Silver Haired Savior

Rescues and Blood

By Plue Princess of the AnimePrincesses

Date started: 6/13/05
Date finished: 6/16/05

Author's Ranting:
So, here is my first yaoi fanfic! Tell me what you think, because I want to know if you guys like it or not. I don't think I'm very good at writing, but if you guys like it, more power to ya! So review, because I really need a self esteem boost! This fic will have a happy ending, just so you know, but it will be awhile before it gets there. By the way, Leon is a little O.O.C. in this chapter, but he turns out to be a good guy in the end.

Disclaimer:
Do you even have to ask? Of course I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Or Goldfish. I'm not that smart. But I do own the plot. Meh-heh.

Sora stuck his head up out of the dumpster he had been hiding in for over an hour, smelling strongly of ground coffee and chocolate. Of course, that was just Sora's luck. They were after him, and that was the closest place to hide in. A dumpster. Not seeing anyone, he quietly climbed out of the dumpster and pulled his old ripped coat tighter around his frail and thin body, and slung his little rucksack over his shoulder.

He looked around, warily, trying to find any bit of danger he could. He figured that they had either just given up, or decided to look somewhere else. Carefully, he walked out of the small alley, looking for any sign of Yuffie. Yuffie was the closest thing he had to a family, since his father had died two years ago. His mother had passed away five years earlier.

An hour and a half earlier:

Sora was starving as he saw the family in the park enjoying a picnic. 'Damn rich families,' he thought as he stared longingly at the sandwich the boy held in his hand. They had already eaten more food than was possibly needed, and they were still going. Feeling his stomach growl, he carefully walked up to the people, a hungry look in his eyes.

"Get away from me, you bum!" the boy had yelled, even though Sora hadn't even said two words to him. Sora looked down at his ratty, tattered jeans, his worn, ripped shirt, and finally his ripped and old coat. Even though Sora had tried to keep clean by washing in the creek late at night, it wasn't enough to keep himself from the looking like a hobo. Moving on, Sora started to walk away. But he tripped on a misplaced rock and came tumbling down on top of the blond boy. "Rape!" the boy had cried, looking for any excuse to get the boy in trouble.

Terrified, Sora scrambled up and ran, as two nearby police officers started chasing him. Sora zipped inside the closest alley he could find, jumping into the dumpster, not even daring to move inside the cramped space for fear of being found.

Sora had been living like this for almost a year and a half, always running like he was a criminal, when in reality, he was just a lost, confused, and poor boy without a home. In the beginning, he had tried to get a job so he could send money to his only remaining relative, his year younger sister, Kairi.

She had a home to go to, because she had been fortunate enough to be adopted by a foster home. They had refused to accept him, saying that he would only bring trouble. Sora had been willed instead to another family by his parents. But his stepfather, a cruel man named Ansem, had been an abusive man, taking advantage of poor Sora, especially when he was drunk, which he was most of the time. He might have been a good man once, but Sora didn't believe it. All he was glad for was that Kairi hadn't been left to him too, because his parents will hadn't been changed in time, leaving Sora with this evil man all by himself.

So, Sora had run away, fearing that if he went with a social security worker, he would be stuck in another home like that one, miserable all the time. Not that he wasn't miserable now, but at least he was free. With Ansem he was never free, always working and never getting any respect for it.

He could still feel the cuts that he had gotten, even though they were long healed and had left scars all over his body, when refusing to have sex with Ansem after he had gotten especially drunk one night. So he had fled that night, turning to the freedom that the outside life had to give, even though it was a harsh unforgiving world. He hadn't thought of the consequences then; he would have done anything to get away from his foster home. But given the choice now, he would have still chosen life in the streets. Anything was better than having his body groped and molested by the very essence of evil, who was always trying to get into his pants. But despite every thing that had happened, he had managed to keep his virginity; that at least was his and he wouldn't ever give it up unless it was to his consent.

Finally free of his old home in Hallow Bastion, he had fled here to the Destiny Islands, where he could start a new life. At his old home, every where he went held reminders of his past. He saw the old café where Sora had been allowed to try coffee for the first time. His old school where he had once been the best student, had even skipped a couple of grades, and was the most popular kid in the school, until they had found out that he was poor. After that, nobody had talked to him, or even made eye contact with him, until that one fateful day where they had to kick him out because a certain stepfather had stopped paying tuition, saying that it was a waste of money.

Sora arrived in the Islands, hoping to make a fresh start. He was a 14 year old boy, out on his own, trying to make a living. At least nobody knew him there. He had tried to get a job, but because of the way he was dressed, nobody would take him. So Sora drifted, wandering from one job application to another, trying to find work so that he could feed himself. By now, Sora was mostly skin and bones, only surviving on scraps he had found in trash cans.

