Fan Fiction ❯ Where I'll Return ❯ He's Mine ( Chapter 2 )

Where I'll Return
Part 2: He's Mine (Revised and Reposted)
A Kingdom Hearts Fanfic
By Meruhesae
Pairings: Riku x Sora
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Warnings: Yaoi, shounen-ai, fluff, AU-ish lime/lemon for later chapters.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squaresoft, Disney, Sony, Tetsuya Nomura, the guys in the animation department that do the really cool CG effects, and a partridge in a pear tree.

NOTES: For those of you who guessed the mystery man was Kuja from Final Fantasy 9, congrats! Thank you, thank you to everyone who reviewed and emailed me, I appreciate every single one of you! *group hugs!*

Anyway, now that you all know for sure that Mystery Man is Kuja, there are some other things that I need to make everyone aware of. First, there are spoilers for FF9 to come later on. The timeline for FF9 is similar to the game's, with the exception of some changes. For the sake of this fic, none of the cities, towns, etc. in have been destroyed. Also, Brahne is already dead, and Garnet is Queen. I don't know if I would call this a crossover fic or not, since Kingdom Hearts IS one big crossover. Anyone who hasn't played FF9 may not understand the later parts of this fic, but I will do my best not to confuse anyone. Still, if you do get the chance, play it... it's a great game, and Kuja is a great villain, better than Sephiroth in my opinion. ^^;

Enough of my babbling now, I'm sure you wanna read the fic. ^_^

=||=

Riku walked out of the airship cabin where he had left Kairi and walked onto the ship's bridge. One thing he had been adamant about was being able to bring Kairi along so he would know she was safe. He didn't fully trust Maleficent and there was no way he would leave Kairi in Hollow Bastion unless he was there.

Seeing that they had arrived in Traverse Town, he turned to face his accomplice.

"What's Sora's exact location?"

"He's at the hotel, resting in the Green Room. Your best bet is to go in through the back door from the alleyway. If there's someone in there with him, just wait and don't start any fights. They'll be out of your way soon enough."

"If you say so." Riku paused before speaking again. "Are you absolutely sure they won't be able to find us?"

"Completely. Even if they do look for him among other worlds, it will be quite some time before they reach Gaia, according to the Invincible's navigational charts. Unless they can find the right Navi-G piece, they may not even get there at all. So don't worry."

Riku considered this, and nodded. "Okay. I'll trust you on this Kuja, only because I want what's best for Sora."

Kuja smiled. "Very good, then. Speaking of the boy, I think now would be a good time for you to get going. They can't see the ship yet, so they shouldn't notice you when you teleport down. Just make sure you stay hidden, and get him out quickly."

"I know. I'm heading out now."

=||=

Everyone stared at the mysterious ship in awe. They followed it as it slowly drifted towards the First District, until it stopped over the accessory shop.

"Where could it have come from?" Aerith asked.

"It's probably Maleficent's doing," Leon said, looking as if he would draw his weapon any moment.

"Maybe it's not evil? Maybe it's just from another world that disappeared," Yuffie said.

Before anyone could respond to that, a bright light emitted from the ship to the ground in front of them, and there stood a tall, silvery-haired... man? Woman? They couldn't tell, until the person walked their way and stood in front of them. He didn't look like a normal person, and he did look somewhat sinister, with a strange, knowing smile on his face.

"Who the hell are you?" Cid asked.

"Greetings. My name is Kuja, and it looks like I've found the right people, so I guess I'll state my business. I have a message for you."

"What're you talking about? Don't you know that creepy ship of yours gave us all a heart attack!?" Donald said with a glare as he and Goofy stepped in front of the group.

Kuja blinked. "My goodness, a scrawny-looking dog and a duck with a speech impediment. Now I've truly seen it all."

Donald's face turned completely red, and he started shaking in anger. "Why you...!"

Kuja burst out laughing. "My, my, your feathers sure do get ruffled easily don't they? Well, you can't really blame me, can you, it's not every day I see a pair as odd as the two of you."

"You said you have a message for us. From whom?" Leon asked, as Goofy tried to calm Donald down.

"A boy you know by the name of Riku."

They all froze at the name, looking at Kuja in surprise.

"Yes, that's right. I'll have you know that he wasn't happy to hear that you people let his beloved Sora get sick, and he asked me to tell you to give up whatever it is that you're using Sora for and let him come back to his real friends."

Again, Donald blew up at him. "Shut up! He doesn't know anything, and neither do you! Sora's sick because of the way Riku hurt him, not because of anything we did! If he wants Sora to get better, tell him to stop acting like an idiot and come to his senses!"

Kuja shook his head. "Hmph. Regrettable. Somehow I knew you'd react this way." A sinister smile crossed his features. "Fortunately, you were all stupid enough to come and see what all the fuss is about, so I bet by now our objective is already achieved."

They all blinked at him for a moment, until realization hit.

"Oh, no! We left Sora alone!" Yuffie cried.

