Title: Hearts of dawn
Author: OceanSurferGirl (ToriaPhoenix)
Rating: PG-PG13
Summary: Prince Sora is engaged to Princess Kairi, but one day he's kidnapped by an evil sorcerer. What happens when the only person who can save him is Kairi's brother Riku? –KH Version of Swan Princess-
Pairings: It starts off with a little Sora/Kairi (I HAD to do it for the sake of the fanfic!) but ends with Sora/Riku, and a little bit of Axel/Roxas along the way. That means eventual yaoi! BE WARNED!
A/N- EEK! Here it is- I've spent quite a bit of time tweaking it and making it just right for release, and here it is! Of course, I never could have done it without my fabulous betas- Pearlblade, and Panonychus. Anyway, let me know what you think! OH- try and guess who Sora's mom and dad are based on. :-D
- - - - - - - - - - -
King Christopher paced anxiously throughout the Kingdom's hallways; his eyebrows furrowed in concentration and his mind clearly somewhere else.
"Your Majesty?" A smooth voice called out from behind him. The distracted King paid no attention to it. Rather, he continued his pacing, reaching up every once in a while to massage his forehead lightly. It was very nerve-wracking. How on earth was he supposed to wait calmly when Lord-knows-what was going on in that room?
"Your Majesty!" The voice persisted, but he ignored. Something could've gone wrong! He paled at the thought, and sent a silent prayer up to Heaven to keep his wife safe.
"King Christopher!" The deep voice had taken on a slightly amused tone, and Christopher swung around and finally acknowledged the other man.
"Ah, Ansem!" The King greeted his advisor warmly. "Do forgive me, I fear my mind is in another place." Ansem merely smiled.
"That is quite all right, your Majesty. I came to inform you that the potions are ready to bless the newborn royalty at his birth ceremony." The King nodded, offering Ansem a kind smile.
"Good, good! Whatever would I do without you, my dear friend? I assume you found the required ingredients without any trouble?" He asked. Ansem nodded slowly.
"I suppose you could say that. It was easier to gather the more rare ingredients with the help of my new apprentice."
"Ah, yes! How is the lad doing?" Christopher asked, temporarily forgetting about his previous anxiety.
"He is adequate enough, I suppose. The boy does have talent... Especially with the element of fire. If he uses his full potential, it's possible he could grow to be very powerful..." Ansem trailed off, his cold brown eyes narrowing back on the King.
"I'm glad to hear it! Perhaps he'll grow up to be the Kingdoms next magic advisor," Christopher teased lightly.
"Perhaps so, your Majesty." Ansem bowed slowly before pinning the King with a slightly cold stare. "If you need me, I shall be in my quarters, working on some complex potions." With a twirl of his cape, he was gone.
The King stared after him for a long while. Something had seemed off about Ansem lately, and he didn't quite know what to make of it. He couldn't stop the feeling of dread that told him something terrible was going to happen.
He tried to ignore it, looking for something else to focus on.
And, as if reading his mind, an adorable little four-year-old boy with blond hair dashed around and corner and into Christopher's arms.
"DADDY!" A huge grin crossing his face, Christopher picked up the little prince and spun him around.
"Well, well, well, WHAT do we have here? A little mischief-maker who's somehow managed to sneak out of his schooling? Whatever shall we do!" The King sighed dramatically, then sat down on a nearby chair, holding the small boy on his lap. The little blond curled into his father's embrace, and yawned lightly.
"Lessons are boring," he mumbled. "Besides, I'd much rather spend time with you!" The King let out a hearty chuckle and squeezed his son tightly.
"And I'd rather spend time with you, too, Cloud, but we both have things to do. Besides, I thought you liked learning how to fence and ride horses?" Cloud shifted in his arms so he was face to face with his father.
"I do!" The four-year-old said, his eyes wide, "but my trainers always treat me like a kid, and I never get to use the real swords!" Again, Christopher chuckled lightly, and kissed his son's forehead.
"All the more reason for you to attend lessons. The sooner you learn the technique, the sooner you can use the real swords." Cloud grinned widely, and began to bounce in excitement.
"Really?" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around his father's neck.
"I promise." The King smiled at his son. Cloud seemed to relax for a minute, but then he seemed to suddenly have remembered something, and shifted so he was now kneeling on his father's lap.