But that wasn't enough he soon found, as he was slowly starting to starve. But Yuffie found him one day, scrounging around for food in an alley. She saved him. She took pity on the young boy, with his spiky auburn hair and angelic blue eyes. He didn't look like the kind that should have been out on the streets, but sure enough, here he was.

After that day, Yuffie took him under her wing, teaching him all her tricks to living out in the streets. He didn't trust anyone, except her. He knew she would never do anything to hurt him. She was the world's greatest thief, stealthy and silent at her job, and he was her assistant, helping her with whatever she needed.

This week was different, though. She had to do something urgent, but she said that it was way too dangerous for him to come. She had been missing for a while, and it was dangerous for the assistant of the Great Yuffie. He had gotten into a few fights this week already, and he was exhausted. If she didn't come home soon, he didn't know if he was going to survive. So he wandered to the park, and that was why he now smelled of ground coffee and chocolate.

Sora wandered out onto the sidewalk, and started walking to who knows where. He eventually ended up on a grassy outlook over the city. Noticing that it was almost night time, he found the creek and washed himself off a little, but nothing was going to get rid of the smell of coffee and chocolate that seemed to have become permanently stuck in his hair. Stepping out of the cold creek, he put on his clothes and walked over to the top of the outlook.

Figuring that this place was as good as any other, he stepped into the bushes and slung his knapsack down. He lay down, and using the sack as a pillow, fell asleep, unknowing of a certain silver – haired boy who liked to come here around midnight when he was restless…

Riku lay awake, staring at the ceiling of his penthouse apartment as the night turned dark, and the stars were coming out. Just by looking at him, you wouldn't know that he was one of the richest people on the island. He was dressed for comfort by wearing only a pair of torn jeans and some boxers. Normally he would be wearing a shirt, but it was just too hot inside the little apartment to wear one.

Being extremely rich, one would think that he would be able to afford a bigger place than just a penthouse apartment. And in truth, he could. But he didn't want to, because he didn't want to live in a huge mansion all by himself. He liked the coziness that a small place had to offer, making it feel like home, not some huge place where he happened to sleep and take showers in.

Living by himself, he was a single 16 year old boy. His parents had died in a car crash last year, but they had willed all of their money to their only son, Riku. Riku had always had a real talent for drawing, and that was how he made a living. Apparently, people paid a lot of money for one of his drawings, so he never had a problem about his money running out. With each sale he made, he grew richer, making him one of the top richest people on the island.

But by being single, that also meant that women were always throwing themselves at him, trying to get him to notice. But the truth was, he wasn't interested in any of them. Not that he would ever let them know, but Riku was gay. He wasn't like obsessive about being gayor anything, because he really wasn't. He just was never the kind of guy who liked girls.

He was restless as thoughts such as this went through his head. With a grunt of frustration, he jumped off of his bed, grabbed his sketch book and pencil, and headed towards the door. Remembering that he didn't have a shirt on, he pulled a light blue t-shirt on and headed for the elevator. In this town, leaving without a shirt was practically a death wish if a crazed fan girl happened to find him.

Reaching the bottom floor, he left the building and jumped into his black mustang. He drove around for awhile, finally parking in a lot right below an outlook. It was here that Riku usually found inspiration, by looking at the lit up island at night, where people lived their lives. But little did he know that tonight, he would find more than inspiration on top of the hill …

Sora woke to the sound of a sigh and rustling on the other side of the bushes. He was hidden from view from the thick underbrush, but he didn't dare open his eyes, reverting back to childhood thoughts that if he couldn't see it, it would disappear. But, of course, it didn't and he eventually heard the sound of pencil scrawling on paper.

'Haven't heard that sound in awhile,' Sora thought bitterly, as he remembered his old school days. He stayed hidden; silently hoping that whoever was there would disappear soon. But curiosity soon over took him, and he slowly cracked an eye open, and then another. He cautiously poked his head out of the bushes cautiously, being careful not to show his head.

He looked at the strange boy, who was currently drawing in a little sketchbook. He had silver hair and he was wearing a pair of torn up jeans and a light blue shirt. It seemed to go nicely with his hair. He didn't look rich, but something in Sora's gut told him that he shouldn't move. Ever since he had started living with Ansem, he had developed a sixth sense to danger, and right now, it was telling him that he should stay right where he was. Sora might put on a strong face on the outside, but if you really knew him, you would know that on the inside he was just a scared and alone 14 year old boy.

Sora just lay there for awhile, gazing at the back of the other boy's head. He didn't know why, but after a long time, he felt kind of safe. Not safe enough to come out of course, but safe enough to relax a little bit. Sora still didn't trust anybody, not since he had been taken advantage of by his stepfather.