"Damn!" Leon said, wanting to kick himself. Without another word, he rushed back to the Second District as Goofy and Aerith followed him.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, my dear," Kuja sneered, looking at Yuffie. "Riku's very eager to see him, so he's probably not alone anymore."

"W-Why you...!" Donald spat, and took his wand out, getting ready to blast any spell he could at the cocky man.

"We'll back you up!" Yuffie said, as she and Cid drew out their own weapons. "Let's get it on, girly-man!"

Kuja only smirked. "Ha, I don't think so. As fun as it would be to fight you, my part's done here. Until we meet again, duck. And I have a feeling we will." He gave one last triumphant laugh as a beam of light came down from the ship and surrounded him, and in an instant, he was gone.

"Damn!" Cid spat, almost ready to throw his spear. [1]

"Sora!" Yuffie cried, and the three of them followed the others back to the hotel. They had a dreaded feeling that they were already too late.

=||=

Riku stayed silent, watching from the alley as one of the men he'd seen Sora with before put a wet cloth on the boy's forehead. He also saw the duck and the dog talking in the corner, looking at Sora every so often.

Hmph. They were probably annoyed that Sora had gotten sick and they couldn't use him for whatever it was they were after. The idiots. Well, he would see to it he got Sora as far away from them as possible.

He continued to wait until he noticed a short-haired girl enter the room in a panic, gesturing for everyone to go outside. Riku didn't budge until the last of them walked out of the room and the door closed behind them.

"Now's my chance."

Quietly, he opened the back door and entered, cautiously walking towards the bed. A lump grew in his throat as he saw the condition his friend was in, throwing small fits in his sleep and sweating uncontrollably.

"Riku... don't go. I'm sorry. Don't go... I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Riku froze, his muscles clenching and his heart breaking at the words Sora had uttered. Now, he saw first hand the damage that those hurtful things he'd said had done. Was it his fault that Sora was like this? Maybe it was... but he wouldn't have had to do what he did if it weren't for them deceiving Sora. Now more than ever, Riku knew he had to make it up to Sora by helping him get better, it was the only way to redeem himself and prove to Sora he was still worthy of his friendship.

He saw that Sora was still mostly dressed, and looked around the room for the rest of Sora's clothes. The heavier parts of his outfit were draped over a chair, his enormous shoes in the corner. Riku decided he would take everything but the shoes. Sora, I love you, but I don't know how you can stand to walk in those things.

He collected the clothes and knelt by the bed, pushing sweaty bangs away from Sora's brow before setting to work. He pulled the covers off his friend and quickly re-dressed him, until he heard Sora's voice.

"Riku? Riku... is it you?" Sora said weakly.

"Yes, Sora. It's me."

Sora's eyes slid shut again. "No... just a dream. Has to be..."

"You're not dreaming, Sora." Riku caressed his friend's cheek, causing Sora to open his eyes and look at him in confusion. "I'm getting you out of here. You're sick and it's all their fault. I'm taking you away from them so I can take care of you."

"Wha... Riku, wait! You can't... I..."

Riku pressed his fingers to Sora's lips to quiet him. "Don't worry, Sora. You'll be safe with me. I'll help you get better. I promise."

"B-But... I can't leave," Sora stammered, "I... the Keyholes, I have to..."

"No. You aren't going to do anything until you get well. Can't you see that staying with these people is making you ill? You need your real friends, Sora. I'm not going to let you die."

Riku scooped up the smaller boy in his arms, despite the weak struggles and protests his friend tried to put up. Sora found himself too weak, too exhausted to fight back, and in his mind, he still thought that this had to be a dream. Riku hated him now... didn't he?

"Calm down, Sora. Your body doesn't need anymore strain," Riku whispered softly, almost lovingly, in his ear.

Sora decided that if he was dreaming, then he'd enjoy it while it lasted. He relaxed and curled closer to the warmth of Riku's body. Suddenly feeling drained once more, he felt his eyelids become heavy again.

Riku felt Sora relax against him, and he looked down at his friend, who seemed too exhausted to put up any more arguments. This had worked perfectly; he had Sora now and wasn't letting him go.

"Riku. Forgive me."

"Shh." Riku kissed his forehead. "Don't worry about it. Just sleep."

Sora seemed to obey, as his breathing grew steady within moments and he was out like a light.

So far so good. Riku thought.

Just as he was about to take his leave, the door of the room burst open, and there was the duck, the dog, and a few other people that Riku had seen Sora with before. Damn. He'd taken too long.

"YOU!" Donald cried, pulling out his wand, while the others pulled out their weapons as well.

Glaring, Riku only pulled Sora closer to him, standing his ground. Those dumb animals. No way was he going to let them interfere now.

"Yes, me." Riku's glare deepened, not hiding the hateful look in his eyes. This caused a few of them, even Donald, to take a step back. "I won't allow Sora to be plagued by your influence anymore. You don't even deserve to be in the same room as him. He's sick because of you! I'm taking him back with me, where he belongs, and I'll make him well again. So just forget about any future attempts at using him, because I won't give Sora up. He's mine."

