Welcome to another chapter of Downpour! Hopefully y'all enjoyed yourselves this far because after the end of this chapter, all the wheels, or at least a few more will be sent into motion. Please enjoy!

Chapter VII: Descendant of Darkness II

Riku and Sora had been gathering food and such for the Takejima residence, walking down the Main Street of the Twilight District. Sora wore simple jeans, the shirt from this morning, a black jacket, his favorite, over it and his black and yellow sneakers, while Riku still had his black clothes from before.

"Isn't this a little too much?" Riku asked trying to keep his balance; he had two bags full of canned meats, fruit and some bathroom stuff.

"Not really, four people live in that house…well, five if you decide to stay" Sora said with a smile, Riku accepted he did that often, which he really didn't mind, but, what was he so happy about?

"All right then…" he looked over and Sora only had one bag, full, but only one, he felt slightly cheated "So, what now?"

"Well, he have at least 500 munny left, so, we should try and get you something to wear…" though he didn't really mind what he had on.

"Are you sure that's enough?" Riku asked in disbelief.

"It depends on where you go…" Sora said, looking around "Oh! Here…" he quickly jogged down the street, to the corner of 4th and Dawn.

"'Jessie's Parlor'?" Riku asked.

"Yup! Cheapest place in town, but also pretty good, any other place is a total rip off" the boy of blue eyes chuckled.

~o~

The bell on top of the door clinked as both boys came inside, a woman putting clothes in a rack turned. Her red hair in a pony tail, while her dark eyes seemed amused "Sora and a new guy…" she smiled widely and said: "Welcome to Jessie's" she said.

"Hi Jessie, this is Riku" the boy of green eyes nodded "We're looking for some cheap clothes" he chuckled.

The woman frowned "Did you just call me cheap? I may not be as pricey as most stores in this town, but my quality is unmatched! My clothes are almost fireproof, rainproof, and even blizzard proof…I'm working on lighting proof though…" she mumbled "Anyhow, take a look around Riku, pick out something you like…"

"Really?" he looked over at Sora, who nodded "All right…" he smirked, going around and looking "Um…I don't really know my size…" he admitted.

"Oh, ok then, let me measure you then…" the woman said, taking out a measuring tape from the back pocket of her baggy jeans. Riku felt a little odd, being measured so closely by a woman and Sora staring and giggling didn't help "Well…you're a 30 waist and 34 length on pants…and a shirt I recommend small adult…" Riku nodded and returned to his scavenging.

Jessie took their groceries and put them behind the counter, and smiling cheekily she began her torture of Sora.

"So, where'd you find this little stud huh?" she giggled.

"Um…well…" he blushed.

"Such a handsome guy if I've ever seen one…you made a move yet?" she asked, making Sora blush even more.

"It's not like that!" he said in his defense, arms flailing around "I only met him today!"

"So? He seems nice enough…" she winked "…when's the last time you took a risk?"

"…I don't even know if…" he was about to finish his sentence when he looked to his side, Riku had found a pair of dark blue baggy jeans, which covered a pair of white sneakers he seemed to have found, he felt the blood rush through his face and threaten to fall out of his nose: Riku totally forgot a shirt.

"What do you think about these?" he asked, about the pants.

"Very nice, you might need a belt though, lemme see if I have one" she said, leaving the counter, laughing her ass off the minute she got to the back.

"What's with her?" the silver haired boy chuckled.

Sora couldn't even muster up a word "…what…a….body…I wonder if...No! Bad Sora! Bad thoughts!" he thought.

Riku saw his new friend fidget and mumble to himself, he found it odd yet amusing, and he walked closer to him wanting to say something.

"Hey Sora…" he began

"Wha!?" he almost yelled, looking up and trying hard not to look down, feeling a little swelling in his own nether regions.

"…this is really nice of you guys, I don't know how to thank you…" he admitted.

"Oh, no thanks necessary, though, I'm thinking my aunt might want to ask you a few more serious questions when we get back, is that ok with you?" he asked

"…I'll…give it a shot…" he admitted, though in reality, he had no clue whether to lie or just leave altogether.

"Here you go" Jessie said when she came back.

"Thanks…" Riku nodded and went in search of a shirt.

"Now wasn't that a kick in the pants?" Jessie asked; snort laughing while Sora had his mortified face on.