After a long silence, Riku finally set down his pencil, and examined the drawing that he had made. It was the island at night, with an angel floating above. As far as he knew, nobody else knew about this place. It was his little secret, and nobody else knew the exact way to get there. Sure, people stumbled upon it from time to time, but afterwards, they never remembered how to get there. It was hidden from human sight, and Riku would never share this secret with anybody else. He set the sketchbook to the side, and he lay back with his head to the bushes.

A strong wind blew over, filling Riku's nose with various scents that the wind carried. He had always had a sharp nose, so he was often able to smell various things, even from far away. He smelled lilacs, roses, and water from the creek. Roses were his favorite flower and scent. It was one of his deepest secrets. But he also smelled something that wasn't supposed to be in there. He smelled coffee, chocolate; dirt, and … something else … sweat? He sat up, a bit surprised.

Sora could smell the boy's silver hair as his head lay near Sora. It smelled of shampoo, roses to be exact. 'Wish I could have shampoo,' Sora thought forlorn. 'Or maybe even soap, for that matter,' he thought as he felt layer upon layer of grime on his used-to-be soft, creamy skin. But suddenly, a strong wind blew, sending Sora's smell towards the other boy, who sat up in surprise.

He was disappointed to see the boy stand up; he hadn't smelled anything that good in a long time. But at the same time he was relieved, because he could finally get back to a comfortable sleep. Well, as comfortable as sleeping on the ground could be. He held his breath, waiting for the boy to leave. Hidden by the brush, he looked up and saw beautiful aquamarine eyes, the kind that somebody could get lost in.

Growing up, Sora had never had time for love. He was too busy to trying to survive, when his stepfather had taken him in. Wondering what the day would bring, fearing for his life every single day. So, Sora had never had time to consider if he was gay or not. He just thought of himself as straight, feeling as if he would never find anyone to love.

Riku stood up, wondering where that smell had come from. But he soon gave up, not being able to see anyone or anything that smelled like that. It was a semi sweet smell, and it was weird. It actually smelled … good. Sighing in frustration, he checked his watch and realized it was getting really late. Riku started fumbling through his pockets, searching for the keys to the car. He gathered up his sketchbook and pencil, and pulled out his keys. He started walking towards the car, but tripped over a tree root and dropped his keys in the bushes.

Sora barely stopped himself from yelping as some very sharp metal landed on his head. He bit his lip to keep from screaming as he suddenly panicked. Obviously, the boy was going to reach down and pick up the keys, and when he did, he would find Sora. Who knows what this strange boy would do to him if he found out that Sora had been watching him the whole time. He was strong and powerful, and Sora was a weak, underfed orphan who lived on the streets.

Bending down to pick up the keys, he felt around. Finally finding some metal, Riku grabbed for it. But in doing so, he also grabbed a handful of hair.

"Ow!" said the bush, as he pulled his hand away with the keys. "Alright, so you found me. What do you plan on doing to me!" demanded a voice as a small figure stood up from the bush, brushing off their clothes.

"Who are you, and why are you spying on me?" Riku demanded right back, fishing through his pocket for the little flashlight that he always kept with him.

"First of all, I wasn't spying. I was there first, and you came after. Second, it is none of your business who I am. And would you stop shining that thing in my face!" the kid said as Riku shined the light in his eyes. Riku was stunned at the sight before him, as he examined the small boy in front of him. He had ratty clothes, and smelled of … was that coffee and chocolate?

'Well, that explains where the smell came from,' Riku thought as he stood there, staring. And as he watched, the small boy turned and ran. 'What had he been doing, that got his clothes all torn up? He must have gotten into a fight,' Riku concluded as he got into his car. But something in the bushes caught his eye. Going over to it, he reached into the bushes and grabbed whatever was in the bushes. Pulling his hand up, he was surprised to see a bag in his hand.

Sora ran, long and fast, as he hurried away from the boy with the entrancing aqua eyes. Finally stopping to catch his breath, Sora ducked into an alley. "Aww, shoot!" Sora yelled as he realized that he had forgotten his sack in the bushes. Luckily, he didn't keep his two most important items in that bag. One was a pocket knife. It was a present from Yuffie. The other was a photograph of his family at the beach, a picture taken just one month before his mother died from cancer.

Thanking the gods that he hadn't lost those two items he walked to the park. He had slept there before, in the Paupu Woods on the very edge of the park. At least nobody ever went there. They all said that the woods were enchanted, and that strange luck would come to you if they went there to long. But Sora didn't believe the rumors; he just knew it was a comfy place to sleep.

Gathering up some soft leaves to sleep on, he made a pillow and went to sleep.

Riku arrived at his apartment exhausted. Who was that boy who had found his secret hideout? And more importantly, how did he get so beat up? He didn't look like he had seen a mirror for awhile, judging from his unkempt hair and dirty face. He seemed to have a black eye and fresh scratches on his face. Puzzling over the boy, he pulled his shirt off, and flung himself onto the bed. He fell asleep soon after, thinking of the boy's brown hair, adorable pout, and untrusting blue eyes that seemed to entrance him if he stared to long at him.

