ran a hand gently through his hair. "I'm back Sora, Axel found them. They know a way to help you." Like always, there was no response from Sora, but he wanted him to know. His hand moved to Sora's stomach, reassuring himself that their pups were fine.

"He looks very healthy," Aqua offered quietly.

Riku nodded absently, fighting down the instinct to force them away. "I don't like making him do things but he does gentle exercises every day to keep fit, he'll also swim if he ends up in the water, couldn't risk him drowning," he explained softly.

"You're looking after him Riku, that's good," she told him. "Can I come over?"

He hesitated, fighting the urge to hide Sora away from them, to protect him and their pups. He pressed his face to Sora's, taking deep, steady breaths. Sora's familiar scent helped him keep a hold on himself. Riku managed a jerky nod, not lifting his head, and he felt the water shift as she came closer. When she was beside them he forced himself to raise his head, shifting Sora carefully in his arms so that she could see him better.

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Aqua could see how much Riku was struggling to let her close but he was still managing to, for the moment at least. She moved slowly, gently touching the boy…Sora's forehead, but he didn't react which was unsurprising. Thankfully, he felt strong and healthy, so did the pups. She was wary of triggering the transformation while he was carrying but if Sora had known what was coming, then he would want to be aware when the time for them to be born came. The stress his body would be put under would be intense but he couldn't be healthier. If it was going to happen, it had to happen now, or wait till after the pups had been born. Then she stared in shock as his fingers twitched, obviously not under Riku's command.

"That's been happening for the last few weeks," Riku told her before explaining about his occasional life like dreams of Sora. Was that even possible? If it was then Sora would be able to consent to the process. But it didn't seem like Riku had any control of the dreams and when they happened.

"We can't wait more than a few days if you want to do this before the birth," she warned, and he nodded.

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The days passed strangely to Riku, he wasn't used to being around so many others and it was hard. Ventus was the easiest newcomer to be around, because he looked so much like Roxas and therefore a bit like Sora too. He was quieter than Roxas though that could be due to his missing sister. The day after tomorrow they either had to try and change Sora or wait until after the birth. He really wanted to do it but he couldn't, not without Sora saying yes.

He gently fed Sora some fish, glancing up as Roxas joined him, looking upset. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern, he liked Roxas.

Roxas shrugged slightly, leaning against him, even as he gently stroked Sora's arm. "It's Xion," he admitted.

"She seems very…withdrawn from you," Riku offered.

Roxas nodded, obviously upset. "I don't understand why, is it because we didn't go through our first season together? Is it because I stayed here rather than go back to Xemnas' pod?" he ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault Riku, it's ours, Saïx's mostly but we still did what he wanted. And…I like it here, better than back with them, so does Axel. It hurts that she's acting like this but she's talking with Ventus."

Oh, ouch. With how similar they looked and Ventus still being a pup too… maybe he should say something to Aqua or Terra? But what?

"You guys should get some sleep, see if you can reach Sora," Roxas went to leave but Riku stopped him.

"What do you think of Sora becoming one of us?" he asked.

Roxas grinned. "It'll be nice not to need a translator to talk to him. He saved you and he never seemed to really blame us for all this. And..."

"And he might sort of be your brother," Riku finished for him.

"Sleep well." Roxas grinned and swam away.

Riku finished their meal and then Sora stood up and went to his sleeping area to dry off before lying down. He hesitated but then pulled himself from the water and over to where Sora was lying, patting himself off with a towel before curling around him. The cave was damp enough that he wouldn't have any problem staying out of the water even for a night. He nuzzled at the top of Sora's head, gently soothing him to sleep before closing his own eyes.

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Ventus watched Riku drag himself to his human, he was actually going to sleep out of the water? He then glanced at where Roxas was settling down, he got the feeling he didn't like him much…because of how Xion reacted to him. It hadn't taken much to work out that they'd planned to be together for their first seasons but because of what had happened with Riku and Sora, they'd been apart. They looked alike and now she was hanging around him and he didn't know what to think.

