Silver Haired Savior
The Sound of a Breaking Heart
Date Started: 8/8/05
Date Finished: 8/24/05
Disclaimer: I, in no way own Kingdom Hearts or the song! Don't sue me!
Authoress' Note:
Okay, so, here's the next chapter. I must warn you right now. Warning: Heavy T rating on this chapter! I must say that for the first part of this chapter, and later parts. Do not flame me for the first part! It will all be explained, so please read all of it before reviewing! Sorry it took so long! School started and it is EVIL! Save me ... ((crickets chirping)) well, fine then! I guess you'll just have to wait for updates, won't you? Since this chapter took so long to come out, I made sure that it was extra long! It was 21 pages typed! This chapter is dedicated to DieChan, Ayeshagirl, starryskydragon, AnimeDutchess, thekeybladegirl, and AnimeDragonofFire.
10 minutes earlier
Riku and Sora had just gotten up the stairs, and Riku gently helped him into the bedroom. He turned his back to Sora, and locked the door with a small click. When he turned back to Sora, he had an evil glint in his eyes that Sora had never seen before. He looked in fear at Riku but tried to put on a brave face.
"Umm, Riku? Why have you been so mad at me late –," Sora started, but was cut off when Riku roughly grabbed him and threw him on to the bed. He screamed in shock, but it was muffled by the bed. He looked up at Riku, who was advancing to the bed with a malicious grin that scared Sora badly. "Riku, what's wrong with you?" Sora asked, tears in his eyes.
"Shut up," he said, and slapped Sora on the face. His nails scratched Sora's face, creating 4 little beads of blood to form. Sora winced at the stinging sensation this caused and a lone tear trickled down his face, but he was determined not to cry in front of Riku.
"Riku, look at yourself! What's wrong with you? You're supposed to protect me! Love me! Did I do something wrong? Why do you hate me?" Sora cried anguished, on the verge of crying. Did Riku hate him?
"Heh. I have to save your sorry ass day in and day out, and you dare to ask me that? Pathetic," he said, and pounced on to the bed. He started to take Sora's shirt off of his slender body, which was shaking in fear and sadness.
"Riku," Sora whined. "What did they do to you?" he asked, tears streaming down his face. Riku slammed his mouth onto Sora's, and the brunette could feel the coppery substance of blood in his mouth. Riku's kisses were no longer gentle and loving like they used to be, but rough and uncaring. Riku finally pulled up for air, leaving Sora's lips bruised, swollen, and cracked, blood flowing from his mouth from the harshness of the kiss. He smirked evilly at the younger boy who looked like he had just been betrayed.
"They didn't do anything to me, except show me the truth, kid. This is how I am now," he said, taking off his own shirt to reveal strong muscles. He used the shirt to tie Sora's wrists tightly to the bars at the top of the bed. "What don't like it?" he asked in a mocking tone.
"Riku … I thought you loved me …" he said trailing off, feeling his heart clench in pain at the older boy's harsh words and mocking tone.
"Maybe I did once. But the truth is, Sora, how could I ever love a weak, naïve, and stupid orphan brat like you? I hate you," he said, undoing the clasps on Sora's pants. Those few words broke his fragile heart. It had been broken before, but not like this. It crushed his hopes and dreams. The shards of his heart were small and fragmented, making him doubt whether it would ever be able to be fixed again. His sapphire eyes lost their spark, and became hollow and lifeless. His breath came out in ragged puffs. The few words echoed in his ears, and the many pieces of his heart caused him pain every time he heard them in his head.
By now, Riku had gotten the clothes off of Sora so he was lying naked on the bed, crying his eyes out. He stripped the rest of his own clothes off, and by the time Sora realized what he was going to do, it was almost too late.
"Wh – what are you doing?" Sora cried.
"I'm going to fuck you until you can't walk anymore," he told the younger boy who had wide eyes, tears splashing out of them as he gazed into the face of the silver haired boy.
"St - stop it, Riku!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, but his pleas didn't seem to affect Riku.
"Come on, Sora, scream for me," Riku muttered as he grabbed Sora's ass. He positioned himself at Sora's entrance, and rammed in, making Sora scream loudly in anguish and in pain. His nails dug into the sheets and pillows that surrounded him, the pain hurting him so much. Riku started thrusting in and out of the brunette roughly, making Sora feel a strange wetness between his legs. He realized that it was blood, and he started crying once again, wondering why his once lover was raping him and being so cruel. Riku seemed to be enjoying himself as he tortured the younger boy. They heard a banging at the door, and some voices from the outside.
"It's locked!" they heard a voice that sounded like Cloud say.
"Well, try pushing it open!" they heard Leon yell back.
"It won't budge!" Cloud yelled.
"Oh, what the hell!" Leon yelled, and kicked down the door. Cloud and Leon burst into the room, and what they saw shocked them to no extent. They saw Riku pleasuring himself using Sora's body. Sora looked heartbroken and very upset, and you could tell that he wasn't enjoying any of this. They noticed the blood that was slowly pooling around Sora, soaking the sheets and covering the two boys. "Sora …" Leon whispered, shocked.
