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Bonds of Misery	By : ColdSilence Category: Kingdom Hearts > Crossovers Views: 1168 -:- 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
- 8
- 9
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!
Once again, I have to thank the great Sakimichan for making such awe inspiring drawings! I suggest taking a look at what inspired the new character in this chapter after you’ve read it to limit spoilers. Otherwise, check it out here: https://www.deviantart.com/sakimichan/art/Older-Roxas-746504357

Bonds of Misery
-Chapter Nine; Heartfelt-

The Salinas Galaxy was teeming with life. It had several planetary systems, including one called Veran that was filled with worlds and satellite colonies where people lived out their lives. These were all reasonable places with laws that made sense and cultures that were varied and interesting.
Then there was Garan, another planetary system that was only accessible via the Elemina Jump gate. There were no worlds there that naturally sustained life. Instead, the power of technology carved niches of livable space into otherwise lifeless rocks. People lived in these difficult places because there was money to be made from mining and drugs. The only governance that existed was the Commonwealth, a group of city-states that cobbled their resources together in order to survive and profit.
Under those conditions, people could do what they wanted without penalty as long as it didn’t interfere with regulations over trade and the exchange of money. The pursuit of pleasure and power was the driving force of expansion. Pleasure came in the guise of music, art, experiences, pets and psychedelic substances. Power arrived from business deals, hostile takeovers, social strata, and money.
However, no one entity within the Commonwealth played the game better than Amoi. As the twelfth planet in the Garan System, it was the most remote and mysterious. Instead of joining the federation of city-states, it remained self-governed by an artificial intelligence known only as Jupiter. It was regarded as a completely immoral place run by androids known as “blondies” who managed to control a vast Black Market that was the envy of the galaxy. Their wares contained pets of the highest caliber, drugs of the purest form, medical marvels and miracles that heeded no ethics, catastrophic weapons and assassinations that could turn any conflict, and technology developed without restraint.
Amoi’s influence was so fearsome and powerful that the Commonwealth made several attempts to sabotage it. All their efforts were in vain. The blondies were as untouchable as they were immortal in their synthetic bodies. Nothing could stop their deplorable business from reaching the planets of Garan and beyond with its unrelenting darkness.
Riku learned all of this while he tended to the children they saved. He was able to keep in contact with Darryl via gummi phone and ask a lot of questions, but he never got the answer that he really wanted to hear: What was Sora’s status? Unfortunately, there was zero communication or information to report. Amoi’s security was too difficult to breach without blowback.
It gave him tremendous worry that his best friend was facing such a strange and twisted world all alone. However, he knew better than to underestimate Sora. It wasn’t the first or the last time that he went to the worst of places and came out victorious. Riku had to place his faith in his friend and do his part to help, which meant facilitating the rehabilitation of those children.
The work wasn’t easy. First, they had to have all their alterations removed. There were surgeries to remove the cat ears and tails. Some had to have new teeth grafted and their gag reflexes restored. Then their hormone levels and brain waves had to be restored to what was appropriate for their age. There was a lot of machinery, medications, bandaging, pain and crying in the process. They moved several times to find the right places to provide the best care. When most of the physical issues were addressed, they were brought to a planet named Karin that was renowned for the ability of its people to provide emotional healing.
It was a peaceful world that was full of lush landscape that stretched over mountains and valleys as far as the eye could see. Most of its leafy canopy and underbrush had a blue hue that looked wrong to someone who was more used to green. The climate was temperate with a sun that stained the sky reddish in eight hour cycles that made time race. Its people lived in harmony with the world around them in dome shaped buildings that were hidden beneath brush that grew on top of the walls.
The Karinese people were humanoids with red eyes and slanted pupils. They were empaths born with the ability to read the hearts of others. It was exactly what the children needed at that stage of their recovery, and the last thing that Riku wanted considering the secrets that he was trying to keep. Every time he felt one of them trying to probe him, he shut down the attempt with the same ferocity that he used to suppress Xehanort.
“You are very practiced at locking people out,” commented the bold Karinese who dared to breach his defenses. "And yet you have a strong connection to these children. Were you once a pet yourself?“
Riku gave the sort of stare that could have torn holes through steel. This particular person was in charge of guiding the children’s emotional development. Although he was well-intentioned, he seemed to think that the kids weren’t the only ones that needed fixing. "No,” he answered flatly. In his opinion, being Xehanort’s meat puppet didn’t come close.
