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Bonds of Misery	By : ColdSilence Category: Kingdom Hearts > Crossovers Views: 718 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: All properties relating to Kingdom Hearts and Ai no Kusabi belong to their respective trademarks. No profit whatsoever is being made off this work of fanfiction.

Chapter List
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Author: Cold Silence
E-Mail: writer.coldsilence@gmail.com
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts, Ai no Kusabi
Pairings: Multiple pairings all involving Sora. Given which fandoms are being crossed over, you might be able to guess why!
Warnings: Post DLC scenario. Non-Consensual / Rape situations, Underage Characters, child abuse. Very dark content, read at your own risk.
Special Note: I’m so excited to write this story. This will be my first foray into sci-fi content, as well as doing a canon-compliant crossover fic. Hopefully it doesn’t take me ten years to finish it!

Bonds of Misery
-Chapter Three; Not a Virgin-

“I don’t care about whatever Kirie drags in here. Do what you want,” said Riki coolly.

Kirie glared at Riki as a note of lascivious glee passed through the men. They advanced on Sora with eager expressions on their faces.

“Wait a minute!” shouted Sora. “I only came to ask some questions, I don’t care about your hideout.”

“I have a better idea,” intervened Kirie. He stepped in front of Sora and spread his hands wide to keep the others from coming near him. “How about he races for it?”

The man with the sunglasses threw his head back with a laugh. “Are you kidding? You know we’ll run circles around this guy. Does he even have a jet bike?”

“He can use mine,” retorted Kirie with a firm point to himself.

“You’re willing to risk your own jet bike on this green horn?” said the man incredulously. “And which of us is he going to race against?”

“Him.”

Everyone looked at Sora, who answered the question while giving Riki a very firm look.

This caused the shaded man to practically cough on his own spit. “Are you crazy? Do you even know who you’re up against?”

“Sure. He’s the leader right? So that’s who I have to beat,” said Sora confidently, all while locking eyes with Riki. These guys reminded him of the pirates he met in the Carribean. It wasn’t the first time that he dealt with this sort of roughness. If there was anything that experience taught him, it was that he had to stand up to the person on top if he wanted the underlings to fall in line.

Riki met Sora’s unwavering stare with one of his own. A quiet battle of wills and a solemn promise that victory wasn’t going to come easily passed between them. Although the newcomer was definitely outside of his depth, he could read his inner strength and sense of experience. He smashed his cigarette on the box he was sitting on. “Fine. One race. You win, you can ask any questions you want.”

“You lose,” added Guy with a cold grin, “and you’re going to be sucking a lot of dick.”

Sora inwardly shuddered. The men backed off with jeers about his inevitable loss to Riki. Kirie threw his arms around his neck so suddenly that he almost stumbled.

“You’ve got guts,” said Kirie with a smirk. “Taking on the leader of Bison like that. People are going to be talking about this for weeks!”

“You could have warned me,” said Sora with a frown. “I just wanted to ask some questions.”

“I know, I know. I thought you’d just get everyone off first,” said Kirie with a wink.

“Ew! Why would anyone do that!” Disgust at the mere thought of committing such an act twisted Sora’s face.

Kirie laughed at the boy’s expression. “It’s the currency of the slums. Besides, they’re not all that bad. Allow me to introduce you. The guy with the shades - that’s Luke. The one with no sense of humor is Sid. And the blonde one is Norris.”

As Kirie introduced each person, Sora was acknowledged with an idle wave, a stare, and an unwanted air kiss. He tried not to cringe as he gave his own name in return.

“Second in command is Guy, and of course, you already know Riki.” The way that Kirie said these last two names was with a shade of contempt. “Those two old geezers are the founding members of Bison, the most famous gang in Ceres.”

The men all seemed very close, but Sora could sense the rivalry between them, and something else. They looked at Riki as if they were enthralled by his presence. It reminded him of how the islanders used to be around Riku. Everyone practically worshipped him when they were kids.

Guy seemed to be the only one allowed to sit next to him. Like a planet drawn to its star, he boldly looked towards that heat and touched it, sitting with his shoulder against the other’s. Sora could suddenly feel himself leaning against Riku like that, and remembered the adoration and pride that he felt because he was one of the few people who could.

“Hey,” said Kirie sharply. “Quit staring and start walking, we’ve got a race to win.” He grabbed Sora by the wrist and jerked him towards the exit of the hideout, followed by the other members of Bison.

{{———————————————–}}

An incoming video call chimed its arrival on Iason’s work station. He answered it with brief wave of his gloved hands. A man with red hair and a scarred face appeared on the holographic projection.

“Katze, reporting,” said the caller in a calm, business-like tone. With a nod from Iason, he continued. “I tracked the counterfeit PAM device. It was scanned at the checkpoint leading to Ceres, and biometrics were registered at a hostel located at the coordinates that I am sending. I attempted to get security footage, but the cameras appear to have been damaged.”