"Hey, Daddy?" Cloud's pale blue eyes were scrunched up in confusion. "When's the new baby gonna get here? I'm tired of waiting!" The King smiled wryly, before gently ruffling his son's hair.
"I couldn't have put it better myself, Cloud."
- - - - - - - - - - -
Ansem hummed lightly to himself as he added a pinch of spider legs to the potion, his eyes narrowing in concentration.
"Axel?" He called out sharply. A small redheaded boy came out of the backroom. He only had to be eight or nine, but with his bright green eyes and unruly red hair, he could easily be mistaken for older.
"Yes, Master Ansem?" The young boy said, shifting his weight anxiously from foot to foot.
"Bring me one bottle of snake venom, a jar of sandalwood leafs, and..." Ansem sniffed the potion curiously. "One cup of dragons blood. Understood?" Axel nodded and walked over to the inventory room. Fearlessly, he pushed open the door that was covered in cobwebs, and made his way inside. There, he started gathering the ingredients Ansem had told him to collect. While the castle's inventory room had many more ingredients than Ansem's personal storage, Ansem had more... Forbidden ingredients of a questionable nature. As to why he needed his secret stash, Ansem was a practitioner of the dark arts, and most of his spells called for ingredients that would arouse suspicion if he ordered them through the castle.
Soon enough, Axel finished collecting what Ansem had asked for, and immediately brought it back to him. As soon as Axel added the final three ingredients in, the potion turned deathly red and sizzled furiously. Ansem smiled grimly and put some of it into a vial. Axel watched curiously.
"Anse- I mean, Master Ansem," he corrected. "What is this potion for?"
"This potion," Ansem began smoothly, "is for the dear newest member of the royal family. As soon as it is consumed, that person becomes, in essence, a slave to the maker of the potion. In this case, me. They will still have their true personality, of course, but I will be able to control them at any point. So, when the child gets old enough, tragedy will strike, and the youngest member of the Royal Family will go crazy and kill the rest of his clan. He will be put to death immediately, leaving the throne to who is the closest politically... Which is me." Ansem smirked as he stared at the deep red color that the potion had turned. Then his gaze shifted to his young apprentice.
"Now Axel, remember the little deal we made when I gave you the position as my apprentice. You don't question me, and I will reward your servitude generously. Understood?" The redhead nodded. "And, just to make this perfectly clear... If you disobey me in any way, I will kill you. Understood?" Again, the redhead nodded, but was clearly unaffected by the threat.
Suddenly, a loud trumpet sounded throughout the castle, echoing through every room. Ansem merely gazed at the door, a smirk on his face.
"The Queen has had her baby," he said, his eyes glowing as he slipped a vial with the blood-red potion in his pocket. "Come, Axel. It would be rude if we didn't welcome the young Royal into the world."
- - - - - - - - - - -
The new royal was in fact a beautiful baby boy, with haunting blue eyes that seemed to pierce right through you. Queen Ella held the little baby close, falling in love with him every time he cooed softly.
"What shall your name be?" She mused softly. The little boy gently reached up weakly and grabbed her finger. Like a lightning bolt, his name came to her. "Sora," she said slowly, enjoying the way it rolled off the tongue. "What do you think, young prince? Would you like your name to be Sora?" He giggled happily and squeezed her finger tighter. Ella laughed.
"I'll take that as a yes."
- - - - - - - - - - -
Quicker than it seemed possible, a week passed, and it was time for Sora's formal introduction to the world. All the royalty from around the earth was invited to come see the beautiful new Prince of Hollow Bastion. Everyone fell in love with him immediately. Never had anyone seen such a well-behaved baby, and King Christopher and Queen Ella could not have been happier. Yet, even though everyone loved Sora, it could not compare to Cloud's love for his new baby brother.
Cloud was fascinated. When he had seen Sora for the first time, it was like Cloud instantly felt the urge to protect his little brother. So, Cloud spent every waking moment with Sora: playing with him, holding him, and once, his mother had even let him rock Sora to sleep. Cloud was devoted to Sora, and in return, Cloud had become Sora's favorite person. If Cloud was holding Sora, and suddenly someone plucked him out of Clouds grasp, Sora would squirm and wiggle, trying to get back to Cloud. He wouldn't cry, though - he never cried. He would simply frown and reach out for Cloud, his bright blue eyes pleading with Cloud to come take him back. The King and Queen were most pleased with the brothers' relationship. Ella knew what it was like to have to suddenly share your parents affection with someone else, and she had been worried Cloud would withdraw and hate the new baby. She was thrilled that it turned out to be quite the opposite.