“I apologize for prying. I just find you so intriguing. The mystery doesn’t help,” answered the Karinese with a light laugh. "Actually, I was hoping that you could help with a problem. One of the six has become very rebellious as a result of his deprogramming. You are the only one that he will respond to.“
"On it,” said Riku without hesitation. He turned to leave immediately, much to the surprise of the Karinese.
“Wait - how do you know which child it is? Or even what to say to him?” asked the caretaker.
“I know who it is,” answered Riku assuredly, “and I know what to say to him.”
In the time that Riku was tasked with helping the children, he got to know them very well. He held their hands during the painful surgeries and sat next to them as they recovered. During their rehabilitation, he helped them to build strength and learn simple things like how to dress, brush their teeth or count. When everyone was asleep and no one was looking, he summoned Braveheart and cured their wounds away.
It was a lot of hard work, and he was grateful for the staff that helped. They needed him because the children saw him as their master. It was his role to change the meaning of that word in their minds. He was not there to subjugate them to his whims as their programming originally intended. Instead, he would teach them how to live freely and thrive while avoiding future exploitation.
Although he was clueless on how to begin, eventually he figured it out. As the children got better, they eventually developed their own personalities and proclivities. They wanted things, they sought their own joy and exploration, and they played. The problem was how they connected. Some were still too touchy and feely for their own good, and there was one that had gone completely defensive and locked everyone out.
The latter was who Riku sought out. He was always skipping his lessons and wandering off into the dense vegetation on his own, to the point that they needed to place a tracker on him. However, he didn’t need to look at the GPS to know where he was. There was an enormous lake that stretched almost as far as the horizon, like the ocean of Destiny Island. On any given day, that kid was there.
It was eerie to find him standing and staring at the skyline. Riku thought that he was looking back in time at himself. If only that child knew that everything he was yearning for already existed within himself.
“Hey,” he said to alert him of his presence.
The child responded by grabbing a rock and throwing it at Riku. Much to his surprise and chagrin, the older boy casually caught it as if it was completely expected.
“Thanks,” said Riku without reproach. He walked next to the kid and reared his arm back. In one quick motion, the rock went flying across the water and skipped no less than seven times before it finally sank.
“Wow!” said the child in surprise. "How did you do that?“
"Practice,” answered Riku. He knelt down to pick up another rock from the dirt and offered it over. "And it helps to have a flatter rock.“
Eagerly, the young boy took the stone and threw it. His first attempt ended with the solid failure of it sinking right to the bottom of the lake. After a few more tries and guidance from Riku, he was able to make it skip at least two times.
Once they had settled into a comfortable space, Riku decided to broach the topic. "Why didn’t you go to your lessons?”
“Because they say to be careful of bad people,” answered the boy, “but how do I know that they are not bad people?”
“Fair enough,” answered Riku. "I used to have the same problem. I didn’t know who the bad people were either. And if you’re not careful, then you can turn bad yourself.“
"Were you bad?” asked the child.
“I was,” said Riku quietly. "I’ll tell you what I learned from it.“ Then he squatted down so he could speak to the child on an even level. "You can tell most bad people from good by one thing: They teach you things so you can be smarter and stronger. They give you everything you need to make your own choices. These people help you without any gain for themselves and expect nothing in return.”
“That’s what you do,” reasoned the boy.
“Right, but remember - I was also bad. I got that way because I couldn’t tell who was being nice to me just to take things from me later. So even though you try your best to know the difference, you can still make a mistake. But I want you to remember this.” Riku held up his finger to indicate the importance. “No matter how bad you get, you can still be good again. It won’t be easy, but it is always possible. I hope that you will learn to be brave enough to risk trusting in the right people, and strong enough to save yourself if you’ve made the wrong choice.”
The child looked at Riku quietly, and then slowly nodded. It was anyone’s guess as to how much he understood in his rudimentary world, but the way he reached out his hand said that something had changed. It was these moments that made being separated from Sora worthwhile. Together, with their palms clasped, they returned to where the others were receiving their lessons.
Upon their arrival, the caretaker gave Riku a slow nod of approval. Whatever he was sensing from the young boy seemed to be acceptable. The day continued on as per the usual routine.