A second window opened to reveal a grainy video. At first, it cycled through the colors of black and green, as if something was rapidly passing over the lens of the camera and interfering with its night vision. When it cleared up, they would see two boys standing together. One with a head of layered spikes, and the other with curls.

Iason used his fingers to zoom the image. Their features became clear. “Where did he go after this?”

“The innkeeper saw him leave with the person pictured there. I have already made arrangements for his apprehension upon his return.”

“Good. See to it that he is not too damaged. I don’t want to hear Raoul complain about it.”

“Yes sir,” answered Katze, and then the uplink was ended.

Iason looked at the image a few moments longer. The boy looked ordinary to him. He couldn’t fathom what it was that Raoul saw that was worth coveting. If their quarry went straight to Ceres despite having a counterfeit PAM for Midas, then he was likely involved in the black market. There was more to the story, and soon he would find out what it was.

{{———————————————–}}

Later that day, Sora found himself in Area 9 of Ceres, a place that the Bison members called “Hot Crack.” It appeared to have once boasted broad roadways that were now crumpled beneath fallen buildings and covered in debris. The pock marked slabs of concrete and cavernous holes that tore stone and steel asunder spoke of weapon fire that must have ravaged the place. He got a good look at the ancient carnage as they walked at a pace that was slowed by the airbikes they were dragging along. They decided not to ride their way in to prevent drawing unwanted attention.

Everything about Hot Crack made Sora uneasy. The place had a feel that was reminiscent of the Keyblade Graveyard. “Who was fighting here?” he asked.

His question drew odd looks from the men gathered around him. Kirie scoffed loudly. “A bunch of idiots who weren’t satified to be living in the lap of luxury in Midas wanted to defect. They decided that having ‘freedom’ was better than drinking all the booze they wanted, having money and status, and fucking girls.”

This information was digested quietly by Sora. He didn’t see anything wrong with desiring freedom, but it was obvious by Kirie’s tone that he didn’t agree. “Did they win?” he asked.

His question drew dry laughter from the men. Luke climbed up on a pile of debris and spread his hands wide. “They won!” he announced with false pride. “Look at all they fought for. This pile of trash was the spoils of war. Our luxury living is curtesy of the rebellion!”

“When they couldn’t beat the defectors, Tanagura simply cut Ceres off,” said Guy solemnly. “They provide no support or aid to it, no resources whatsoever. Everyone’s residential records were deleted. No PAM means that we can’t go into Midas and we can’t leave the planet. Ceres was crushed without the need to fire another weapon. Now we just rot until we die.”

“So that’s why everything looks so messed up,” murmured Sora. “But if this place is being left alone, then why is everyone still fighting each other?”

“There’s barely any food or jobs,” answered Sid in his quiet voice. “People will fight like dogs to survive. If you’re not part of a gang, then you’re dead meat.”

“Tanagura doesn’t play fair either,” added Norris. “They don’t like us playing so close to their backyard, so they send Darkmen to chase the dogs away using any weapons they want, while we’re left fending ourselves with sticks and stones.”

“It’s a regular paradise,” said Luke sardonically. “Mongrels like us can’t wish for better.”

“Speak for yourself old man!” yelled Kirie. “I’m getting out of here. I’m going to find a way into Midas and live the high life. No way I’m dying in this dump.”

The men jeered at that declaration. Sora couldn’t help but draw his eyes to Riki, wanting to know his opinion, only to find that the boy was wearing a tense expression; jaw set and a poisonous look directed at Kirie. When that stare shifted its attention to him, it took all he had not to jump out of his skin.

“Are we going to bullshit or are we going to race?” growled Riki.

Kirie gave Riki a glare, and then he brought his attention back to Sora. “You better know how to ride. If you wreck my bike then you’re paying for it.”

Sora gave Kirie an assuring smile. “Just tell me how to turn it on and make it go.” He thought that it couldn’t be too different than riding lightcycles in Tron’s world.

After a brief tutorial, a starting point and pathway were selected - if they could even call the course that. There were at least five deadly jumps and enough obstacles on the road to wreck even the most careful driver.

Riki looked over at Sora, expecting the obvious greenhorn to be shitting in his pants. Instead, he found the boy grinning as if he was ready for an adventure of a lifetime. The expression made him pause. It was obvious that the stranger was not from Ceres, and he didn’t have the air of priviledge that came from a Midas citizen. An offworlder then? It wouldn’t be the first time that someone came to Amoi for the express purpose of slumming it.

“Good luck,” said Sora cheerfully to the leader of Bison.

“Fuck you,” was Riki’s answer. Then he activated his bike, which levitated off the ground with a blue glow of its wheels.

Sora was half a second behind in powering up his own bike. The dirt beneath them blew outwards from the downforce of the jets. Guy was eight meters in front of them with a piece of concrete in his hands. He dropped it to the ground, and the moment it cracked the floor the racers shot forwards in a cloud of dust and cheers.