Next Day:

Sora awoke with a stiff back, cold body, and tired eyes. This was a regular for him, because he often slept on the ground or on a bench. Sitting up, he regretted staying up so late, because now he was exhausted. He tried to stand up, but immediately sat down again as he was confronted by a pounding headache. Holding his head, he gradually stood up, and leaned against a tree for support.

He slowly started walking towards the town, and he finally reached his destination. He walked into the alley behind a local convenience store, and knocked on the back door three times, loudly, and then four times softly. After waiting a moment, the door slowly opened to reveal a tall brunette wearing a pink jumper.

"Hey, Sora. What happened to you? You're all beat up! Where's Yuffie! I swear if she sat back and let some thugs beat you up, I'll -,"

"Whoa, whoa, Aerith, relax. I just got into a couple of scraps while she is out of town. It's my own fault, really. Wasn't watching where I was going," Sora said as he grinned up at the older girl. "Anyways, all I need is some aspirin. I've got a killer headache!"

"Okay, hold on," Aerith said as she walked into the back room. Coming back out, she said, "Here you go. I couldn't find anything for your cuts without anyone noticing that it's gone. Sorry!" she said, smiling. "Just don't get into anymore fights until I can get some!"

"Yeah, Aerith, I know!" Sora said, accepting the aspirin. "Bye!" Aerith closed the door and Sora walked away.

'You really do meet the most interesting people when traveling with Yuffie,' Sora thought as he came out of the alley. He headed back to the park. Finding the local water fountain, he took a big gulp of water and swallowed the pills with it. Already starting to feel better, he straightened and started walking down the streets. If Yuffie was like a big sister, then Aerith was like a mother.

Going through an alley behind a particularly rich family, he found trash can filled with food. Searching through it, he found a bag of slightly stale potato chips and a couple bags of half finished Goldfish. 'What food people waste,' Sora thought as he walked to another park close by, carrying his meal for the day.

Arriving, he sat down at a park bench and opened the bag of potato chips. Reaching in, the boy pulled out a crispy golden potato chip, and shoved it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, savoring the salty taste that it left on his tongue. 'Ahh,' he thought. 'The first decent meal I've had in a week!' Sora found that a few crumbs of bread were not enough to eat off of for week. With Yuffie gone, he felt alone, and she usually knew where the good food was. Sora was just lucky that he stumbled upon this food, extremely pleased with himself for finding it.

He finished his potato chips, and stuffed his Goldfish into the pockets of his coat and zipped up the pockets. Walking around the town, Sora wandered towards another of the towns many parks. Here was another clump of the Paupu Woods, and carefully entered the woods, making sure no one saw. He found a shady spot underneath a tree, and laid down for a nap.

Riku was riding the bus home from school as he gazed out the window. Riku always rode the bus to and from school, even though he could drive. This was because it was a long drive, and he didn't feel like driving that, and because if he drove, he wouldn't be able to sit and draw. Riku absent mindedly was drawing in his sketchbook, while thinking about various things.

'Yes, last day of school,' he thought. 'Now I'll finally be able to just work on my drawings. But lately, I haven't been inspired at all. Maybe if I go on a trip this summer, I'll be able to think of something…'

He looked down to examine his drawing, and was surprised to find that it was the boy he had seen yesterday. 'What was up with him,' Riku thought as he gathered his things and stepped off the bus. He started walking home using the long way home so he could think. It passed by all of the parks in the town, and he enjoyed looking at all of the scenery. 'That boy … he didn't look like he had a friend in the world from the way he looked at me. I guess some people in the world just aren't as lucky as I am.'

Sora awoke from his nap feeling a little bit better, but not by much. He stood up and looked at the sky. From the position of the sun, he could tell it was about noon. That was another trick that Yuffie had taught him. Being poor, he couldn't afford a watch. He started walking towards the end of the forest, but was stopped as a big figure blocked his way. He had brown hair, a fur jacket, and leather pants, with a weird looking belt.

"Heh, heh, hi Leon," Sora said with a nervous chuckle. He stepped back as Leon started advance towards him. "How are you?"

"Cut the cheap act, Sora! Where is Yuffie!" he demanded while gripping Sora's shirt.

"I …uh…don't know what you're talking about," Sora said coolly, but inside he was a nervous wreck.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, you piece of shit! That little bitch stole my sword and used it to beat up Cloud! Now where is she!" Leon bellowed as he slammed Sora into the nearest tree.

"I don't know where she is! Honest!" Sora yelled as Leon punched him in the stomach. "Ooof! I'm telling the truth!"