"Kill me…" he breathed out "It seemed so soft…and…those nip…Bad Sora!" Sora groaned in frustration, running his hand through his hair like crazy, while Jessie giggled amused.

"Well?" Riku said, he now had a sleeveless black shirt, which zipped up and a white jacket with the shoulder rim in yellow, it complemented his skin and hair totally.

"Wow Riku! You know how to dress yourself after all" Sora grinned.

"Shut up…" he retorted "…How much?" he asked her

"Well…I'll throw in the belt and shirt for free…and I'll give you my new-comer discount, so the total would be…99.99 munny"

"Really? I expected a little more…" Riku blinked

"Like I said, it's not like the normal stores here, Jessie makes most of these clothes and gets her materials from local friends, she's also a gadget freak" Sora said, handing her 100 munny.

"Thank you for your patronage" she said, handing them their groceries and a receipt.

They both said goodbye, and Sora added the bag with Riku's old clothes to his arm. As they left, Riku felt a sense of peace, it's as if he had a new life, like nothing that had happened happened, but, that small feeling of dread kept creeping up now and again.

~o~

"We have a little time before we have to head home" Sora said as they traveled in the Tram heading to the north part of the Twilight District "Is there something you'd like to do?"

"Yeah actually…" he smirked.

"What?" Sora asked enthusiastically.

"Let's talk" Riku stated, both of them chuckling.

"All right, so…"

"Tell me more about you, though I think I can pretty much guess…" he smirked.

"Oh really?" Sora asked in a slight glare "Tell me then"

"Well…you're a hard-worker but like to slack off, you're a good natured person and would help an old woman cross the street, even if she doesn't want to, you talk a lot, you smile a lot, you eat a lot, you're both athletic and artistic, and to top it all off you're a bit…soft…"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Sora quirked an eyebrow at this.

"Ah…you're also a little slow, a bit too innocent and would probably need a dictionary sometimes…" Sora glared even more "You also look like a puffer fish when you get mad" he laughed.

"Well…at least I got you to laugh…" he said, still pouting.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist, but, what I meant was, well, you seem to get embarrassed easy and you blush easy too" he smirked, Sora's ears going red "Your ears do it too?" he asked, making it even worse.

"Stop teasing me!" Sora said, making Riku laugh even more.

~o~

When they got off they walked up the large slope, which had apartments and stores, one caught Riku's interest, Merlin's bookstore.

"You want to go in?" Sora asked, smirking, putting a 'nerd' sticker on Riku's face on his mind.

"I do" he nodded "It's been a long time since I've read something…I need to catch up on things, do we have time?" he asked.

"Well…" he looked around and managed to spot the clock tower in the distance "It's only 4, we need to get back at 5 so we have time" he smiled and saw Riku's enthusiastic face.

"Thanks" he said, quickly going inside.

He opened the door and then found a wooden floor with a sliding door in front.

"Leave your shoes here" Sora said, as he took off his yellow and black sneakers

"All right…" he said, doing the same "You have pretty big feet for a scrawny guy" he chuckled

"And you have small feet…" the other stated, sticking his tongue at him; they left the groceries there as well and walked inside. A desk to their right and everywhere else was full of books and shelves, even on the floor; it seemed to stretch forever though it looked small on the outside.

"Well this is rare…" a female voice said "…Sora in my bookstore, I'd never thought I'd see the day" she emerged from the back, like a shadow, her purple eyes intent on Riku, who eyed her back curiously.

Sora noticed, but didn't really take it as serious "This is Riku, he's new in town…and what do you mean?" he asked, his puffer pout on.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Lulu, the curator of this place" she said, bowing her head.

"Hello…" he bowed back, and then he went out of his thoughts when he saw mountain after mountain of books.

"I have fiction, non-fiction, history, literature, how-to's and don'ts, as well as comics…" Sora grinned at the finale, but Riku was enthralled; the only thing he had as entertainment as a kid were books, stories that took him to far-away lands and places, where adventure, love and loss waited at every corner; a deep longing for travel had returned to Riku and found himself acknowledging that his life has been one, a complete and utter tragedy, but still an adventure.

"Do you have past events as well? I've kind of missed out on the last 3 years or so" he said to her, which struck her as odd.

"To your left…" she said and he ran there, excited "…How did you meet this boy?" she asked.