"Wait! You can't take him away!" Yuffie pleaded. "Sora's too important!"

Riku smirked. "So you want him to stay here and die? I won't let that happen. I told you, he's mine. But... if you guys think you can beat me..."

"Let's get him!" Donald cried without hesitation.But just as the group charged at Riku, darkness enveloped the two boys, and in an instant, they were gone.

=||=

Back on the ship's bridge, Kuja was laughing hysterically.

Oh, that had been fun, seeing that stupid duck's temper get all bent out of proportion! He hadn't had this much fun in ages, taunting someone other than people from his own world was quite enjoyable. It was a pity he would have to go about his "normal" business once Sora sealed Gaia's Keyhole.

At that moment, Riku reappeared on the bridge. Kuja turned to face him, giving Riku a cocky grin before praising his efforts.

"Very good, Riku. A finer abduction, I have never seen," he said with a smirk.

"They saw me as I was leaving with him," Riku said.

Kuja chuckled. "Well, they're probably feeling just dandy right about now. I swear, the look on that duck's face..."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, how long before we reach Gaia?"

"We'll be there in no time at all. I'm just going to warp us there, and then we will teleport over to my palace. My servants should have everything ready and prepared for us once we arrive."

"Good." Riku looked down at Sora, sleeping comfortably in his arms. "Just hold on, Sora. I won't let you die on me now."

=||=

Nobody knew what to say. They were either shocked, angry, or both. A moment or two of silence passed until someone broke it.

"This is bad. This is very bad," Aerith said softly.

"No kidding!" Donald cried, frustration and anger gnawing at him.

"Sora... it's really bad that he's gone, but I don't think Riku's gonna hurt him," Goofy said.

"How can you say that!?" Donald snapped.

"So that was Riku?" Yuffie asked, now curious.

"All Sora has been doing since he got sick is call out to him. Maybe Riku's presence will help him recover," Aerith said, thinking of the difficult time she and Yuffie had trying to tend to Sora. They started to think that maybe his fever hadn't gone down at all because didn't seem to want to get better.

"Yeah, and Sora's his best friend. Riku said he was gonna help Sora get better, and I believe him," Goofy said firmly.

"Goofy, you idiot! Don't you see!? Unless we find Sora, we can't finish our mission!" Donald scolded him.

"The duck's right," Cid agreed. "Maybe that kid is going to help Sora, but that doesn't change the fact that we don't know where the hell they went."

Leon, who had stayed silent in the corner up until then, finally spoke. "Without Sora, the Keyholes can't be sealed. More worlds will disappear and stopping Maleficent is going to be impossible."

"What are we gonna do?" Yuffie said.

"Look for him, of course! Starting now! Goofy, let's go!" Donald started shoving Goofy out the door, only to be stopped by Cid.

"Hang on, you two. We need to think this out better," Cid told them.

"What's to think about!? Sora's been kidnapped and we have to find him, that's all there is to it!" Donald cried.

"Be reasonable, would you? We don't know anything about that Kuja guy or where he came from. That ship he had was in a class of its own, we have no idea what kind of navigation it has or what we're up against," Cid told him.

"What, so you just wanna give up!?" Donald said.

"All I'm saying is that..."

Just then, Merlin entered the room. Everyone turned to look at him, stopping their conversation. He took one look at the empty bed, and sighed.

"So. He has already taken the boy then."

"Merlin? You... you knew?" Yuffie asked him.

"Yes. I knew Riku would come for Sora." [2]

"What!?" Donald yelled at the wizard. "You knew, and you didn't warn us!?"

Donald looked ready to have another tantrum, until Merlin gave him a stern look.

"Because as you saw, his condition was not improving here. It seems that his illness is probably more mental than physical, maybe a combination of both. But I agree with Goofy, in the belief that his friend will help him through this. Do not worry about Sora, he will be fine."

"Merlin, are you sure about this?" Leon asked.

The old man nodded. "Yes."

"Bah! Fine, think what you want, but Goofy and I are going to revisit the other worlds and put the word out, and give them a description of Riku. We need Sora for this mission, we can't afford anymore setbacks!"

"That might be a good idea. At least then we'd have people keeping an eye out for them," Cid said.

"Do as you wish, but it is likely you will not hear from Sora until he is ready to contact you. Just try to be patient until then," Merlin told them.

"Whatever, old man. Goofy, let's go!" With that, Donald turned away and walked out of the room in a huff.

END PART 2.

[1] Cid's weapon in FF7 was a spear. ^_^

[2] For those of you that haven't seen "The Sword in the Stone" Merlin is supposed to be psychic, I guess, and know stuff about the future. Or something.

Thanks go out once again to my beta readers, Lost Angel, and Uzumaki-sama. As always, reviews, comments and feedback are appreciated! Thanks for reading, more will be up soon!