"Riku!" Cloud yelled in a rage, and flung himself at the silver haired boy. He knocked Riku off of Sora, and slammed him up against the wall. "Squall, get Sora out of here," he yelled, holding Riku against the wall. Leon untied Sora from the bed, and grabbed the boy's boxers on the way out. He took him out to a corner of the hallway, and told him to put on his clothes. The younger boy put on his boxers and put himself in the fetal position in the corner of the hallway.
Leon reentered the room, and saw Cloud beating the crud out of Riku. But as he watched, he noticed something very strange about it. Even though Riku should have been a bloody pulp, there wasn't a drop of blood to be found. "Cloud! Look!" he said, and pulled his lover off of the silver haired jerk. "Cloud, do you notice anything?" he asked, restraining him.
"Lemme at him! I warned him not to ever hurt Sora, and he was raping him!" Cloud yelled, struggling ferociously against Leon.
"But look! He isn't bleeding, even after the sound thrashing that you've given him," Leon said, and Cloud immediately stopped struggling.
"You're right," Cloud said, and narrowed his eyes at 'Riku'. "What are you? You aren't Riku," he spat at the creature, which in return looked up at him with an evil grin on his face.
"You're right. I'm not Riku. I am his replica," the creature sneered. "And I don't know why you are so upset, I was just… playing with Sora," he said.
"Shut up, you jerk," Leon said, kicking the replica hard. "Where'd you put the real Riku? Answer me!" he yelled.
"The real Riku is in an abandoned warehouse. Rescue him … if you can!" he said, laughing at the enraged faces on the two men. Leon drew his gunblade and with one slash put an end to the fake Riku's laughing. The creature seemed to melt into darkness, and Leon let go of Cloud.
"Come on, we have to make sure that Sora's all right," Leon said, gathering up the rest of Sora's discarded clothes.
"Well of course he's not all right! He was just raped and had his heart broken, both by the same person who he thought was his lover!" said Cloud, taking the clothes from Leon. He walked outside and saw the huddled up boy in the corner. He walked over to the brunette, and tried to get him to get up. "Come on, Sora. That wasn't Riku. You need to put on some clothes," Cloud cooed, shaking the boy gently.
"Riku … Riku … Riku …" the boy chanted over and over, not hearing a word that anyone was saying.
"He must still be in shock," Cloud said, and forced the boy into a sitting position. He put Sora's clothes back on the boy, and when he let go, the boy just fell over and lay in the fetal position again. Leon sighed and went downstairs to wait for Aerith and Yuffie. Cloud stayed up there with Sora, petting his back. Sora never stopped chanting Riku's name in a sad voice, making Cloud hurt on the inside. He kept saying things to help him feel better.
When he heard everyone come in downstairs, he got up and walked downstairs where he saw Yuffie and Aerith with Lulu. "Hey guys," he said, sitting on the couch.
"Where's Sora and Riku?" asked Yuffie.
"Well … about that …" Leon started, rubbing the back of his head.
"Riku … well he … it wasn't him …" Cloud started.
"Spit it out," Lulu said, getting frustrated and impatient.
"Well, you see that Riku that you found wasn't really Riku. It was a fake replica of him, and he … you see he …" Cloud said, trailing off again.
"He raped Sora and broke his heart by telling him things that couldn't be farther from the truth," Leon finished.
"He … raped Sora?" Yuffie asked, still in shock. She ran upstairs to go see Sora.
"So that wasn't Riku? You mean that they have him?" Aerith asked, referring to the people in black robes, her eyes wide.
"The Riku replica said that they have him in the abandoned warehouse," Leon said.
Yuffie came back downstairs. "He's really taking this hard. He doesn't seem to hear anything. All he can do is rock back and forth chanting Riku's name," she said, urgency in her voice, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
"I tried explaining to him that it wasn't really Riku, but he didn't seem to hear me," Cloud said sadly.
"Let me see him," Lulu said, and went up the stairs. Everyone followed her up, and saw Sora still laying in the fetal position. He was rocking back and forth, still chanting Riku's name. Lulu bent over him and tried to talk to him, but to no avail. Finally, she had to give up. She stood up and said, "Poor boy. He's suffering from a broken heart. Nothings going to heal this unless we get the real Riku back. Otherwise, it's going to be a long and painful journey on the way to recovery. Aerith go get some food," she ordered, and the brunette ran downstairs and came back with some grapes.
"I'll do it," Yuffie said, and took the grapes from Aerith. She kneeled next to Sora and started to shove the grapes gently into his mouth. "Chew," she said, and he did so, but only because he was used to taking orders from Yuffie. "Swallow," she ordered, and he did so.
Lulu sighed and said, "We can't keep this up forever. We're going to have to find Riku, otherwise he'll never heal."
"Well, we know that he's in an abandoned warehouse, but which one?" Aerith asked.
"We … don't know. All he said was an abandoned warehouse, not which one," Cloud said.
"Well that's just great! There's only, like, twenty of them!" Yuffie said, sarcasm dripping off of every word.
"I guess there's only one way to find out," Leon said. "We'll just have to split up and check all of them. We should probably start now, because there's so many of them."