Riki was familiar with the course and was able to avoid the obstacles on the treacherous terrain with ease. To his surprise, he could hear the other racer closeby, who was apparently able to adapt to the deadly path despite being new. He chanced a glance backwards, only to find that Sora was also driving at a breakneck speed that matched the gumption of any mongrel that tempted life and death in the slums.

A unbidden smile stretched Riki’s lips. Wherever Sora was from, he had to respect that level of tenacity. He pulled his airbike to the side to avoid a fork in the road caused by fallen debris. Upon rounding the large mound, he jerked his vehicle to the right just as his opponent emerged from the other side of the trash pile and slammed into his bike.

“Hey!” Sora nearly lost his balance as sparks flew between their machines. He shot a glare at Riki. “That’s cheating!”

“That’s opportunity,” countered Riki as he moved to attempt to counterbalance the other boy.

This time Sora was ready, and he stuck his foot out as a wedge to keep their aerobikes from crashing again. They continued like this; breaking apart to dodge the obstacles that were in front of them before meeting together in clash of metal, jabbing arms and kicking legs. By the time they reached the final stretch of the race, they were grinning from ear to ear from the exhilaration and competitiveness of it all.

Then they heard sirens. Behind them, several black aerocars with flashing lights were giving chase. Riki cursed as they were pursued. “We have to scram!”

“Not without the others!” Sora yelled back.

Already, the group they had left behind was scattering in escape. Luke and Sid were able to fit on the same aerobike and left already, and which left Norris stuck between chosing to either load up Kirie or Guy on his bike.

That potentially disasterious decision was avoided when Riki and Sora arrived. Guy mounted on Riki’s aerobike, and Kirie hopped on behind Sora with a jeer at Norris. They shot off in all directions with one last command to meet up at the usual place.

Under Kirie’s direction, they were able to shake the police by diving through alleyways and partially blocked underpasses that their larger aerocars were unable to pass. Once they were safe, Sora stopped the bike and breathed a sigh of relief.

“That was amazing!” crowed Kirie. He smacked Sora on the back with a grin. “I bet if we had gotten to finish that race, you would have beat that Riki hands down.”

Sora turned around in his seat to face his passanger with a curious expression. “How come you don’t like him? He seems like a pretty solid guy to me.”

Kirie’s expression turned angry. “He abandoned Bison for three years. No one knew where he went or what he was up to. Then one day he comes back, looking down on everyone and acting like nothing happened. He won’t even say where he’s been. If you ask me, he came back like a dog with its tail between his legs. I can’t stand guys like that.”

“Maybe he’s been through something that he’s not ready to talk about,” offered Sora. “You probably just need to give him time.”

“What planet are you from?” said Kirie with a bark of laughter. “This is the slums, it’s survival of the fittest out here. I don’t give a shit if he was off on a ruined business venture or shacked up with some lover that kicked him out. A broken old man has no right to be here.”

Sora was surprised that Kirie considered Riki to be old. He couldn’t have been that many years ahead of them. “I don’t know. For someone who doesn’t care, you seem to care alot,” he said with a teasing smile.

“Shut up and drive,” groused Kirie.

Since it was dangerous to return to the hideout, Kirie invited Sora to his home. It was located in an area of Ceres that was slightly cleaner than the rest, where several locked doors led to rooms that were accessible only by biometrics.

As soon as they walked into Kirie’s living space, Sora was shocked by how clean it was. It was like an oasis in the middle of the apocolyptic concerete jungle just outside of the automatic door. The closets were full of nice clothes, the tables looked tasteful, the bed was plush. At a glance he could tell that Kirie was fond of having nice things.

“You can shower first,” offered Kirie as he dropped onto a couch. “There’s a bathrobe you can use in there. Just don’t take too long and use up all the water.”

“Thanks,” said Sora. He went into the bathroom and undressed, and carefully folded his clothing. Normally he never removed his gear when he was on a different world, but he didn’t want to arouse suspicions. Thankfully the shower wasn’t too complicated to figure out, it had a simple knob system that he was familiar with. He wasn’t sure if what he was using on his body and hair was soap or shampoo, but it seemed to do the trick for removing all the grime from his body.

As soon as Sora left the bathroom, Kirie swept his way in - but not without giving his robed body an appreciative leer. Thinking nothing of it, the boy sat down on a chair, and almost the moment he did, he could feel all the adrenaline and excitement finally leave him.

Was Bison finally going to accept him and answer his questions, or was he back to square one because of the interruption by the police? Should he try to go out later and hunt for clues, or should he lay low in case the cops were still looking for them? What were Riku and Kairi doing right now? His thoughts circled around each other, and he longed to be able to use his gummi phone to contact his friends. He closed his eyes in an attempt to tamp down his anxiety. Keep it together, he told himself. You can do this.

Something brushed the inside of Sora’s thigh and was inching upwards past the hem of his robe. His eyes slammed open, only to find Kirie hovering only a few inches from his face. He was wearing nothing but a pair of underwear. He automatically clutched the boy’s wrist to make the groping stop. “What are you doing?” he demanded.