"No, your not!" Leon yelled as he dropped Sora on the ground. He started kicking Sora all over, leaving bruises, cuts, and scrapes all over Sora's feeble body. But he didn't make a sound, not even a scream. When he finally stopped beating Sora up, he said, "Serves you right for helping that low life thief!" Then he left, leaving Sora curled up in a ball. He tried to stand up, but immediately fell back down again. He formed the feeble position, as his vision went dark.

Riku was almost home. He was passing the last park, when he saw a dark figure leave the woods. Riku knew him. That was Leon, the town tough guy. He would do almost anything to protect Cloud. He was alone, which was weird, because he was almost always with Cloud. Curious, he wandered over to the woods, wondering what was so important that Leon went off alone.

He walked into the woods, and walked for a bit, until he found a lump on the ground. He bent over it, and gently prodded it with a finger. He jumped back in surprise when it groaned and rolled to its other side, the one facing Riku. This "lump" was the boy that he had found last night on the outlook. From the looks of it, Leon had done quite a number on him, looking at all of the bruises and cuts that were visible. Riku picked the boy up and slung him on his back with ease. That was too easy Riku thought as he started walking to his apartment.

"Sounds like I've got an interesting time ahead of me," Riku said to himself as he reached the front door to building.

Sora awoke bleary eyed as he sat up. He felt really weird and he was aching all over. He felt comfortable warmth around him, and as he blinked, things came into focus a little. He blinked again, and he could see properly. He seemed to be in a bedroom, and the comfortable warmth that was around him was a few blankets. For the first time in a long time he was actually in a bed.

He heard some rustling outside, and after a little while, he smelled food. Wondering how he had gotten here, he pulled the covers off of his body. He looked down and realized that he was still in his old clothes, minus the coat, he tried to stand up, but almost immediately after he did, pain shot through his body and he collapsed on the floor.

Hearing a thump coming from the younger boy's room, he ran in and saw the boy trying to stand up from the ground. "Hey, hey! Stop that! You're only wearing yourself out. Here, let me help you," Riku said while hauling the boy into a sitting position on the bed. "Wow, Leon sure did a number on you, didn't he! So, what's your name?" Riku asked as he searched through his closet.

"Sora," was the boy's short reply as he continued rummaging around.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Sora! I'm Riku, and I'll take care of you until you can go back home," he said while he pulled out a pair of fresh jeans, clean boxers, and a clean white t-shirt. Turning around, he saw the boy's sad look, and said, "You don't have a home, do you?" The boy nodded no, and wouldn't meet Riku's eyes. "Well, that's fine. You can crash here until you can find a place to stay. It'll be nice having some one share to this place with. Here," he said, while holding out the clothes. "These are for you. Why don't we get you into a hot shower?"

"Wait! You mean a shower, like with water, and soap, and shampoo!"asked an ecstaticSora.

"Well, how else would you take a shower?" Riku said chuckling. He went over to the bathroom and turned on the shower. "Here, you can wash up and get dressed in here, and then come put into the kitchen. By then dinner should be ready."

"Okay!" Sora said grinning. He watched the boy go into the bathroom and walked back to the kitchen.

'I think I like the kid. He's spirited,' Riku thought as he finished cooking.

Sora came out of the shower clean and smelling like roses. He was surprised to find that the other boy's shampoo was roses, but appreciated that it was there. Finally feeling clean because he had washed off the layers of dirt and grime, he got dressed and stepped outside. He smelled good food, and he was drawn to the kitchen where he met the smiling face of Riku and his aqua eyes. He directed Sora to a kitchen table, where he was serving soup.

"Hey, Sora! How are you feeling?" Riku said as he set a bowl of chicken noodle soup out in front of him.

"Loads better!" Sora said as he dove into the bowl of soup. He finished soon after he finished, and he blinked up at the other boy who was looking in amusement at the boy across from him, who had his mouth full. Sora swallowed it and said, "That was really good! Got anymore?"

Riku laughed and said sure, I've got plenty more. You must have really been starved to like my cooking."

"Best I've ever had," Sora said as he attacked another bowl.

Six Bowls of Soup Later:

Riku looked down at the boy who had fallen asleep on the couch watching TV. The boy had seemed fascinated by it, as if he had never seen one up close before. And by the looks of it, he probably hadn't. Riku picked him up and carried him to the room that had become his. He tucked him in and gazed at him for a minute. He was so cute, like that, with his hair all mussed. He looked like a little angel, and suddenly, Riku felt inspired.

He quietly ran into his room and grabbed his sketch book and pencil. Riku ran towards Sora's room and quietly entered the room. He sat on the chair next to Sora's bed and flipped open to a blank page. He quietly drew the sleeping brunette, and in Riku's mind at least, nothing was more perfect. He left after awhile, and went to his room, throwing off his shirt, climbed into his bed. That night, his dreams were filled with sleeping brunettes and perfect angels.