He knew Terra had once been human, before he and Naminé were born, but he'd never really thought about what it meant, not till they'd come here. Terra had chosen freely though; he'd had the choice to remain human or change but if Sora wanted to be himself again then he didn't have a choice. That was if those dreams were real and not just Riku clinging to hope. Thinking of Naminé hurt, he didn't know where she was or…or if she was still alive. If the ones who'd kept Riku had her then she was probably alive but how would they reach her? And…he'd seen the scars on Riku's body, the section of missing tail, with how well they healed the wounds must have been really bad and that scared him too. Naminé was stronger than she looked but she was still his sister, his to protect, and he'd failed her.

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Riku felt that familiar warmth and opened his eyes to find Sora curled up on his chest, a hand gently stroking his skin. He lifted his hand to run his fingers through familiar spikey hair. "Sora," he murmured.

Sora lifted up to kiss him, smiling softly. "We have visitors?" he asked, and Riku nodded.

"Axel found the ones he thought might be able to help you," he explained, and Sora's eyes widened, obviously fighting hope.

"And?" he asked.

"There's a way," Riku smiled at him, hand automatically stroking his stomach.

"I'm hearing a but in there," Sora pointed out.

Riku took a deep breath, pulling him into a deeper kiss. "No matter what, I love you," he promised.

"Riku?" Sora stared at him, eyes wide.

"The only way they know…is for you to become one of us."

Sora frowned but he seemed confused rather than upset. "One of…you mean I'd be a Siren?" he gasped the question.

Riku nodded, nervous. Maybe it was possible that Sora would wake up himself one day, but how long would that take? Years? With how little progress he'd made it seemed that would be needed.

"I'd be with you?" Sora asked softly.

"Always," Riku swore, fingers running through his hair again. "We'd be mates Sora, for life. You'd never have to worry about being controlled again. There'd be a lot to learn but Terra was human once too, that's how Aqua knows how to do this. This has to be your choice Sora; I can't make it for you."

Sora lay back down fully, wrapping around him, and Riku held on to him in return. It was a big decision, it was good that Sora was thinking it over and not just saying yes or no. he ran his hand up and down Sora's back, hoping to sooth him. "I love you," Sora murmured. "And as long as we're different species we'll never be able to just be together."

Riku felt his heart jump with hope and then Sora was kissing him again.

"I trust you; I want to be with you, whatever it takes."

"You mean…yes?" Riku asked, and Sora nodded, his smile was nervous but he didn't blame him, it was a big change. "I'll be with you the whole time, no matter what."

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As soon as Riku woke, Aqua knew from his expression that he'd dreamt of Sora. He lifted his head, meeting her eyes and there was so much hope there that she knew what Sora, or the dream version at least, had said. She nodded at him; they had a lot of work to do.

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Axel helped make a comfortable bed of kelp in a corner of the cave where Sora would sleep through his transformation. He was nervous and he knew Roxas was too, they were worried about Riku and Sora. If anything went wrong… no, nothing would go wrong, it would work and Sora would wake up again.

"It'll be alright," Terra told him as they worked.

"Will it?" he looked up at the older Siren.

"I barely remember the process, the pain, it's almost like it happened to someone else," Terra explained. "It apparently looks pretty brutal but you won't be in here to see it. Next time you see him, he'll be like us."

"Right," Axel nodded as he backed away from the bed. It looked good to him. They were done.

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Riku knew what he had to do, Aqua had explained it all and she was nearby if needed but still…he didn't like the idea of what he had to do when Sora was unaware. He was sitting on the shelf next to him, staring at him like normal. Riku just…didn't know how to start what he needed to when Sora wasn't mentally present.

He took a deep breath and gently drew Sora into his lap, stroking his face. "It's time Sora," he told him, staring into empty blue eyes. "I'm sorry, it's going to hurt once the change starts, I don't know if you'll feel that or not." He nuzzled at him before kissing him. "Love you."

Sora kissed back but it didn't feel even like the way he'd kissed him before his season, back then it had been Riku who hadn't felt right, now it was Sora. He hated making Sora do it at all, but the change could only be done during the mating process. It didn't help that he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing since his memories of his season weren't clear, mostly sensations. Sora shifted in his lap to straddle his tail, arms wrapping around his shoulders as they kissed, Riku very carefully running his hands up and down his back and sides.