"Hold on," Aerith said, and she went into the study. She came back out with a map of Traverse Town and a marker. She unfolded it, and marked off where all of the warehouses were. "Okay, I'll take those," she said, marking off a few random ones. Everyone else chose some random ones as well, until all of them were taken. "So lets all choose one, and we'll check that one first," she said, and they all decided to check one of theirs.
"Wait, don't you think someone should stay with Sora?" Yuffie asked while looking with concern at the boy still huddled up in the corner.
"I'll stay," Lulu volunteered. "I need a little break from having to run everything anyways. Some rest would be nice."
"Okay," Aerith said, and then folded up the map. "We should go now. The sooner we can find Riku, the sooner Sora can stop hurting like this."
"Alright, let's go," Leon said, standing up. "Move out." They all got up and went over to the door.
"Lulu, take care of Sora. He's very delicate," Cloud said before leaving the house. They all went in different directions, each taking a different way. Leon and Cloud went down to the third district and split up, figuring that they would most likely be keeping him in a warehouse up here. Leon took one in the north end, and Cloud took a warehouse in the south end. Aerith went up to the 4th district and took one of the old warehouses there, while Yuffie went to the first district. They searched and searched, but nobody found the missing boy. Dejectedly, they all went back to Aerith's house.
When they arrived Lulu looked up hopefully from her place on the couch where she had moved Sora. Yuffie, the last to come in, just nodded her head sadly, and collapsed onto the couch next to Aerith.
"We'll have to try again tomorrow, first thing in the morning," Leon said, resting in one of the armchairs.
The next day:
Riku awoke at a pain in his wrists and ankles, and he wondered why. He gently opened his eyes and found himself in a musty and very dirty warehouse. He was chained to the wall tightly, and he immediately wondered why he was here. Suddenly the events of the other night came flooding back to him, and he hung his head sadly.
'I … I failed,' thought sadly. 'They … they beat me! Who knows what they're doing to Sora at this moment? They're probably hurting him right now. I have to get out of here!' Riku told himself and started to struggle against the chains holding him to the wall. This only succeeded in getting him giving him large cuts on his wrists and ankles where the metal cut into his flesh. He eventually gave up, and hung his head again.
"I'm so sorry, Sora," he said quietly to himself.
"You're not still dwelling on him, are you?" a voice before him said, and he immediately recognized who it was.
"Larxene, you bitch! Let me go right now!" Riku yelled, outraged, and tried going after her, struggling against the chains once more.
"Temper, temper," she said with a small giggle. "We'll have to do something about that, won't we?" she said, talking in a baby voice to Riku.
"Go to hell! Let me go!" Riku yelled again.
"Don't worry, we'll have all the fight out of you by the end of the week," Larxene said in reply, and walked up right next to Riku. "You know, you really should come over to our side, Riku. There really are a lot of perks that you would like," she said, nibbling on Riku's ear.
"Oh, yeah? Like what?" Riku spat at her, trying to pull his head away from the girl.
"Well, for one, you wouldn't have to be chained up to this wall. Another is that you can do whatever you want to the prisoners as long as Number 1 doesn't want them to his self. And, since he only wants that little brat of yours, it means I can do this!" she said, and grabbed Riku's nether regions. He yelped in surprise, and tried to jerk away from her touch.
"Bitch!" Riku snarled at her. "Don't ever do that again, you hear me? If you do, I will personally rip off your head and shove it where the sun don't shine!" Riku's eyes were full of hatred, and looked about ready to follow through on his threat. She just kept fondling with his crotch, and didn't look at all disturbed by his death threat.
"Careful, or my feelings might get hurt," she said, and slammed her mouth on his. He tasted blood in his mouth and tried to pull away but couldn't. She started grinding against him,and he felt like he was going to be sick.When she finally did pull away, she had an evil smirk on her face.
"Damn you," he spat at her, but her smirk didn't falter. In fact, it got bigger.
"I wouldn't be one to toss around insults, if I were you," she said, wincing slightly at the death glare that Riku shot at her after he regianed his composure. "Especially after what happened to Sora yesterday, it might happen to you too …"
"What happened to Sora?" Riku asked, all previous thoughts and new insults pushed out of his mind.
"Maybe I shouldn't tell you," she said, putting her hood up and starting to walk away.
"NO! No, tell me!" Riku begged from his place on the wall.
"Well, let's just say that he won't be putting his trust in anyone for a very long time," she said, and walked away.
"What?" Riku asked, confused. 'But he trusts me …' Riku thought to himself. 'Sora, what have they done to you?'
Leon, Cloud, Aerith, and Lulu all went out that morning. They searched more warehouses while Yuffie stayed home with Sora that day. The young brunette still hadn't moved from the spot where Lulu had moved him. He seemed to be in an almost trance like state.
Yuffie felt sorry for the poor kid. His heart was fractured and there was nothing she could do for him. She stroked his hair gently and watched as he continued mumbling nonsense in a strangled voice. He had been doing that all night, and every time that he fell asleep, he would wake up either screaming or crying. He looked a mess, with his hair unkempt and bags under his eyes.