"Um…he crawled into the basement window…" he admitted, Lulu was the second woman he couldn't lie to, they way her eyes bore into him, plus the supposed rumor that she's into voodoo didn't help "…and he's now here…basically…"

"I see…have you ever seen him before? What do you know of him?" she kept insisting.

"No idea…" he admitted, which now that he thought about, he hadn't ask him anything, nothing serious anyway "…but I think I'll get to that now" he nodded and followed Riku.

"That boy…he reeks of darkness…so terrible…yet…he emits a gentle glow…very strange…hmm 3 years or so…" she sat on the stool behind her desk and let herself be lost to memories, all the while shuffling her own deck of 22 Aeons, divination one of her strong points.

~o~

Sora found Riku already halfway through a Huckleberry Goofy book, three more next to him, and different types of books. He slowly deposited himself next to Riku and looked around, waiting for the boy of pale green eyes to notice.

"Something wrong?" Riku asked his nose still in the book.

"Well…earlier you said that we should talk…and well…I'd like to…" he knew he was being selfish, Riku's reading and found a nice place to be, he hated being a bother, but it began to gnaw at him that he hardly knew the boy next to him.

"All right" he smiled, making a note of the page he was on and gently put it to his side.

"Well…where are you from? How old are you? And…why do you seem so scattered about everything?" he asked; Riku felt a tug at his heart, he'd have to lie to sorry to keep him safe, yet…he felt compelled to the truth, but knew it might backfire someday.

"Well, I believe I'm originally from Radiant Garden, I've been in an orphanage since I was five, my parents were killed in an accident, I lived in that place since I was 15, but then I was taken to work on a nearby company…" he then hesitated, he didn't want to delve into the truth, of himself, of Shinra, of how sullied he is, how deep in darkness he truly was "…I'm 18 right now, If I remember correctly I'll be 19 soon…I think…" he blinked.

"See, that's what I mean, you're so unsure of stuff since I met you, have you been somewhere all this time?" he asked.

"I…" Riku stuttered, he looked away, that puffer pout was pathetic, but hell if it wasn't cute.

"I'm sorry…" Sora said suddenly "I shouldn't push the truth out of you…it's not fair of me…but, whenever you feel comfortable and ready, I'm willing to listen" he smiled broadly, meaning his words "I know we've only known each other for a short time, but I feel like I've been with you for a long time Riku, that's why…I'll try everything to make sure you feel welcome, ok?" he nodded firmly, his blue eyes full of determination, and maybe…some sort of affection?

"Thanks…" Riku said, relieved "…I hope I'll be able to…someday…" Sora gave him a firm nod and smiled.

"Now, I'll go get my comic book" he smiled, standing up and heading back to Lulu.

"…I feel like I'm taking you for granted…you're giving me so much Sora…and I…I'm hiding all these things from you…I feel like dirt…" he sighed loudly, sniffing slightly, thinking of the possible loss of the only friend he truly ever had.

~o~

A half an hour had passed, Riku had read two books and was well on his way to his third. Sora was by his side, passed out into his comic book, snoring lightly. Riku smiled, chuckling, he sat up, putting his book in a pile and walked toward the curator, Soul Eater in hand.

"Excuse me…hey!" he yelped, chains appeared and covered him, bounding him to the floor, Soul Eater vanishing in the process.

"You reek a foul darkness…" the woman said lightly, sitting in her stool behind the counter, playing with her cards "…yet there's gentleness in it…"

"You emit it too…it's small but it is still there…" he said, struggling, a small growl was emitted behind the woman of dark hair, she smirked.

"Call off your Familiar, there's no need to fight…"

"You chained me up!" he berated.

"You took out your weapon first…" she added, Riku frowned, and sighed, his Guardian appearing, hovering like a ghost, the chains around it's master disappearing.

"Tell me," he said, taking a breath "…who or what are you?"

"A humble bookstore owner in reality…" she said, looking up toward him, her amethyst eyes looking straight at him "…but, my existence is that of a Sorceress…" she admitted bitterly.

"A Sorceress?" that sounded familiar "…I see, I've heard of those…but…" he looked her over "Don't Sorceresses usually have a physical deformation?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"What do you think these are?" she asked, looking down at her assets; Riku felt embarrassed "I've had them since I was 12 and they don't plan on leaving, so stop staring if you don't want a thunderbolt through that pretty little head…"

"Right…" Riku sighed, feeling stupid for even mentioning it.