Kirie looked both annoyed and disappointed at the same time. “I let you stay at my place, and you’re not even going to pay me back for it?”

Sora’s jaw dropped. It has his idea to make him come here in the first place! “I can go back to the hotel,” he said, already getting up from the seat so that he could throw his clothes back on. His cheeks were burning red from the audacity of the other boy.

“You’d rather go back to that dump?” said Kirie incredulously. “What is your problem? Don’t tell me you’re a virgin.”

“I am not a virgin!” Sora bit back before he could stop himself. “It’s just that I barely know you.”

“When you get to know me, you’ll wish you sucked me off sooner,” said Kirie with a wink. “Whatever, you can stay if you want. But you still owe me.”

Sora puffed out his cheeks. The nerve of this guy! He couldn’t figure out what Kirie’s angle was, but this behavior put him off. Deciding that it was safer to keep his clothes on, he hastily dressed back into his flannel top and shorts and flopped back on the couch. No way he was sharing a bed.

Attempts were made to try to get back into his good graces. Kirie offered Sora stout, which he recognized as the drink of choice of the bums that he found laying around Ceres. He politely declined and tried to generally not incur any more 'debt’ that he would have to pay of later.

  This world is so weird, he thought to himself. As the day wore on and Kirie flopped onto his bed, Sora closed his eyes and let his mind drift.

{{———————————————–}}

He was not a virgin.

But he wasn’t entirely sure of that.

After he returned from the Final World, the celebrations had been amazing. King Mickey and Queen Minnie gave everyone exclusive passes to Disney Town. The amount of fun that he had with all of his new friends was indescribable. Sora felt an almost desperate sort of joy well up from inside of him, as if to make up for all the years of uncertainty, desperation and pain that came from fighting off the darkness and being separated from his friends.

They were assigned rooms to stay in after having their fill of the rides and treats at the park. Sora stumbled into his shared space with Riku, the both of them laughing. He couldn’t remember what was so funny at the time, only that his best friend seemed so strong and happy while standing by his side; his mere presence filling the spaces in his heart that fissured under the weight of the Keyblade War.

Something caused them to stumble and bump into each other, and each reflexively caught the other’s arm in protection. Riku’s lips accidentally brushed against Sora’s cheek, and the softness of that touch seared him all the way down to his bones. A moment passed in startlement of that feeling, and maybe Riku felt the same way, because he appeared just as stunned and uncertain.

With all his heart, Sora never wanted Riku to feel wavering feelings towards him ever again. So he leaned up on his toes and impulsively kissed him, and in that moment, uncovered something raw in his best friend that had been hiding all along.

Riku’s hands were suddenly all over, touching him in places they never had before. Caressing his shoulder blades, pulling at his waist, holding him flush against his chest. The joy that they felt turned into a molten, burning pleasure that compelled them to take their clothes off. Up until that point, Sora never thought of his friends in a sexual way. There were only fleeting thoughts that were brushed away in favor of duty. Sometimes he imagined petting Kairi’s red hair and holding her hand. Sometimes he reveled in the look that Riku got when he was dishieveled after being bested in combat.

Those thoughts were never overtly carnal, but now their memories were being painted in a pink haze as his body supplied an understanding that was outside of his grasp before. A fierce love made him rip off his fingerless gloves just so he could touch the other’s skin without obstruction. The chiseled chest that he coveted, the mature abs of an older boy, the swelling cock and balls that were always hidden from him, Sora desperately seeked it all. He wrapped his legs around his friend’s waist in claiming of what he considered to be his, and answered in gasping kisses and shuddering moans what was Riku’s.

Their rubbed their crotches together, backs arching and undulating in a chase to reach ecstacy. Riku bore down while Sora rose up, and his cock found a place that teased his head delightfully as it gave in to its advances. They both pushed at the same time.

And suddenly Sora was screaming.

The spell that had been cast broke instantly. Riku backed off while Sora grimaced and clutched his ass. They didn’t know what they did wrong, only that it had caused a lot of pain. There was a multitude of apologies, a cast of Curaga and ultimately a sense of shame between the two of them.

Sora didn’t know what to think. In his heart, he knew that he loved Riku unconditionally. He didn’t understand why his body didn’t do the same. There was no one he could talk to regarding this intimate problem, and his friend never brought it up again. So they continued on as they always had, although there was now something new humming in the background. A closeness that only they understood, yet never expressed as lovers ever again.

They were still best friends. Yet, on the day that they had to part ways, Sora couldn’t help but challenge that.

  Are you breaking up with me?

Even though they were not an official couple, he wanted Riku to know that the depth of his feelings had not changed. As he waited by the door of the Highwand, he wanted badly for his friend to answer the challenge.

But he never did.