Sora had been conscious for at least part of his season so he nudged him into acting like he had then. It didn't take much at all for Sora's body to begin responding which was good. Riku just hoped he could work out what to do in return beyond touching and kissing…and without hurting him.

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Aqua hovered in the cave entrance, just in case they got into trouble. So far, it seemed to be going well, the quiet noises she could hear seemed to be of pleasure. She knew that Riku was basically inexperienced and that was why she was staying close.

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Riku clutched Sora close, trembling, mouth latched onto his throat. He knew what he had to do next but he was scared. What if…what if it didn't work…what if he killed him instead? he clung tighter as he felt Sora's fingers twitch against his side weakly before going still. "Love you," and then he sank his teeth into Sora's vulnerable skin.

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Aqua heard Riku dive, felt the vibrations of a thrashing body, so she swam into the cave to see Riku settling Sora into the bed they had made for him, smelt his blood in the water. Riku turned on her, ready to defend Sora, taking a few moments to recognise her and settle down. She moved closer, helping secure Sora who was struggling wildly, his eyes wide and unseeing. He was choking, body reacting on instinct as air bubbled trailed from his mouth and nose.

"It's okay Sora, I'm here," Riku was telling him over and over which was good, it meant the mental link was gone from Sora being under his spell. He looked up at her, fear in his eyes.

She hummed softly under her breath, carefully stroking Sora's cheek as his thrashing weakened, running her fingers carefully down his cheek even as he went limp.

"Sora?!"

"It's alright Riku, he's changing," she assured him, despite the mess Sora's body was in and the fact he didn't appear to be breathing.

"Promise?" Riku asked, sounding so young, even as he reached out to take Sora's limp hand in his.

"Look," she gently tipped Sora's head to the side, showing where some small scales had formed already just below his hair line. "He'll be fine."

Riku nodded, reaching out to gently stroke his abdomen where the pups were safely growing. "Thank you."

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Roxas stared at where Sora lay in the kelp bed, his body slowly changing from human into a Siren. It was slow, so far there was just a smattering of scales on human skin, no sign of fins or his legs becoming a tail yet. It was kind of creepy to see him just lying there, he looked more dead than anything. The scales that had appeared were a dark silvery blue so far, almost a mix of his own and Riku's colourings.

He was scared for Sora and the pups he was carrying, but Aqua was positive all of them would be fine, that Sora would wake before the birth even. Riku was scared too, spending most of his time right beside Sora, the rest of them bringing him food so he didn't have to leave.

Everyone was tense while they waited for Sora to change and wake, which would take many more days yet. He'd tried spending time with Xion but she was still withdrawn around him and it hurt, Axel had tried talking to her about it but she hadn't said anything to him either. Ventus had approached him, wondering what was going on and very unsure over how she was acting, they all were. Did…did she want to leave maybe?

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It was interesting, watching someone else change, knowing he'd gone through the same thing so many years before. Terra didn't really remember it; he dimly remembered the pain but nothing from the days he'd spent in Sora's current condition. Honestly, he could have lived without seeing exactly what had happened to him back then, watching his legs slowly form into a tail was…well he wasn't eating anywhere he could see it. Unlike Riku who had barely left his side the whole time, always talking to him, touching him gently, obviously trying to comfort him despite Terra telling him that Sora was completely unaware….then again he'd supposedly been unaware the whole time since Riku's season but somehow reaching Riku in dreams so maybe speaking to him was for the best.

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Riku stroked Sora's stomach, he was due to give birth soon and Riku just hoped he'd wake up first. He was beautiful as a Siren and thankfully he was fully mature, then again the fact he was carrying probably played a part in that. He was shorter in length than Riku, even Roxas though not by much. He actually looked more like Roxas than him but there was apparently no rule to say how a changed Siren would look. Then again maybe it was more proof they were related?

He froze as Sora's eyelids fluttered, his lips parting as he began breathing deeply. "Sora?" he called softly in hope. Aqua had warned him, Sora likely wouldn't be able to speak yet, would be running in new instincts, but Sora should recognise him, they were mates now after all. "It's okay, I'm here, you're safe." He leant in and gently nuzzled him, smiling as he heard a soft clicking noise.

He raised his head and watched as bright blue eyes slowly opened.

TBC…