The Next Day:

Riku woke up the next day at a pounding on his bedroom door. He woke up and sleepily opened the door to be jumped on by the younger boy. Surprised, Riku just sat there, stunned as the younger boy wrapped his arms around the older boy's waist. Burying his head in the boy's chest, Sora started weeping, leaving Riku's chest wet. Hugging the other boy back, Riku gently held Sora, whispering that everything would be alright. After Sora had calmed down a bit, he asked, "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"I-I had a nightmare!" Sora sobbed. "He was b-back! And he tried to rape me again, Riku!"

Alert, Riku said, "Who? Who was back?"

"M-my s-stepfather! He still haunts me to this day!" Sora cried burying his face in Riku's chest once again.

"Your stepfather? What was his name?" Riku asked as he started rubbing Sora's back.

"A-Ansem," Sora said. Riku could feel Sora shudder underneath his touch as he said the name. Riku had heard the name before. That was the name of the Ruler of Hallow Bastion, and he was a cruel man. He had tried to kill his own brother just to get the throne, but failed in the end because of the ruler's son. He remembered hearing that the ruler had a son with brown hair and a daughter with, red but …

"Sora, what's your last name?"

"Ummm, Malcite, I think. I don't really remember. Why?"

"Nothing," Riku said. So Sora was the prince of Hallow Bastion. He remembered reading something about how their only son had been left to his Uncle. It didn't surprise him that Sora was traumatized. Ansem was known to get drunk and do horrible things to other people. But being the ruler of the world, nobody could convict him of being a molester, rapist, and a murderer.

"I'm scared he'll come back Riku, I really am!" Sora said as he tightened his grip on the boy holding him.

"Its okay, Sora. I'm here now. I won't let anyone hurt you," Riku whispered, as he felt a desire so strong that he wanted to hold Sora forever. But unfortunately, immediately after that thought, Sora untangled himself from Riku's arms and went back to his room.

But right before he left, he wiped his eyes, smiled, and said, "Thanks, Riku. You're the best."

"Ummm, no problem. See you at breakfast," Riku said as he stood up and went over to the computer and brought up a news article that he had read a couple of days before he found Sora.

"Today, Ansem shocked reporters as he announced his trip to the Destiny Islands today, scheduled for next week. He has been searching frantically all over since the kidnapping of his only nephew and the crown prince, Sora Malcite, stolen from his peaceful slumber one and a half years ago. Ansem has been searching for him in many worlds, the Destiny Islands being the last," Riku read.

"So, he's been searching for Sora, has he," Riku said. "I'll never let him hurt my Sora that way. If he tries, he'll die first."

Later that Day:

Sora woke to the smell of cooking. Eggs, bacon, and sausage. First time he's had that in a while. Walking out of the room, he went over to the table and sat down with a yawn. He looked over at the boy wearing a green shirt and a pair of blue cargo pants, standing in front of a stove with a skillet filled with good food.

He watched Riku lay a big plate out in front of him, and he said, "Hey, Riku?"

"Hmm?" said Riku as he sat down across from the brunette.

"Why are you doing all this for me? I mean not that I don't appreciate it, I really do. But it's just that nobody who actually has a home has ever cared about me, or if I survive. Well, maybe Aerith. But why are you so different? I've seen plenty of people who've tried to get me killed or at least arrested just because I'm homeless," said Sora, not looking at Riku.

"Well, I don't know," Riku said. "I guess I was just brought up learning to give everybody a chance. People shouldn't judge others just because they are homeless. Everybody is different, and everybody has different problems. People should judge others by how they act and how they treat others. Take you for instance. You look like an angel, but your homeless, so everybody avoided you. But if any of them had taken the time to get to know you, they would've grown to you like. I know I have, and I've only known you for a day. Look at Yuffie. She looks tough on the outside, but on the inside she is a real sweetheart, even though she does have a small problem of taking other people's things without asking."

"Wait a sec! You know Yuffie!" Sora asked in surprise.

"Sure do! We go way back. We used to go to school together until she decided that she didn't like it. She always was a stubborn one."

"Do you know where she is? I haven't seen her all week!"

"Ummm, I talked to her while you were sleeping. She asked me not to tell you. All she wanted me to say was that she is fine, and that as soon as she gets her hands on Leon, he's dead," Riku said with a slight chuckle. "She's really fond of you, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Sora said back.

"So eat up," Riku said with a smile.

"Okay!" Sora said with a big grin as he started eating what was on his plate.

The Next Day:

Riku was in a hurry the next night as he rushed to get all of the drawings he needed for the art show. "How could I have forgotten my own art show!" Riku yelled at himself. He actually wouldn't have even shown up if the guy from the complex hadn't called him. "Sora, are you sure that you'll be fine here by yourself for a couple of hours?"