And so, Sora's formal introduction began. He was on his best behavior, a huge grin on his face, and letting out a happy giggle every few minutes, no matter how many times he was handed from person-to-person. Soon, almost everyone had come up and greeted the King and Queen, congratulating them on their second son. Everyone was mingling, talking and smiling, and generally having a good time. Only when the crowd around the baby died down did one final woman approach. Queen Allison of Destiny Islands walked towards Ella and Christopher, smiling sweetly.
"Hello Christopher, Ella!" She greeted them warmly.
"Allison!" Ella smiled kindly at her. "How're you doing?" Allison's smile diminished, and a look of sadness took its place. Just the previous spring, her husband, King James, had died, leaving her in control of the entire Kingdom, along with two young children to take care of.
"I'm managing. It can be rough some times, but..." She trailed off, finally seeing the baby for the first time. "Goodness... Is this Sora?" Her smiled returned as Ella nodded.
"He's beautiful, Ella! What a darling boy! Not to much younger than my Kairi!" Ella glanced around, searching for the adorable redheaded baby.
"Where is Kairi, anyway?" Ella questioned curiously.
"Kairi is absolutely terrified of the sea. The last time we went on a trip, she cried the moment we got on that boat until the minute we got off. Since this is such a long trip, I decided to leave her with the nurse at home. I really wanted her to meet the young Prince, but it seems she will have to wait until she is older." Both Queens laughed lightly, but Christopher remained silent.
"How old is Kairi again?" He asked softly, his gaze lowering to Sora, a thoughtful look upon his face.
"She was born six months ago." The silence continued, and Ella could tell something was brewing in her husband's mind, and a slight uneasiness crept over her.
"I just had a thought," he began. Ella and Allison listened intently. "Do you remember the alliance our countries formed when James was still alive, but when he died, the alliances seemed to fall through?" Allison nodded slowly. "What if we had something solid to connect our countries - something that would connect us as allies forever." Allison frowned curiously.
"And just how do you intend to do this?" She said pointedly.
"We would arrange for Sora and Kairi to marry when they reach legal age. If they were married, our kingdoms would unite out of loyalty to its rulers, even if they aren't to become King and Queen," Christopher explained. Allison bit her lip thoughtfully.
"It would allow our countries to become allies, and both of their futures would be secure..." She paused for a minute, her eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Finally, she looked up at him and smiled. "I accept. I believe that if James were still alive..." She paused somberly. "There's no one he would trust Kairi with more than your son." Christopher offered his arm to her warmly.
"Shall we go set up the paperwork, and the terms and conditions?" He said. Allison smiled, and took the arm that was being extended to her, and the two started to walk away.
"Wait!" Ella blurted out, and the two figures turned back towards her.
"Are you sure you want to do this now? Sora's not a month old, and we already have his whole life planned out for him?" Ella said, clearly upset.
"Not his whole life, darling, but the sooner we act, the sooner Allison will have the protection she needs from possible intruders in her country." Christopher gently took her hand and smiled convincingly, but Ella had none of it.
"Christopher Rupert Alexander! It wasn't that long ago that your parents tried to force you into an arranged marriage, and as I recall, you had none of it!" She reminded him crossly. Allison looked mildly uncomfortable.
"Maybe I should give you time to think about this..." She trailed off absently.
"It's quite alright, Allison... Hang on, just for a minute." Gently, Christopher pulled Ella over to a quiet corner.
"Ella... I know you don't like this, but we don't have much of a choice. I've heard rumors of people possibly taking over sections of Destiny Island ever since James died. Please trust me on this?" Ella lowered her gaze to the floor unhappily. Christopher sighed and lightly touched her cheek, urging her to look at him. When at last her bright blue eyes fell upon him, he smiled at her lightly.
"Darling, please give this a chance. If we do this now, while Sora is young, it'll give both of our countries stability for who knows how long. As for Sora..." His tone softened. "I know you believe this is taking away his chance at true love... But maybe this is right for Sora. Isn't it possible for him and Kairi to fall in love?"
"Well, yes, but Christopher!" Ella protested. Christopher gently placed one finger over her lips.