Until the gummi phone rang.
It happened while they were having dinner together. Riku immediately excused himself from the round table that he shared with the children and their caretaker. He practically jumped through the door that led to the outdoors and immediately answered the call. Maybe it was Darryl calling to give him the long awaited update on Sora.
“Riku!” said a familiar voice. "About time! Do you have any idea of how long I’ve been blowing up your phone for the past three weeks?“
"Roxas?” said Riku incredulously. He was absolutely sure it was Rox and not Ventus, because only the former could make sounding worried and annoyed an art form. "What are you doing this far out?“
"Looking for you and slowly going insane doing it,” he answered dryly. "Where is Sora?“
"He’s not with me. We split up.”
“WHAT.” Roxas yelled so loud that Riku had to hold the phone away. "You don’t have any idea do you? Namine sent an emergency call. Someone is trying real hard to hurt Sora. I knew that you guys would be too far away to get calls from the gummi phone so I made a ship and flew to your sector as fast as I could.“
All the food that Riku just ate sank to the bottom of his stomach like a rock. "If the warning came from Namine, then that means…”
“Yeah, it’s bad,” Roxas finished for him. “Everyone else is still on their missions or too far away to get here. I was the closest one.”
“I’m going to send you my coordinates,” said Riku firmly. "Meet me here and I’ll bring you up to speed.“
"So great to be following your lead again, Master,” Roxas teased sarcastically before closing the line.
Riku shivered involuntarily. After all that he recently learned with the kids, the title of Master didn’t have the same ring to it anymore. He quickly sent the coordinates of Karin to Roxas, and then sent another subspace text message to Darryl:
Bring the Highwind to Karin ASAP.
“This is the first time that you’ve lost control of your feelings so profoundly.”
Riku turned around and found the Karinese man leaning against the doorway of the community area with his arms folded. His slitted red eyes seem to gleam in the twilight.
“You’re leaving, aren’t you,” continued the caretaker in a matter of fact way.
“I’m sorry,” said Riku regretfully, “but there is somewhere that I really have to be.”
“We both knew that this arrangement was eventually going to have an end. Actually, the timing is convenient. The children have now reached a critical moment when they must learn to move on without you. Forever is a dream that all must wake from,” said the Karinese sagely.
“Are they really ready?” questioned Riku.
“Who is ever ready to say goodbye?” countered the caretaker.
A day later, a very small blue and grey gummi ship arrived on one of the landing platforms reserved for space travel. It had a diamond-shaped body with two x-wings that were studded with enough verniers and thrusters to make it move and roll like a bat out of hell. A massive booster on its back end guaranteed its warp capabilities. The cockpit had room for one pilot that had to travel on their stomach just to fit.
The Karinese watched in wonderment as the ship deployed a pair of wheels for a petite touchdown and folded its wings back against its body, like a bird coming to roost. In lieu of a door, its windshield slid open, and a boy with messy blonde hair stood up with a groan.
“Last time I throw one of these together in just half an hour,” complained Roxas. He cracked his back and shoved his choppy hair off his face, and then hopped down to the tamarac. His clothing consisted of his signature black cloak, but beneath it was his usual vestments of khaki pants, checkered jacket and tank top. As much as he disliked what the Organization cloak stood for, it was still a good shield against the darkness. Something that there seemed to be a lot of on this side of gummi space.
Waiting for him was Riku, who honestly looked amused at the ridiculously small ship that his comrade showed up in. "How did you use the bathroom?“ he asked.
"Shut up,” said Roxas flatly. "The less you know about the Sea Salt, the better. Where’s the Highwind?“
"It’ll be here soon,” assured Riku. "There’s just one thing that I have to do first.“
To Roxas’s surprise, Riku walked directly to a group of kids that were waiting on the edges of the landing strip. He naturally eavesdropped to see if he could get an idea of what was going on.
"Don’t leave us,” said one of the girls tearfully. "What will we do without you?“
"I know this doesn’t feel good,” said Riku as he knelt down to speak to them, “but everyone has to say goodbye someday, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
He was met with a lot of sniffling and pouts from all the children. It made his heart twist painfully to know that this was a necessary suffering that he had to give to them.