Yuffie continued to stroke his hair, trying to get the boy to eat some food. She couldn't let him starve. But he wasn't really trying to eat whatever she fed him, and she often times had to force feed him.
"I want Riku …" Sora murmured still in a little ball.
"Sora," Yuffie sighed as she lay back against the couch. She had been trying to feed him for over an hour, and she had finally decided to give up after awhile. "I'll try again later," she muttered tiredly.
"But Riku … betrayed me …" he mumbled out.
"It wasn't Riku," Yuffie tried explaining again, but she knew that it was a useless attempt. Lulu said someone had to always watch him, because no one knew what he might do while he's like this. They didn't want him doing something drastic, like committing suicide or something. She just watched the television for awhile, gently stroking the boy's hair, keeping him safe. At about noon she heard the door burst open and she looked up to see a very disgruntled Cloud and Leon, obviously disappointed at not finding Riku yet. They jumped on the couch and leaned on each other, just relaxing with each other.
"No luck, huh?" Yuffie asked the two men, who looked exhausted.
"None. Not even a clue as to where he might be!" Leon said tiredly. "I'm going to go take a shower. That last warehouse was dirty! Cobwebs and dust everywhere," Leon said, climbing the stairs.
"I'll join you," Cloud said, following his boyfriend up. Yuffie shook her head as the two went up and went back to stroking the brunette's locks. But not long after, Aerith, followed by Lulu returned. When Yuffie looked up, all they did was shake their heads sadly.
"Gods, were did they take Riku, anyways?" Yuffie asked herself, slowly getting up, careful not to wake the boy who had just fallen asleep. She stretched and went over to the kitchen.
"Well, I don't know where they took him, but he's not wherever we've been looking. Poor Sora," Aerith said.
"I figured that we'd just come back here to grab a quick lunch and then continue looking. Are Leon and Cloud back yet?" Lulu asked, but she soon realized that she didn't need to, because they heard some very loud moans and groans coming from the bathroom, being amplified by the water and walls of the bathroom. "Never mind," she said, and sat down.
Yuffie grabbed the bag of potato chips and some sandwiches that were in the fridge and sat back down on the couch. She handed out some sandwiches to everyone in the room and took one for herself. They ate in silence, the only sounds heard being either from Sora or some "anonymous" moaning from the upstairs shower. They finished the small lunch, and Yuffie noticed that Aerith seemed exhausted.
"Hey, Aerith, are you okay?" the raven haired girl asked with concern towards her friends condition.
"Yeah, it's just … I feel that this is my fault that Sora is like this. If I'd have just realized that whatever raped Sora wasn't Riku, maybe Sora would be able to help us find Riku sooner," the emerald eyed girl sobbed.
"It's okay," Yuffie said, trying to comfort her friend. "You look like you could use a rest. I'll take over for you, and check out some of my spots," Yuffie offered, prepared to argue if she needed to.
"Ummm … sure," Aerith gave in, knowing that Yuffie would be persistent otherwise.
"Great!" the spunky girl said, standing up. Aerith sat down next to Sora, while Lulu and Yuffie headed for the door.
"Tell those two boys up there to get moving when they come down," Lulu said, before she left the house. 10 minutes later, Leon and Cloud came down, and Aerith told them that the girls had already left, and then gave them a quick lunch. She sent them out afterwards, and went and sat by Sora to wait for their return.
The next morning:
Riku was exhausted. In the last two days he hadn't been able to sleep at all. He had been tortured severely, and he didn't know how much longer he could last. He had numerous cuts along his body, his pale skin bleeding in the dim sunlight that was just coming in through one of few windows that lined the top of the building. There was just enough light to see Riku's thin figure. He was now shirtless and he was still chained to the dirty wall in the warehouse.
But none of that really concerned him; at least, not right now. The only thing on his mind right now was Sora. What could Larxene have meant by all those riddles? She had given him two clues as to why he kept having this growing feeling that something was wrong with his brunette angel. He knew that Sora really needed him; to take the pain away.
"He has a million wounds, yet not a cut is on him," he remembered Larxene telling him yesterday. No matter how much he begged, pleaded, even threatened, she wouldn't tell him what was wrong with Sora.
Sitting in his lonely silence, he suddenly heard a door open somewhere in the distance. He lifted his head half heartedly and saw someone wearing one of those black robes. He let his head drop once again.
"So, how are you feeling?" a females voice asked, and Riku didn't even have to look up to know that it was Larxene come to torment him again. 'How was he feeling?' Right now Riku felt like just collapsing and crying. But most of all he just wanted to feel Sora in his arms again.
"Leave me alone, Larxene," Riku snarled. He really didn't feel like dealing with her right now.
"Aww, that's no way to talk to somebody who decided to come visit you in this dreary, dirty place. I really don't see why you won't join us. It would get you out of this disgusting place. My offer's still open, you know," she said, moving closer to Riku.
"Stay away from me!" Riku yelled angrily. She just ignored him and started running her hand against Riku's strong chest. The silver haired boy absolutely hated the feeling of her hands on his body. It made him feel dirty.