"If they get older, and one or the other finds themselves in love with someone else, or unhappy with our contract... We will deal with it then. But remember how we fell in love?" Ella's eyes twinkled lightly at the memory. "Sometimes love comes in the most unlikely of places. Who knows what this world will bring for Sora, or, for that matter, Cloud! But for now, please let us give this a try?" Christopher's eyes displayed a pleading look and Ella sighed, defeated.
"Alright. For now we will arrange it... But you have to keep your promise! If either of them is unhappy, we drop the contract," she reminded him pointedly. Christopher kissed her hand sweetly.
"Of course, darling. Now let's go tell Allison about our decision." Christopher and Ella walked back over to Allison, who was waiting patiently. "Do you still want to draw up that contract, Allison?" Allison's gaze darted to Ella.
"Are you okay with this, Ella?" She asked gently. Ella nodded, and lowered her gaze to the sleeping baby. Christopher offered his hand again, and Allison accepted. They walked away, and this time Ella remained silent.
Frowning sadly, she leaned over the crib, and stroked the now sleeping baby's head. Kissing him lightly on the cheek, she sighed softly and walked away to mingle more.
Meanwhile, her firstborn son Cloud had found a new playmate: a silver-haired, green-eyed four-year-old named Riku, who just happened to be Queen Allison's son.
"Hey, Riku!" The blond grabbed his companion's hand and began dragging him across the room to the crib. "Come look at my brother! He's the best baby in the world!" He beamed.
"Nuh-uh! My little sister's the best baby in the world!" Riku replied, his competitive nature shining through his small stature. Cloud rolled his eyes, but continued dragging the other boy through the masses.
"You just wait and see!" Finally, the pair reached the crib, and Cloud peered over the edge to check on his brother. The crib was low enough on the ground that Cloud see over it, but he was unable to reach his arms in to pick up the baby, or even hold his hand.
"My momma let's me hold him all the time!" Cloud bragged. "But she has to be with me..." He finished, his face falling. Riku stared at the baby. After a thorough assessment, he turned to Cloud.
"I don't see anything that special about him," He stated matter-of-factly. Leaning on the crib, he stared at the infant, and was surprised when a shocking pair of bright blue eyes met his gaze. Sora babbled happily, pleased with the attention he was receiving. Slowly, the silver-haired toddler reached his hand inside the crib, not really knowing why. The infant inside grasped Riku's hand and squeezed lightly. Riku smiled at the baby, and reluctantly pulled his hand away and stood up straight. His gaze now was locked on the blond, who stood smirking at him.
"Noooooooow do you agree!" He giggled, poking Riku playfully. Riku swatted his hand away.
"Okay, okay! He's kinda cool," he admitted, a smile on his face. It faded quickly, and Riku sighed dramatically. "I'm bored. Isn't there anything we can do?" Cloud thought for a moment, then grinned brightly.
"We can play hide and seek!" Bouncing, he hit Riku lightly before running off as fast as he could, calling out behind him as he ran. "YOU'RE IT!"
Cloud was already halfway across the castle when Riku realized he had no way of knowing his way around.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Cloud smiled mischievously as he found himself hiding behind a large hanging tapestry. He silenced his breathing as he heard footsteps nearby. Frowning, Cloud wondered how Riku had caught up with him so quickly.
"Axel!" He heard a sharp voice spit out. "Do you remember your assignment?" And then another voice...
"Yes, Master Ansem." Ohhhh... So that was the first voice. Cloud's nose wrinkled in dislike. Ansem had never been his favorite person. He had always kind of scared Cloud, and Cloud had had several nightmares about him - thus, he tended to avoid the towering man if he could help it. Subconsciously, he curled tighter into the tapestry.
"Nothing can go wrong with this plan. Do you understand?" Again, Cloud heard a light "Yes, Master Ansem."
"Now let's review you assignment just in case. You take this vial and switch it with the blessing potion. Once Sora consumes it, I should be able to control his mind. It is imperative that you are not caught. Now go quickly." Cloud heard retreating footsteps, and peered out to see that Ansem and Axel had parted ways. Quietly, he slipped out from behind the giant art painting, glanced both ways down the hall, and took off running as fast as he could.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Axel slipped into the cabinet where the blessing potion was being stored. Glancing around, he quickly switched the vials and slipped out just as smoothly as he had in, then leaned against the wall and waited. He didn't have to wait long until the kingdom's priest retrieved the vial and walked towards the baby.