“Look at the person next to you,” continued Riku in his most gentle voice. "All around you - those people are your friends. You won’t realize it until you are older, but the ones with you now will understand you the most because they went through the same things that you did. Although it’s sad, it’s also special. So be there for each other, and protect your friends. I got to be a small part of your journey, but it’s a memory that I will carry forever in my heart. I won’t forget you, and because of that, you’ll always be with me even when we’re apart. I hope that you won’t forget me either.“
"We won’t forget!” cried another one of the children. The others joined in the chorus, and they crowded around Riku to hug him and hold his hands one last time.
Roxas watched this all go down with a sort of stupefied expression on his face. He had never seen Riku be even remotely affectionate with anything, let alone kids. The Karinese caretaker was able to come next to him without being noticed due to his shock.
“After all these months, I feel as if I am finally seeing the real Riku,” sighed the man.
“Months?” repeated Roxas in disbelief. It couldn’t have been that long. Riku and Sora had left for their mission only a few weeks ago. Perhaps they were using a different calendar?
Before he could ask any questions, there was a soft rumble in the sky. The Highwind was coming to a landing, and thanks to its size, they had to shield their faces from the downwards push of its retro boosters. When it finally touched down and the gangplank opened, a guy that was definitely not Sora came out to greet them.
Riku finished with the children and walked over to meet Darryl. The ex-furniture had changed a lot in the time since they met. His hair was longer and he wore an ordinary black jacket, pants and shoes over a red shirt instead of the form fitting uniform they first discovered him in. They shared a hearty handshake once they were close enough.
“Thanks for bringing the Highwind,” Riku said to his friend. Then he gestured to his blonde companion. "This is Roxas. He’s coming with us.“
Darryl looked over at the newcomer and stared hard. After a while, Roxas said in annoyance, "Yeah, I have his face - no I am not him, and no we aren’t related. Now that we have that sorted, let’s move on.”
After getting that brisk rebuke regarding his similarity to Sora, Darryl ducked his head. “Please accept my apologies.”
“We have to go,” interrupted Riku. "Dock the Sea Salt and come inside. We’ll talk on the way.“
Roxas gave Riku the evil eye for getting bossed around again, but paused when he saw all the kids in the background give one final wave in their direction. "You have so much explaining to do,” he said blandly, before going to prepare his ship for take off.
Docking meant maneuvering the small gummi ship to the hull of the Highwind and clamping onto it with a magnetic lock. Once that was done, the boys gathered in the cockpit of the bigger ship and took off from Karin. It was during their trip in space that Riku filled in the blanks, and with every word, Roxas grew more and more unhappy and anxious.
“And he went to a place like that alone?” said Roxas incredulously.
“I was against this and told him my reservations,” answered Darryl, “but he did not heed my warnings.”
“Stubborn like an uncracked coconut,” muttered Riku.
“Then it’s obvious what we have to do right? We have to get on that planet and back him up,” insisted Roxas.
“Easier said than done. The fastest way to the Garan system is the Elemina Jump gate,” explained Darryl. "However, their security has tripled since Sora last traversed through it. It is virtually impossible to spoof access codes or create a counterfeit PAM device to grant entry.“
"So we don’t take the gate and just warp our way to this Amoi place,” offered Roxas. "How long could it take?“
"Depending on the capabilities of your ship, it could be days to weeks. At worst scenario, it would be months,” stated Darryl.
“Actually, I’m betting weeks,” came a familiar voice. One that made Riku suddenly sit straighter.
“Sora?” he said as he looked around.
“Not exactly,” said Roxas with a sheepish expression. He lifted up his wrist, revealing what appeared to be a watch attached with a checkered wrist strap. Inside of it, a pixelated version of Sora was bouncing up and down in excitement.
“You brought Data Sora?” said Riku in surprise.
“You guys are so far out into gummi space that there’s no way I could do all the math I needed to get here,” said Roxas defensively. "I’m not a rocket scientist like Cid and I didn’t have time to rig a decent computer on the ship.“
"Is that an artificial intelligence?” asked Darryl in wonderment.
“No way, I have my own heart!” insisted Data Sora. "And from what I’m hearing, you guys have a huge time dilation problem. Using the Land of Departure as a reference point, Riku and Sora have been on their mission for a month. But according to what I heard in Karin, you’ve been out here for a few months. It seems that the further you go into this galaxy, the more time speeds up. It’s entirely possible that Sora has been on his own for the greater part of a year.“
That caused Riku to inhale sharply and Roxas’s mouth to fall open.