{{———————————————–}}

Later that evening, when the coast was considered clear, they returned to Bison’s hideout. Everyone managed to escape the police unscathed, much to Sora’s relief. The men regaled stories of how they narrowly avoided capture on their aerobikes while drinking from long packages of stout.

Sora kept looking at Riki expectantly, until the leader smirked and shook his head.

“You didn’t win the race, but I like your style. You can stay,” was his declaration.

“Whose to say that I wouldn’t have won?” countered Sora with a sly smile of his own.

“Don’t push your luck,” said Riki before returning to his drink.

Relieved that he was finally going to be able to work with Bison without having to do anything weird, Sora continued. “I’m actually not planning to stay long. I’m just looking for information.”

“Information is expensive,” commented Sid.

“I have a money stick - thing, if that’s what you want,” offered Sora.

“What sort of information?” asked Guy with a neutral expression on his face.

“I’m looking for monsters,” answered Sora. At the odd looks he received, he pressed, “I’m serious. I heard that there might be some around here. It’s important that I find them before they hurt anyone.”

Luke let out a laugh. “We just outran some monsters with our aerobikes today. You should have just stayed behind if you wanted to meet them so badly.”

“What my friend here is trying to say,” interrupted Kirie, “is that there is probably a plot to mess with the slums using some genetically engineered trash.”

Sora stared at Kirie. That was definitely not what he was trying to say.

“You actually believe this guy?” said Norris incredulously. “Just how much stout have you had today?”

“I’ve seen it for myself. That’s how I met Sora. I saved him from monsters,” continued Kirie in a haughty way.

“That’s not–” protested Sora.

“I wouldn’t put it past the Midas Police Force to do something like that,” said Guy with a frown. “But if there are so called monsters, I haven’t heard anything about it.”

“We can find out,” offered Riki. “Guy has connections. For the right price, he can get information.”

“It’ll cost you,” warned Guy.

“As long as we’re paying with money sticks,” said Sora dryly. There was some further negotiation after that, and after they decided on a price, money was exchanged. Hopefully this would be the lead he was looking for.

“Now that business is done,” announced Kirie. He loped one of his arms around Sora’s neck and flashed a triumphant smile at the others. The possessive gesture subtly marked the clueless brunet as his interest. “Let’s move on to pleasure. There’s going to be a pet auction at Mistral Park. High grade academy pets!”

Excitment ran through the gathered men like a fast moving infection. Sora couldn’t help the way his body stiffened. He remembered the kids that they rescued and wondered if they were going to a place where there were more of them. What he couldn’t understand was why these men weren’t appalled. As he watched everyone’s reaction, the only one that seemed appropriate was Riki’s. The Bison leader wore a dark cloud on his face that he tried to hide behind his stout.

“We were almost pinched by the Midas police. Are you that eager to get jailed?” warned Riki. This dampened some of the enthusiam that the others were feeling.

“I thought Bison was supposed to be the best of the best, instead it’s just a has-been group of old men,” challenged Kirie. “You guys have no teeth. This is an opportunity of lifetime!”

“An opportunity for what?” commented Luke with a laugh. “To jerk off beside a pet cage? Just get a datastick with some porno on it.”

“You are all so narrow minded. Becoming involved in the pet trade is the best ticket out of these slums. What better way to find out about it than to be at the auction,” argued Kirie.

“You sound as if you want to be a pet yourself,” said Sid slowly.

“Why not?” said Kirie flippantly. “Who wouldn’t want to be showered in the lap of luxury, drinking the best alcohol, fucking the most beautiful women on the planet.”

“You’re clueless,” ground Riki. “A pet is the lowest of the low. It’s a slow sink to darkness.”

“He’s right!” exclaimed Sora. Everyone stared at him because of the unexpected outburst, but he couldn’t help himself. “They’re so empty. They don’t have things they like, they don’t have memories of friends or family, they just do what everyone tells them to do.”

Kirie gave Sora an angry look for siding with Riki. He took his hand off his shoulder. “Better that than living in a slum. Going nowhere, doing the same thing every day. The rest of you may be okay living in this dumpster for the rest of your lives, but I’m going places. I’m getting out of here!”

“We’ve heard that before,” commented Norris with a laugh. Although there was a clear tension between Kirie’s desires and Riki’s opinion, the others were able to diffuse it by teasing the youngest member of Bison.

A disturbing feeling filled the pit of Sora’s stomach. He felt as if everyone was missing the point here. There were people who were being treated like things, but no one appeared to care. The only person who shared any sort of resentment against that was Riki. As if he was the only other sane person in the room.

{{———————————————–}}

Sora learned a lot about Bison in the days that followed. Three years ago, they were famous for having an iron clad hold on territories within the slums. Then they fell into obscurity when Riki suddenly disappeared. Without a leader, the rest of Bison was left adrift, and they faced rivalries with up and coming gangs like the Jeeks - the group that chased Kirie while he was hoverboarding. Although Riki had returned and reclaimed his place as their leader, he didn’t seem interested in restoring their old glory. Instead, he was content with what they had and turned their attention towards fixing up aerobikes for a living.