"Ladies and gentleman, if I may please have your attention, we're about to commence the blessing ceremony! Please remain silent during this time, as it requires a peaceful atmosphere!" Quietly, the priest began chanting. After five minutes of chanting had gone by, he slowly uncorked the vial, only to be stopped by a loud booming voice.
"STOP!" In rushed King Christopher, with Cloud peeking around him, and half a dozen guards following the pair. The priest faltered, and lowered the potion. A black portal appeared right by the baby, and Ansem appeared out of it and grabbed the potion from the aging man. Snarling, he hit the priest and sent him flying across the room.
"ANSEM!" Christopher's voice boomed. "How DARE you do this to my family!" Ansem smirked cruelly at him.
"You really think I care about your family? One way or another, I WILL have control over this entire kingdom someday, and it's going to start with Sora!" Ansem stepped closer to the baby.
"TRAITOR! GUARDS SEIZE HIM!" Christopher commanded as Ansem quickly lowered the potion into the crib and attempted to pry open the infants mouth, but was stopped by a silver blur. Ansem let out a shriek of pain as Riku bit into his flesh hard enough to draw blood. Hissing, he hit Riku, knocking the boy unconscious. Noticing the guards closing in on him, he dropped the potion and disappeared into the portal. The potion smashed into the ground, it's contents sizzling into the floor panel.
Axel, who had been watching all these events unfold, stared openmouthed at the place where Ansem had been. He was debating running away, when he felt himself sucked into blackness.
- - - - - - - - - - -
"To think... We came inches away from loosing our baby..." Ella sobbed as the King stroked her hair comfortingly.
"It's okay. He's okay. He's okay..." Gently removing one arm from his wife, he wrapped it around Cloud. "And it's all thanks to Cloud and Riku. Without these two, who knows what Ansem would have done to Sora." At this, both Cloud and Riku blushed. As soon as Cloud had heard Ansem's plan to hurt Sora, even by controlling him, Cloud had ran as fast he could to find his father. When he did locate him, it took him close to three times to explain what was going on before King Christopher realized Sora was in danger.
As for Riku, he had regained consciousness quickly, and Queen Allison was squeezing him tightly, unwilling to let go even for a second.
"It was nothing..." Riku muttered, embarrassed. Christopher narrowed his eyes on the toddler.
"Indeed it was, Riku. If you had not had such quick reactions, Sora would likely be hurt or possibly dead right now," he said. Ella paled again at her husband's words and all the eyes in the room shifted to the sleeping baby.
"Do you think... Do you think Ansem will come back for him?" Ella asked fearfully. The King squeezed her shoulder.
"If he does, we'll be ready."
- - - - - - - - - - -
Another week passed swiftly, and soon it was time for Allison and Riku to head back for their home.
"We'll stay in touch until we meet again for the summer when they're older," Allison said. Christopher smiled.
"And the alliance is all set in place," he added.
"Thank you so much, Ella. Christopher. Something good will come of this... I know it," she murmured quietly.
"You be safe on your journey home and keep an eye on Riku! He's growing up to be quite the young man!" The adults turned to gaze at Riku and Cloud, both of whom were hugging each other before Riku left.
"Goodbye, Riku!" Cloud said, smiling at his friend brightly.
"Bye Cloud," Riku replied, returning the smile.
Hesitantly, Riku walked over to Queen Ella who was currently holding her baby son.
"Your Majesty... Um... May I say goodbye to Sora?" He asked nervously. The Queen smiled warmly, and got down on one knee so Riku could see Sora better. The silver-haired prince gently took a hold of the baby's hand and squeezed. Those bright sapphire eyes stared openly at Riku, and Riku regretted having to leave Cloud and Sora so soon. Slowly, Riku let go and got into the carriage, which would take him and Queen Allison to the docks where they would sail home.
As soon as the carriage pulled away, however, Sora started crying and wailing at the top of his lungs. Ella was startled, because Sora hadn't cried since he was born. As she comforted him and held him tightly, she curiously wondered what could have made the small prince cry.
- - - - - - - - - - -
A/N- So there it is kids! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you've made it this far REVIEW! This is a cheap trick to pull, but reviews ensure updates! SO BE KIND, FEED THE AUTHOR! Even if it's a one-sentence thing, please let me know what you think!
Oh- and Sora's parents are based on Cinderella. Ella is of course the shortened version of it, and at one point King Christopher's full name is referenced- (Christopher Rupert Alexander), which is from the musical "Cinderella"!