"It could be fun, you know. It would be just like old times," she said, and leaned up to kiss him. She captured the lips that were only supposed to be for Sora in a rough kiss, cracking his lips once more. He tried to pull away, but it was useless. She eventually let go, and looked at the distraught boy, an evil smirk on her face. "You know, if you really can't stop thinking about that little brunette brat, maybe I should just get rid of him. It probably won't be too hard; the kid looks like a weak little slut."
"Don't you dare call Sora a slut, you bitch! Sora's a god compared to you filth! Touch him and I WILL kill you!" Riku yelled, his body shaking with anger.
"A god?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "More like a ghost, after I get rid of him," she said, mocking the boy's rage. She turned to leave, leaving the furious boy alone in the giant warehouse.
"Lemme go!" Riku screamed after her, but she ignored him, and shut the door. He hung his head, and let out a barely audible sob. "Sora … Sora, this time it's me who needs saving …"
My heart is shattered in a million pieces, but still I can find a million reasons why I still love you …
Sora stared at the ground, his eyes practically glued to one spot on the ground. He had finally started to gather up the pieces of his broken heart, but he still felt like he was missing a large part of himself. It felt like eating your weight in food, yet still being on the brink of starvation. It felt like drinking the entire ocean, yet still be dying of thirst. He needed something, and that something was Riku.
Someone always get their heart stomped to the ground,
This is what I see every time I look around.
I never thought that this would happen to me,
I never thought I would end up this way.
And now that you're through with me,
Don't know what to do with me.
Guess I'm on my own again.
Like some kind of enemy,
Never a friend to me.
Remember when you used to say
Things will always be this way?
'Riku … I – I want him. I NEED him. But … he betrayed me. He raped me. He smashed my heart, and left without nary a word or an explanation. Does he even care what happens to me? Was he lying to me when he said that he loved me? Was I just some cheap fuck that he was planning on leaving all alone the entire time?
'These thoughts keep replaying in my head, but … I can't help but feel that this just isn't true. He saved me, loved me … protected me. He made me feel like I was actually worth something to someone. He took me into his home, fed me, made me his lover. He made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Before the other day, his kisses were gentle, loving, even. Why? Why did he change? What did I do to make him hate me? He said that he loved me, and I believed him. I saw the sincerity in his eyes.'
Why don't break my heart,
Watch me fall apart, you see.
I'm falling apart look what you're doing to me.
Sora looked up at the older boy next to him. Today was Leon's turn to stay with him. He saw him talking, but he didn't hear anything that he was saying. He had a feeling that they were telling him something important, and it's not that he didn't want to listen, he just … couldn't.
Now I try to get my heart up off the ground
My confidence is gone, happiness cannot be found.
So look what you did to me, you got the best of me,
And now I'm stuck with all the rest.
It will never be the same.
"One day, you will be happy, and we'll go off together, away from all of our troubles. One day we'll be together. I promise you."
'I remember Riku telling me that, once.'
Why don't you
Break my heart, watch me fall apart, you see.
I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.
"You are my light, Sora."
'He said that, but did he really mean it?'
Why don't you
Break my heart, watch me fall apart, you see.
I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.
"Sora, I promise you. I will always protect you."
'Yeah, but too bad you couldn't protect me from yourself,' Sora thought bitterly.
All I ever wanted has left me standing here alone.
It started with you and ended with me.
All I ever needed, I had it with you in my arms.
It started with you and ended with me.
"Sora, I always want us to stay connected, even if we are far apart."
'Riku said that to me the night he gave me this,' Sora thought, stroking the silver crown that still hung around his neck. 'Did he mean what he said all those times? I thought he truly meant it … I mean, I could see the truth in his eyes … but then why did he … do that to me?
Break my heart, watch me fall apart you see.
I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.
Why don't you break my heart,
Watch me fall apart, you see.
I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.
Why don't you break my heart,
Watch me fall apart, you see.
I'm falling apart, look what you're doing to me.
'You know, now that I think about it, he was acting kinda weird. Maybe that wasn't him … but it had to be him. Why wouldn't it be him? I feel kinda weird … I need someone to hold me … no, not just someone, I need … I need Riku. To hold me. I need him to kiss me, to hug me … to just … love me. Riku come back,' Sora thought, as he drifted into a dark sleep. "… Riku …"
Why don't you
Break my heart,
Break my heart,
Break my heart,
Break my heart,
Break my heart,
Break my heart,
Break my heart …
Sora was in dark room. There was no light. Dust and dirt surrounded him. His entire body hurt, just like when his stepfather and his stepfather's pet used to torture him. He could feel his exposed skin, and he knew that he was only wearing a pair of boxers around his slim waist. His hair was dirty as it hung around his shoulders, tickling his shoulders and chest.
'Wait a second … my hair isn't that long! What's going on?' the boy thought. He could see a little bit of moonlight shining down his pale skin, and he saw … silver hair? 'It's just like Riku's …' Sora thought.
He heard the door open, and the young boy looked up to see a woman with blonde hair standing there, an evil smirk on her face.
"Well, I'm off to take care of your little brat," she said, and Sora felt that he knew who she was talking about. Himself. "Got any last words, before I send him to go live with Hades?"