"I'll be fine, Riku. Have you already forgotten that I used to live by myself before you rescued me," Sora said as he gave Riku a hug. "I'll see you later!"

"Okay, bye, Sora," Riku said as he hugged the boy. Sora had started giving him hugs after their breakfast discussion the day earlier. Not that he minded; he had grown to like it when Sora hugged him. "Be good," he said as he closed the door and locked it.

Riku threw the drawings in the back of the car and sped down to the arts complex. Luckily it was only a 5 minute drive. He arrived and gathered his sketches, then entered the building. He quickly set up his display, and finished just in time as the art auction started. He started explaining what his drawings were called and where he found the inspiration for them. He could already see that he was going to make a lot of money; some people were already in the thousands for a couple, and still rising.

'So far, so good,' Riku thought as the price war raged on.

Kind of spacing out, Riku jumped when a man with white hair came up to Riku and started asking about the sketch he had done of Sora when he was sleeping.

"Oh, that's a picture of a friend of mine," Riku said.

"How much for it?" the man asked

"Oh, that sketch isn't for sale," Riku replied.

"I really must have it," the man insisted.

'Fine if he wants it so badly, I'll give him a price that no one around here can afford,' Riku thought. "It's 2.5 million," Riku said, meaning to throw the man off.

He looked surprised for a minute, then said, "I'll take it."

Instead, it was Riku who was thrown off. "You'll – you'll what!"

"You heard me, I'll take it."

"Umm, okay?" Riku said as the man pulled out 2.5 million dollars. Riku accepted it, and the man took the sketch with him. "That guy was weird," Riku thought as he checked his watch. It was 10:15. The auction had only started 15 minutes ago, and he already had 2.5 million dollars.

Sora had fallen asleep on the couch watching Inuyasha on Cartoon Network. Then he heard a banging on the door, and he slowly got up. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 11:00.

'Who's here at this hour,' Sora thought as he went over to the speaker, not realizing that he still had the remote in his hand. "Who is it?" Sora said into the speaker.

"Package for Riku Renvulle," came the reply.

Sleepiness impairing his judgment, instead of making him wonder why someone would be delivering a package NOW, instead of waiting for the next mail day, Sora opened the door. As he opened the door and looked at who was standing at the door with a small box in his hand, he whispered, "No, not you!" Sora tried to slam the door, but by then the man had put his foot between the door and frame. Sora dropped the remote and tried to push the door shut all the way, but the man would have none of that. He blew the door open, the force slamming Sora into the wall across from the door. "No, no, no. Not you! It can't be you!" Sora whimpered as the man advanced towards him.

"Oh it's me, alright. Your stepfather's loyal servant, Sephiroth," the man said as he pulled out a whip, filling Sora's eyes with fear. "And your kind stepfather has ordered me to bring you home."

"But, how did you find me here," Sora whined, trying to get as small as he could.

"Oh, you can thank your kind friend who lives here. Thanks to him, I found you," Sephiroth mocked, an evil smirk on his face.

"No! You liar! Riku would never hurt me!" Sora screamed as he kicked the box that the man held in his hand. A mouth gag, rope, and knife came tumbling out, and rolled behind the door. Sprinting as fast as he could out the apartment through the wide open door, he ran down the stairs, Sephiroth right on his tail, with the whip in his hand. But he had practice running for his life, and he soon out ran the man. He had almost reached the last flight, when he tripped and went tumbling head over heels down the last set.

He scrambled up and went running out the front door. Apparently, it had started raining while Sora was sleeping. He ran down the street, heading towards the arts complex, but Sephiroth soon teleported in front of him. Turning direction, Sora sprinted towards yet another section of the woods. Climbing into the trees, he stared down at the woods floor as he saw Sephiroth teleport there. Wordlessly, Sephiroth raised his whip and it ensnared Sora's foot, and yanking, Sephiroth pulled Sora from the tree. Looking down at the terrified boy, he said, "Now, we can make this easy, or we can make this hard. Which do you choose?"

Sora continued to struggle against the whip that was holding him down, trying to get away. "Leave me alone!" he yelled, while reaching his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a shuriken, and flung it at him, hitting him in the face. He didn't even flinch, just said, "I guess it's the hard way, then," Sephiroth said, releasing Sora's foot and bringing it back down on Sora's soft flesh, leaving a deep welt on Sora's tender chest.

Jumping up, despite the wound,he grabbed another shuriken and flung it at Sephiroth. But instead of hitting him, he hit it back with the whip, flinging it in to Sora's leg. The wound was so deep that Sora's knees buckled, and he collapsed on the ground with a moan. Sephiroth approached him, and immediately stepped back, as Sora slashed him with his pocket knife.