"As I was saying, yes I am a Sorceress. I received them as a girl from a woman on the verge of death, I was sixteen then, Terra I believe her name was, though I only noticed when I accidentally burned down a bakery, I was a little too mad…" hence her mellow attitude' she meant "That is why I have darkness inside, though all beings carry both light and darkness…you shouldn't judge just by one of them…" she paused, putting a stray hair behind her ear "Though, as you can see, Sora's darkness is practically unseen…it makes him vulnerable…" she frowned, a card divination seemed to turn sour.

"I understand…he's…naïve and innocent, quick to jump into anything without thinking first…but, it makes him what he is…" Riku contemplated.

"Like I said before though, it makes him vulnerable…" she said, the shuffling of cards the only thing heard throughout the store, that, and Sora's audible call for cheesecake "…I have one thing to ask of you…" she looked over at the Guardian, which amused itself at glaring at a candle "I know enough to know where you come from and how dangerous that is…" she looked back at him with fierce eyes, Riku even flinched "…protect Sora, help him, the boy is too good and too curious for his own good and Shinra isn't something to be toiled with, ever…"

"I know that…" he added "…which is why I'm unsure of considering staying with him…they'll look for me…relentlessly…"

"Who said your fate was to return? You need to stay by his side" she stated

"What!?" Riku's was shocked, the Guardian even flinched, and if it had any emotion, it would've laughed.

"Think about it…that massive amount of light, they would be drawn to it inevitably, it's better to be safe than sorry…" she then stood up, standing in front of the Guardian, which let her pass. Riku pondered while she returned; would it really be better to stay? His Guardian he could hide, true, but the darkness inside…

"Here…" she said, handing him what looked like two key chains, one with three circular shapes, silver in color and another in the shape of a heart, black and red "…take these"

"What for?"

"Keep the black one with you at all times, it shall keep them from smelling your darkness, only your light will be apparent, the other is for Sora should the need arise" she said, an air of mystery behind it all.

"Fine…" he sighed, but inside he was glad, so glad "…Thank you" he said whole-heartedly; He could stay, with everyone, in this town, with Sora, without worrying too much about Hojo or his madness, though he knew it wouldn't be forever, he knew it would last for a while.

~o~

"Hey…Sora…" was what he heard as he stirred from his food filled dream.

"Hmm…" he mumbled "…What?" he asked.

"It's time to go, it's already five-ten"

"Wah!" he wailed "Why didn't you wake me sooner!?" he struggled to stand and tripped, falling into Riku's arm.

"Something wrong?" the silver haired youth asked.

"My…legs are asleep…" he admitted dumbly, Riku chuckled.

"You really are a handful, aren't you?" he said teasingly.

"Mean…mean Riku…" the other pouted. He then suddenly realized that Riku was holding him up, both his arms around Sora's slender form, it brought a blush to his face "Um…" he stuttered.

"Think you can walk now?" the other asked.

"Uh…" he mumbled; had Riku read his thoughts? Though now he kinda regretted them seeing as how nice it felt to be held by him, but it would be so awkward, so he slightly stepped a bit away and jumped.

"All better" he smiled, Riku nodded, walking toward the front.

"Thanks again" the silver-haired one told the woman.

"See you around" she told them, waving slightly with an odd grin, she had felt the shift of energy when those two touched; it warmed up the whole room. They sat down on the step and put their shoes on, when Sora noticed the key chains on Riku's waist.

"What are those, key chains?" he asked.

"Yeah…" he nodded, giving the silver one to Sora "…Lulu gave me those, that one's for you"

"Wow! A Mickey key chain!" he chuckled, all giddy.

"Who?"

"Mickey Mouse! He's a famous character" he goaded over it, shining it and putting it in his pocket "Let's go!" he said, all energetic.

~o~

They walked uphill for a few minutes; it was already around five-twenty "Aunt Quistis won't be happy…" Sora thought.

They got to the Train Station that would take them to the East side, when Riku turned around, his whole body shivered slightly, and saw an explosion erupt from the Shinra building.

"Whoah!" Sora said, the people around them also voiced their astonishment and looked over toward the place. Riku was the only with a stern look on his face, he tried to make any of the faint smells from the building out, but noticed one, it was completely new, it felt powerful and almost sucked him in, but it left as soon as he noticed it.

A/N: Review!!!!!