'How do I respond to that?' " …"
"Wow, you really do hate him, don't you? Don't worry, we'll be together soon," she said, and turned to leave. He saw a number painted on the door. It said 2478.
'Why does that number stick out?' He heard the door shut with a loud slam, and he let his head hang again. Suddenly, he heard a voice in his head.
"Sora, help me," the voice said. It sounded like Riku was … crying? "Save me, Sora."
"Riku?" Sora asked.
"Sora …" the voice said, getting fainter and fainter.
"No, Riku, come back!" Sora yelled.
'2478'
Leon woke with a start as the younger boy next to him started to thrash around, chanting nonsense.
"2478!" the boy screamed.
"2478? Huh?" Leon asked, wondering why that number sounded familiar. Then he realized that was one of the warehouse numbers on his list. He moved Sora upstairs into the bedroom, worried that with all the thrashing he might hurt himself if he stayed on the couch. There was more room on the bed. Leon deposited the boy on the bed, then took off downstairs and out the door. He rushed to the second district, and started looking for the warehouse that Riku was in.
Riku was still chained to the wall, and he felt … dirty. And it wasn't the actual dirt and dust that always seemed to be in the place. It was the fact that he now didn't have any clothes on, and the fact that he could feel their cold, dirty hands exploring his body. There was at least two of them right now, touching his body right now, but he wasn't going to open his eyes to find out.
There was too much pain and fear gripping his heart. He couldn't sense Sora with him any more. He didn't know why, he just … couldn't. What he really feared was the answer as to why. Sora couldn't be … you know … dead. He just can't be. But why else couldn't he feel the brunette with him anymore?
He was lost in thought when he heard the door slam open. 'Great, someone else here to degrade me,' Riku thought bitterly. Which was why he was immensely surprised when he heard the newcomer speak.
"What the fuck? Get your sick hands off of him!" the voice yelled.
'Wait … I know that voice!' Riku thought excited. He was finally being saved. He opened his eyes and saw the taller brunette standing there. "Leon!" Riku yelled.
"Alright, get away from him," the man yelled, drawing his gunblade. They came at him, and he cut down two with the long sword. He rushed forward, dodging spells as he came. He cut down the other two that were there, and slashed at the last one. They lay on the ground unmoving. Whether they were dead or not, Riku couldn't tell. With the last one defeated, Leon undid the chains that bound the naked boy to the wall. He fell to the floor as soon as he tried to stand up, weak from days of being pinned to the wall and his own weariness from being tortured. Leon found an old robe laying on the ground, and he used that to give Riku something to cover up in. Once he was properly dressed, Leon helped the boy to stand, and they slowly started to make their way towards the exit.
"L-Leon," Riku stuttered, using much of his energy trying to walk. "Something's … wrong with Sora! I can't … feel him, anymore. Leon, we need to hurry!"
"Alright, we'll hurry, 'cause you seem to know best about these things." He put Riku on his back, and started to run towards the house.
Meanwhile:
Sora had just woken up from his dream, sweat practically dripping off of him. Somehow his shirt had come off during his struggle, and lay uselessly at his side. He sat up, breathing heavily. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, and started to pick up the shirt. He clutched it to his chest, trying to think of what the dream meant. He sat there, staring in a daze, at the room around him.
"How did I get here?" Sora whispered. He stared at the shirt that he clutched in his hand. It was Riku's shirt. "Riku, I hope you're okay, wherever you went," the young brunette whispered.
"Oh, he's just fine … for now," a female voice in the corner said. He looked up in surprise and saw two people wearing black robes. They were obviously two women, judging by their figures.
"Wh-what do you want?" Sora cried, panic stricken.
"Why, what a silly question to ask! We want you of course," one of the woman replied, and Sora sat up straighter on the bed. That was the voice of the woman that had tried to take Riku a couple days ago.
"Why won't you leave us alone? We haven't ever done anything to you!" he cried, his thin figure shaking with fear.
"Yes, but you see, you did do something to me. You stole my boyfriend!" the other woman said. She lowered her hood, and the other did the same.
"I didn't steal him! He – he chose to love me! Well, he did," Sora said sadly.
"You're all that he thinks about and all that he cares about," the blonde woman said, her voice just dripping with bitterness. "And the only way to get him to stop thinking about you is to get rid of you, now."
"But Riku … he hates me. He raped me," Sora replied, tears running down his cheeks. "He left me here all alone. You guys did something to him!"
"You still haven't figured it out, have you? The Riku you saw –"
"Enough chit-chat, Arida, we need to take care of him, here and now, so I can go be with my toy," the blonde said, and moved closer to Sora, who in return started to scramble backwards.
"But Larxene, don't you think the kid at least deserves to know the truth before you kill him?" the red head asked.
"Well if he does deserve to hear it, I don't really care. It's just a waste of breath and time; time that I should be spending with Riku!" Larxene yelled, and came close enough to Sora that he could feel her breath against his exposed chest. "So, how do ya want to die, brat? Slow and painful, or quick and easy? Either way is fine with me."
"B-but I don't wanna die!" Sora yelled. He had a feeling that there was nobody else in the house right now, except for these two women and himself. "Please, just leave me alone!"