No one knew where Riki was all that time, and no one asked. They all followed a code of silence that respected their leader’s privacy. Sora was deathly curious, and there were many times where he came close to outright asking him, but he knew intuitively that he wasn’t going to get an answer. If Riki’s own close friends were left in the dark, then what right did he have to know about it? Even so, he couldn’t help but remember Daryl’s words and wonder if it was related.

Kirie insisted that he stay with him at his place. Although it was nice not to be alone in a hotel, he found the boy’s attempts at seducing him to be annoying. Sora turned him down as politely and firmly as he could, but the reaction was always the same - disdain and simmering anger, as if he was commiting a grievous sin by not sleeping with him. The only upside to it was that when he left the flat at night, it was useful to say that it was because Kirie was overbearing instead of the real reason - he was out hunting for heartless and the world’s keyhole.

His plan was simple. He would do a sweep of Ceres from East to West, and take stock of how many heartless he encountered on his travels. Wherever he found dense pockets of enemies, he would travel in that direction. If the quantity and difficulty of heartless increased, then he knew that he was going the right way. Eventually, his travels took him to a section of the ruined city that was practially inpenetrable. Not because it had a barrier, but because the buildings extended so high and in such odd directions that no light penetrated the alleys at all. As soon as he walked a meter past the first tower, he couldn’t see an inch in front of his face. Everything was in complete darkness.

It wouldn’t be the first time that he fought in pitch blackness, but never before did he have to go it alone in such a large, unknown space. What he wouldn’t give to have Donald and Goofy by his side to brave the unknown area. Eventually he was going to have to face that dark place on his own, but first he would gather some information about it. With that resolution in mind, he decided to ask Bison about it before he went storming in.

Unfortunately, the gang members had different plans. After a week of cajoling by Kirie, they decided to attend the pet auction at Mistral Park. They were so excited by this prospect that Sora couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Even Riki was reluctantly dragged to the affair. Despite his misgivings, Sora decided to go with them because he wanted to see for himself how bad things were on this world. If there was anything that he could do for the pets, then he wanted to try.

Mistral Park was part of Midas, and since Bison did not have PAM devices they bypassed security by sneaking in through abandoned subway tunnels located beneath the city. Norris joked that they were like cockroaches skittering into the kitchen when the lights went out. When they emerged at their destination of neon colored streets, perfectly ordered sidewalks and high rises, for a moment Sora truely felt like vermin. Compared to Ceres, Midas was so impeccably clean it was almost sterile. The buildings gleamed like spires of crystals in the night. Lights illuminated the darkness and reflected off windows where they could see elegantly dressed people dining on expensive foods and wine. Aerocars flew through the skies in orderly and near soundless fashion.

Walking in the tunnels beneath the city gave Sora the impression of having a sheen of filth on his body. Although he had been to many worlds and knew he was an outsider to most of them, this was the first time that he felt as if he truely did not belong. The members of Bison, however, walked the streets with pride. As if they had every right to be there despite being the cast offs of their society. Sora couldn’t help but admire their tenacity for their right to live as they pleased.

“Impressed yet?” asked Kirie. He bumped into Sora’s shoulder with his own to draw his attention. His smile was charming and full of bright teeth.

“It’s something,” answered Sora. There was an air about Midas that made it feel like a theme park, but he couldn’t see any rides or attractions asides from the fine dining, parks and buildings. It wasn’t like San Fransokyo, where he immediately felt welcomed and was able to make friends quickly. That city had a warmth to it, but this one felt cold and aloof. “What do people do for fun around here?”

“Glad you asked,” said Kirie with a grin. He grabbed Sora’s wrist and pulled him through the crowd, while the others followed at a more sedate pace. They climbed up onto a cement wall where they could see over the heads of the people gathered, and Kirie leaned over and whispered, “Look.”

Sora’s jaw dropped. In the middle of the park there was a stage, and a man was announcing the viewing of the lastest breed from the Keeler Laboratory. Two tall cylinders housed the reposed figures of a man and woman, both unearthly beautiful and adorned with a pair of white, feathery wings and exquisite gowns. They appeared to be asleep with soft smiles on their faces and their arms stretched above in inviting, submissive poses. The auctioner was giving basic information about them, but Sora could hardly hear what he was saying past his shock of seeing more people in stasis pods.

“Which one would you fuck?” whispered Kirie into his ear.

“What?” Sora came out of his trance to give his companion an appalled look. “Why would you talk about them like that?”

“They’re pets!” said Kirie incredulously. “That’s what they’re made for. If they didn’t service people, they would be good for nothing.”

“That’s not true. There’s no such thing as someone being worthless,” argued Sora. “Especially if its because they just didn’t want to do what you wanted them to do.”

“What planet are you from,” said Kirie with half a laugh. “And why the hell are you on this one if you believe that sort of bullshit?”