"Impudent little brat!" Sephiroth roared as he dragged the whip over his skin a couple more times, leaving marks all over his skin and ripping his clothes. He had blood pouring down him, but he still wouldn't give up. Every time he came near, Sora slashed at him. "Fine, if you won't come quietly now, I'll have to get your stepfather to come, and if you thought I was bad, just wait till you get a taste of his wrath. He is still very angry that you ran away without as much as a goodbye note. I'll be seeing you soon enough. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Sephiroth teleported away, and Sora passed out from the blood loss caused by his cuts.

Riku hurried home, after the art show, determined to get home to Sora. By the end of the show, he had made 3 million, more than he ever had before. Reaching the apartment building, he worked his way up to the penthouse, and was shocked to see the door wide open.

'I thought I locked it,' Riku thought as he entered the building, shutting the door behind him. "Sora?" he called, wondering why his friend had left the door open. "Sora, where are you?" Riku called again. Looking around, he noticed a splotch of blood on the wall straight across from the wall. He walked towards it, and his foot bumped into a small black object on the ground. He picked it up and realized that it was the remote.

Now Riku was scared. 'What happened to Sora?' Riku thought as he frantically searched the apartment. He couldn't smell his scent any where in the house, as he searched using his nose as a guide. 'He must have gone outside or something,' Riku said as he grabbed his coat and ran towards the door. But just as he reached for the handle, he noticed the knife, mouth gag, and rope.

Panicking that somebody had killed Sora, he dashed outside into the pouring rain. He used his nose to sniff out where Sora was. It was always easy for Riku to find him like this. Sora smelled like he was light, the scent of pureness and innocence. It was very faint, but he could smell a little bit of his scent from the woods. He ran as fast as he could over to it, and yelped at the sight of Sora lying motionless on the ground, his clothes all ripped, his skin cut, and blood pouring all over his body. He kneeled beside his friend and felt his wrist for a pulse. It was there, but it was very slow.

He heaved Sora onto his back and darted back to the apartment. He quickly ran to the closest bedroom which happened to be his own room, and he left to gather supplies. He returned with buckets of hot and cold water, rags, cloths, soaps, bandages, and disinfectant, which he put on the bedside table next to him as he climbed onto the bed next to Sora.

Tearing off what was left of the shirt, Riku grabbed a rag and dunked it in the hot water. He gently took the rag and started washing the blood off of the younger boy's creamy white skinned torso. There was a lot of it, and it took awhile for him to get it all off. Next, pulled off the boy's pants because a lot of blood seemed to be coming from his leg. He soon saw why as he found the shuriken buried inside his leg. Tenderly pulling it out, he cleaned the wound with soap and water, sprayed it with disinfectant, and carefully bandaged it up.

Next he carefully bandaged all of the cuts on Sora's torso and then took off his own shirt that was already soaked with sweat. "Come on Sora, don't die," Riku sobbed as he finished working and put all of the things away. He lay down next to Sora and just watched him as the night went on. "Sora, you can't die. I don't know what I'd do. You're the first person to ever accept me for who I was right away, not because I was rich or good looking. I think I – I might even lo …," Riku whispered as he fell into a fitful sleep.

Sora woke up aching everywhere on his body. It seemed to hurt the most on his chest and leg, but he couldn't figure out why. Then all of the memories of last night came flooding back to him, and he shivered underneath his blankets as he concluded what had happened.

Ansem had returned, and he was after Sora. And if that happened, he knew that Riku would try to protect him, and if he tried, Riku would get hurt. Sora wouldn't be able to let Riku do that, not for a homeless, worthless orphan who was just a burden to everyone who tried to be his friend. So he quietly wiggled out of the bed with Riku in it, careful not to wake the exhausted boy.

He gathered his things, then limped to the door and left, leaving a quickly scrawled note on the door. And in silence became a wanderer once more, heading to the place where he could become stronger and put an end to Ansem, once and for all.

Author's Ranting:
Okies! So, what did you think? Did you like it? I'm feeling better now, so I think I will continue this story, especially if I get some reviews ... (hint, hint - wink, wink) Started out as a one-shot, but some people told me to end the chapter there and keep going on with the story, so I did. Tell me if you get any ideas or something. Remember, it will have a happy ending that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside! In the next chapter: Yuffie to the rescue, Sora meets the Ninja Knight! (guess who), Sora kicks butt, depressed Riku, and finally, kissing (between wouldn't you like to know! ) By the way,a shuriken is one of those star-like thingies that ninjas use, for those who don't know. Being with Yuffie, he obviously learned how to use one. Tell me if you want me to post my Kingdom Hearts Poetry Collection, because I have a lot done alrerady. So, review, otherwise I'll cry! No flamez! Huggles to everybody (extra ones to those who review), and watch next week for the next chapie! I try to update every week or so. This is Plue Princess, over and out! JaNe!