Larxene narrowed her eyes at him. "No. With you still around, he won't think about anyone else." She examined his body, which was shaking in fear with one glance. "I really don't see how he fell in love with a scrawny little brat like you," she said taking in the slim waist and somewhat boyish chest. "Hey, what's that?" she asked, looking at the necklace that hung from his neck. She leaned in closer and examined the pendant.
"Whatcha lookin' at, Larxene?" Arida asked, tying up her red frizzy hair with a small red hair tie.
"I know this necklace, Riku used to wear it all the time. He said his mother gave it to him, before she died. This was his most prized possession. How the hell did you get it?" she asked the quivering boy, anger in her words.
"R – Riku gave it to me," Sora stuttered out, worried about the necklace that meant so much to him. She wouldn't take it, would she?
"Why the fuck would he just give this to you? It rightfully belongs to me!" she shrieked, jealousy in her words and on her face. She yanked the necklace off of Sora, and redid the clasp around her own neck.
"No! That's mine!" Sora screamed, struggling to get the necklace. "Give it back! Please! It's my necklace!"
"I really don't think that you are in any position to give orders, little boy," the blonde said, pinning the struggling boy to the bed. "Arida, I think we should wrap this up. I can feel them coming," she said, her eyes looking distant for a moment.
"You mean they defeated that many guards?" the red head asked, shocked.
"Well, let's admit it, those weren't the best guards, you know," the blonde replied.
"You're right. All the good ones are up serving him," she said sourness in her voice.
"Fine, you can kill me," Sora muttered, huddled up in a ball. The two looked down at him surprised, almost as if they forgot he was here. "I don't want to live if Riku doesn't love me."
"Fine makes the job easier for us," Larxene said, pushing the boy onto his back. She pulled out a knife and was about to stick it in to Sora, when all of a sudden, she stopped. She looked up in surprise, and dropped the knife on the bed. "They're almost here, darn it," she said with a sigh. She picked up the knife and gave it to Arida. "Here, finish the job," she said, and disappeared downstairs.
"So, I have to finish you, huh?" she said, walking over to Sora. "Any last words?"
" … No, I just have one question. Why does Riku hate me?" the young boy asked, looking up at the woman with his big blue eyes, that were brimming with tears.
"He has to save you all the time, and your asking that? Pathetic. He always gets hurt trying to save you. Does that answer your question?" she replied.
"Yes. I just have one other question. … Will it … hurt to die?"
Riku arrived at the house on Leon's back, and he jumped off, finally finding the strength to walk. He burst through the door and found Larxene sitting on the couch.
"Larxene? What are you doing here?" he yelled, outraged that she was in their house.
"I'm killing your brat, of course," she said completely nonchalantly. She leaned back on the couch, enjoying the look of anger, shock and sadness on the boy's face. "Now, we can focus on our relationship."
"Sora's … dead?" Riku asked.
"Well, not yet, but he will be in a moment."
"Sora!" Riku screamed, and started to run upstairs, but Larxene blocked his pathway. "Move!" he yelled.
"Pfft. Yeah, right, like I'm just going to move and let you save that slut? Yeah, right!"
"I said, move! Hey, what's that?" he asked, seeing the necklace that was around her neck.
"Oh, I took it from the brat. I figured that he tricked you into giving it to him," she replied. "Honestly, I think it looks better on me."
"Give that back!" Riku yelled, outraged, and snatched it from her. He knocked her over, and he started up the stairs.
"Oh, no you don't," Larxene said, and grabbed the boy's waist. "How are you going to protect someone who doesn't have the will to live?"
"What? Sora! Leave me alone!" Riku said, struggling against the girl. A strong hand pulled her off of Riku, and the older boy sprinted up the stairs, skipping steps as he went.
He scrambled into the hallway, soon enough to hear, "… Will it … hurt to die?" Riku's eyes widened as he heard this, and he sprinted to the door. "I mean, it can't hurt anymore than Riku not loving me anymore," the silver haired boy heard Sora say. This made Riku stop in his tracks, stunned.
'Sora thinks that I don't love him anymore?' Riku thought, shock freezing him in place. 'But I do love him!'
"I'll make it quick and easy," came a female voice from inside the room.
"Okay, just ... tell Riku that I loved him, even if he doesn't," Sora said, sounding like he was gonna cry.
"NO!" Riku yelled, and burst into the room. He saw the knife upraised over Sora's chest, and the younger boy was shaking and crying silently. "Get away from him!" he screamed, and the robed woman lowered her arm.
"How did you escape?" she asked, awestruck. "And get here so fast?"
"That's really none of your concern! Now, as I was saying earlier, GET AWAY FROM SORA!" Riku bellowed, making the lady step back in fright.
"I really don't think you're in any position to give orders, boy," she said, holding the knife up to Sora's throat, and the younger boy whined softly in fright. He clamped his eyes shut, tears streaming out of his eyes. Riku narrowed his eyes in anger, and prepared to attack.
"So, I'm not, am I?" the silver haired boy growled. Riku rushed forward, and snatched the knife away before she could react. He aimed the knife at her throat, and the woman looked absolutely scared. "Now get out of here, before I do something that you'll regret!" he told her, and she disappeared into the darkness. He was breathing heavily, and he turned to look at the frightened brunette, who hadn't moved the entire time. "Sora?"