“I’ve seen enough,” interrupted Riki. He had been listening to the conversation quietly, and his face was twisted in disgust. When he stalked off, the others followed their leader without another word.

“But they only just started the auction!” complained Kirie. When Sora hopped down from the concrete wall to go with the others, he growled in annoyance. “Sora!”

“Sorry, I’m just.. not into this sort of thing,” answered Sora. He tried to sound apologetic, but he couldn’t keep the reproach from his voice.

Kirie was obviously put off, but he begrudgingly followed the gang to where they went next. They toured some of the resturants, where the food they couldn’t afford smelled so good it was nearly dizzying. Sora’s mind drifted to the Bistro in Twilight Town, and he felt homesick for the freedom to travel the Lanes Between and visit friends and places whenever he wanted. It suddenly struck him how horrible it was to be stuck on a world where the freedom to simply eat nice food didn’t exist, at least not for Bison. As he watched the men gather beside a balcony, he wondered if there was a way - any way - to change things for them.

“Look, a private car!” called out Kirie. A very sleek and expensive looking aerocar was landing in front of the plaza. The men leaned over the balcony to whistle their appreciation of it. Curiously, Sora looked over the balcony edge to see what the big deal was about. The car door opened vertically, and a tall, blonde man dressed in long robes with regal shoulder pads stepped out. His visage was covered by a wrap around visor. His breath caught - could that be Raoul?

“A Tanagura blondie in the flesh!” said Kirie excitedly. “This is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for!”

“What the hell is a blondie going to want with slum trash?” asked Norris with a laugh. “Keep dreaming Kirie, it’s cute.”

As the others argued, Sora continued to peer downwards to see if it was really Raoul. As if sensing their presence, the blond man looked upwards - and confirmed that it wasn’t Raoul but someone else. The boy relaxed, and then realized that the guy was staring. He followed his gaze over to Riki, who appeared as if he had seen a ghost.

“Riki?” asked Sora tentatively.

Suddenly, Riki collapsed. Guy immediately was at his side, trying to figure out what was wrong. The Bison leader was holding his head and shaking from head to toes. Everyone was bewildered. Sora watched the friends pile around Riki in concern, and then he glanced back to the source of the problem. The imposing man was still there, but this time he was staring at Sora. He had a piercing blue gaze, the sort that gave him the impression that he was being seen through like glass. A shudder ran through the boy’s body. Why did it seem like this blondie knew him?

“I think we’ve had enough of Mistral Park. I’m taking Riki back,” announced Guy. He helped his friend to his feet and walked off with him. Sora started following after them, but Kirie stalled him by placing his hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s stay,” he said to Sora in an almost feverish way. “I’m going to talk to that Blondie.”

“Your friend needs help,” insisted Sora. “I think we should stay with Riki.”

“Riki, Riki everything is always about damn Riki,” growled Kirie. “He might be happy living as a mongrel all his life, but I’m not. I’m not going to let this chance get away.”

“I don’t get you Kirie,” said Sora with a frown. “You try so hard to fit in with these guys, but when they actually need you, you’re more interested in doing things for yourself. Do you even want friends?”

“You’re so naive,” said Kirie coldly. “It’s every man for themselves in the slums. They would turn their backs on you in a second. Go with them if you want, but I’m warning you. Pretending like this world is sunshine and roses is only going to bite you in the ass.”

“I’ll take my chances,” answered Sora defiantly. He pushed Kirie’s hand off his shoulder and followed the other Bison members.

{{———————————————–}}

Sora wasn’t sure of what he could do for Riki. After they left Mistral Park, Guy whisked the leader of Bison away and that was the last they saw of him for some time. It shouldn’t have been any of his business, but his promise to Daryl kept circling in his head.

That was why, when he saw Riki ducking into a bar while he was out on patrol, he chose to follow him. There was no one else around; for once they would have a chance to talk alone. When Sora entered the building, he found the older boy bowed over the counter with a tall glass of stout in his hand.

He took a seat next to the Bison leader. When Riki looked over at him, he gave a smile and offered his money stick to the bartender. “I’ll pay for whatever he’s drinking,” he offered.

Riki laughed bitterly and returned to his drink. “You’re too damn nice.”

“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately,” said Sora sheepishly.

“I didn’t come here because I wanted company,” warned Riki.

“I’m not keeping you company. I’m just sitting here, really quiet,” answered Sora.

Riki laughed again, and resumed his drinking. He asked for another tall helping of stout, and then another. Sora paid for each glass and kept true to his word about being silent. As time went by, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Riki reminded him of Riku. Both were strong in some ways and fragile in others. Each carried their problems as far as they could go without telling anybody. If Riki was anything like his best friend, then he would unburden himself when he was good and ready. All he could do was wait for that moment and be his companion until then.

The night wore on, and Sora found himself drifting off. Between hunting for heartless and keeping up with Bison, he hadn’t gotten much sleep lately. His eyes were nearly closed when he heard Riki’s voice.

“You’re not from this world are you.”

Sora startled awake and found a very drunk Riki hovering just inches from his face. He rubbed his eyes and pushed himself from where he was slouched against the bar. “What makes you say that?”

“Everything,” answered Riki. “You think different. You move different. Like you still have something like hope left in your body. People like that don’t exist on Amoi.”

Sora peered at Riki a few moments, before murmuring, “You haven’t always been on this planet then? You’ve seen what’s outside.”

“Yeah,” confirmed Riki.

“Is that where you were the three years you were gone?” asked Sora.

That seemed to be the wrong question to ask, because Riki’s face grew shadowed again. “I shuttled cargo offworld for a little while.” That was all he was willing to say on the matter.

Sora pursed his lips, before continuing. “You remind me of someone I know. Whenever he had a problem, I always had to pry it out of him.”

“Was he a pairing partner?”

“Ah..” Sora’s face colored at the implication of that. “Not exactly.”

“Just someone to play around with then?”

“No,” said Sora a little more sharply. “He’s my best friend.”

“Things like best friends don’t exist here.” Riki placed his hand on Sora’s knee, stroking with his thumb. “People get close in other ways.”

Sora felt goosebumps erupt in his skin. Although Riki was drunk, there was a hint of desperation in his eyes, as if he was hungering for something that he hadn’t had in a long time. He stalled the motions of his other’s hand by holding his wrist. “This world is weird. Why is everyone this way?” Kirie, the members of Bison, and now Riki too? It was unbelievable that anyone could want him that much.

“It’s all we have,” answered Riki. “There’s no money, no hope, no women, no family. All we have left in the slums is our body, for whatever good that is worth,” he said with a scoff. “You have a fine body, Sora. You could save a lot of money if you used it instead.”

  Riki turned his hand around to grasp Sora's and pull him, causing the boy to nearly fall off his stool. Flustered, Sora stuck out his legs to keep his balance. "Wait wait. I thought you were with Guy? Aren't you guys, you know.."

“Pairing partners?” finished Riki. “We haven’t been that for the past three years.”

“But it’s obvious that he still really likes you,” argued Sora. “And you like him too right? Isn’t that why you’re always together?”

“It’s complicated,” answered Riki.

“Then make it easier by talking to him. Tell him what you really feel,” suggested Sora. “Because I think he wants you to be pairing partners again.”

“Then he’ll be disappointed because that’s not what I want,” said Riki. “I’m not going to hurt him like that again.”

“But if he knew that you were, ah.. interested in other people, won’t that hurt too?” asked Sora. “Even if it’ll be hard to say what you need to say, you’ll still be friends, right?”

“What is it with you and friendship,” scoffed Riki. “You’re not the sort of person that likes to be alone are you. I can see that easily. That’s why you put up with Kirie even though you don’t want him. It’s you who should be more honest. I see the way you look at me. Exactly how much do I remind you of your friend?”

Riki pulled the boy’s captured hand up and licked his fingers. Sora stood up and snatched his arm away so quickly that he made the stool he was sitting on fall over. By now, his entire face was beet red. “H-hey! I’m just trying to be nice here.”

“I can think of all kinds of ways you can be nice,” said Riki drunkenly.

“Look, whatever you’re drinking is making you crazy,” said Sora with a small flutter to his voice. “I want to help you, but not the way you’re asking me to right now. I just.. I don’t know what else to do for you, especially if you won’t tell me what’s really wrong.”

Riki laughed bitterly. “If you were anyone else, we’d be fucking right now.”

“What would be the point?” said Sora with a frown. “You don’t even like me. Can you even say we’re friends?”

“Fuck, I regret asking,” groused Riki. He stood up from his stool, half dazed and tipsy from the hallucinagenic alcohol. With his shoulders slumped, he walked out of the bar.

Sora watched him go worriedly, and then followed at a distance. It was raining outside, and he pulled up his hoodie over his head to try to keep the dampness away. He could still feel the sting of Riki’s words and the wetness of his tongue against his hand. Was he putting up with Kirie because he was that lonely? Maybe it was true.

  I can’t help it, he thought to himself.

No more than he could help following Riki to make sure he was safe. He reminded him of how Riku used to be, just before the keyblades changed their lives. Even if friendship didn’t exist on this world, he couldn’t help but want to give that to him. To show him that there was a different approach he could take, one that didn’t require the exchange of bodies. Maybe then, whatever was hurting his heart would ease.

Riki hadn’t gone too far when something dark bled up from the ground in front of him. Sora barely had a chance to yell “look out!” before the Bison leader swung at the Neoshadow in front of him with a viscious left hook. The heartless stumbled back as if it was stunned from the blow, before gathering its wits and baring its claws.

Sora pressed his lips together as he summoned his keyblade. There was no way to hide the fact that he had such a weapon anymore. He would have to do some explaining after he saved Riki.

To be continued.
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Bonds of Misery