"R – Riku?" the younger boy asked, opening his eyes. Riku was stunned. He had never seen Sora so frightened. He stepped forward towards Sora, and the younger boy scrambled farther away from him.
"Sora, what's wrong," Riku asked, confused. He reached a hand out towards Sora but he recoiled at his touch. "Sora, it's me! Come here," Riku pleaded, his heart starting to crack at the way the brunette was looking at him. There was so much sacredness … so much fear.
The long days were finally starting to take its toll on Riku, and he felt himself getting weaker and weaker. He hadn't slept or eaten for days, and he was exhausted from all the tortures that he had gotten. "Sora?" he managed to get out, as everything started to get blurry. He collapsed on the bed next to Sora, who looked frightened at what had just happened.
"R- Riku?" the brunette repeated, moving closer to the fallen boy. "Are you okay?" he asked, poking him in the shoulder. He flipped the boy onto his back, and checked his breathing. It still came, although it sounded rough and labored. Sora clutched Riku tighter, sobbing into his strong chest. He breathed in sharply, and smelled the faint scent of roses coming from the boy. "Is this my Riku?" the younger boy asked in a quiet voice. He held Riku tighter, and jumped when the door burst open to show Leon standing there, covered in cuts and blood, but otherwise alright.
"How is he?" the older man asked, walking over to Riku.
"He – he just collapsed," Sora said, worried about his protector.
"He must be exhausted. Here, help me get him into some clean clothes, and then we can see what we can do about feeding him," Leon said, pulling out a fresh pair of clothes from their suitcase.
Riku woke later that night, finally feeling warm and safe for the first time in days. But, even though he was happy to be safe, something was still missing. He sat up and looked around, trying to rub the sleepiness from his eyes. He noticed Sora curled up in a little chair next to him, and he shook the boy slightly.
"Sora?" he asked, the younger boy, who sat up and blinked. He yawned and looked at Riku who was looking at him in concern.
"Riku? You're awake!" Sora exclaimed, smiling at the boy.
"Yeah, I guess I am," he replied, scratching the back of his head.
"Are … are you okay?" Sora asked.
"I'm fine, now."
"Oh, are you hungry?" the brunette asked, handing him some bread covered in butter that Aerith had brought up earlier.
"Yeah!" Riku said, taking the bread and eating it in a matter of seconds. "I'm starving!"
"Heh."
"Hey, Sora?"
"Hm?"
"Why were you so afraid of me earlier?"
"Oh, that. Well, before we realized that you were taken by those people, I guess they had a replica of you and he … it … hurt me. I wasn't really listening when they were trying to explain to me what had happened. I thought that it was really you, not a replica of you. Inever shouldhave doubted that you would never hurt me. I'm sorry, Riku." Sora said, letting out a little sob as his head dropped.
"No, Sora, don't be sorry. You had every right to be scared. You know what I really need now?"
"What?" Sora asked, looking up at Riku with big blue eyes, his cheeks wet with tears.
"All I'll ever need is you," the silver haired boy replied, grabbing Sora's hand affectionately. Sora got up and snuggled next to Riku, feeling safe in the older boy's arms.
"Riku, I missed you," Sora murmured, feeling Riku's arms wrapping around his waist. "I never want to feel that way again."
"Don't worry. As long as you know that I would never hurt you, you'll be fine. Nothing in the world could make me hurt you."
"Riku?"
"Yes?"
"That lady … I think her name was Larxene … she took the necklace that you gave me. You know, the one with the silver crown? I'm sorry, I couldn't stop her," Sora said quietly.
"Oh, no she didn't. I got it from her before she could get away with it. Here," Riku said, reaching into his pocket and bringing out the necklace. Sora's eyes sparkled with tears of gratitude as he refastened it around his neck, and then snuggled up closer to Riku.
"Thank you," Sora mumbled, smelling the familiar scent of roses on Riku's chest.
"Sora … you said that the replica of me hurt you. What … what did he do to you, Sora?"
"He – he fucked me, Riku!" Sora screamed, tears flowing out of his eyes. "He raped me! And he broke my heart into a million pieces by telling me that you didn't love me," Sora cried, sobbing into Riku's chest as the older boy held him protectively. Sora felt Riku stiffen at his words, and he knew that Riku was angry.
"I can't believe they did that to you. That's low, even for them!" Riku said, his voice dangerously low. "Sora, I'll never let them hurt you like that again, okay?" Riku said, burying his face in Sora's mass of cinnamon hair. "Never again," he whispered.
"I – I believe you," Sora said hugging onto Riku tighter, crying quietly on Riku. "Riku, I'll never doubt you again. I will always trust you. I love you. And I always will."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Authoress' Note:
So, love it? Hate it? Please tell me! I worked my ass off trying to get this to you, so please take the time to review. It won't take you mare than a minute, right? I bet after the last chapter you all had your pitchforks and torches, huh? Well, extra points to AnimeDutchess and AnimeDragonofFire for figuring it out before hand!