"Your name is Darryl right?” continued Data Sora. "Didn’t you know?“
"I had to flee the Garan System for my safety,” answered Darryl in disbelief. "I have never lived outside of the confines of Amoi. It didn’t occur to me that time could be passing so rapidly on the other side of the Elemina Gate.“
"I can’t let him be alone any longer,” said Riku grimly. "I’ll go around the jump gate and warp there as fast as I can.“
"But that could take too long,” said Roxas with a frown. "If we can figure out how to use the jump gate, then we can be there in seconds.“
"Then let’s split up,” offered Riku. "I’ll take the long way, and you figure out the shortcut. I don’t care who gets there first, as long as one of us does.“
Roxas pursed his lips as he considered the options. It was true that Sora had been alone for way too long. "Fine, I’ll do it,” he agreed.
“If I may,” offered Darryl, “If we have an AI computer on our side then we have better options than before to find a way to Amoi. I only need to examine the technology.”
“If you hack me or put bugs in me, I am going to be seriously upset,” pipped Data Sora.
“Do what you need to,” said Riku, “but I’m still going.”
It was in that way that they decided to go their separate ways in hopes of finding their friend. Riku dropped off Darryl and Roxas on a space colony that housed travelers between worlds, and then sped off on the Highwind to begin the long trek to Amoi.
That left the two remaining boys and their AI to figure out a plan for getting through the Elemina Gate. Darryl felt very guilty for allowing Sora to walk into a minefield, so he took extra effort to figure out a way to save him. Roxas felt very out of his depth, so he relied on the ex-furniture to direct him on what to do next.
At first, time was wasted spitballing different scenarios on how to cross the gate. However, once Darryl learned that Roxas had built his own gummi ship, he had an idea. They wouldn’t need identification or permission to cross the gate if no one saw them pass in the first place. The Sea Salt just needed to be undetected.
If it were any other ship, it would be impossible, but since it was so small, it would be easy to shield its mass from radar. They just needed to buy the right parts from the Black Market without causing too many waves. First they had to make money - real money and not the manipulation of 1s and 0s that Darryl was able to create on a money stick. They solved this problem by selling off some of the excess vernier gummi blocks from the Sea Salt. Then they used those profits to buy a hyper jammer and cloaking gear.
While Roxas installed the new pieces on the gummi ship, Darryl conferred with Data Sora concerning how to get around Amoi’s near impenetrable security system. Together, they were able to create new coding and programs that were hopefully powerful enough to fool even a blondie.
It was hard work, but for Darryl it was exhilarating. He felt like his life had achieved a higher purpose; something that mere furniture could never aspire to. However, there were times when he recognized that something was missing. As he watched Roxas slave over the Sea Salt in just his black tank top and khakis with sweat dripping over his powerful triceps and damp hair stuck to his brow, his heart beat with a complete lack of yearning. Seeing the other boy’s masculine vitality made him realize just how much was stolen from him.
After all their preparation, it was time to put their plan in motion. The exterior of Sea Salt was now completely covered in a black cloaking device that had to peel away like the petals of a flower to allow anyone into the cockpit. A pair of cylindrical shaped hyper jammers studded the sides of the cockpit like a pair of eyes. Cobbling the whole thing together was still a dubious rush job, and Darryl was unnerved by that fact that the pieces could all come together without welding or cement.
“Don’t worry, it’ll work,” assured Roxas.
“I believe you,” answered Darryl. "I saw for myself how the Highwind functioned. A ship whose only fuel is smiling is a marvel of science. Your world must be amazing.“ He smiled, although he still had difficulty wrapping his mind around the concept of it all. His expression then turned contrite. "When Sora went to Amoi, he made a promise to me. I asked him to save someone I know - a pet named Riki who is owned by the blondie named Iason. He swore that he could do it. I believe that it is my fault that he is now in distress.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” said Roxas seriously. "Sora is no amateur. He knows what he is doing.“
"He struck me as an idealist,” commented Darryl, “but you seem very practical in comparison.”
“Sora spends a lot of time making friends. It’s kind of his thing,” explained Roxas. "Me, I try to finish stuff as fast as I can so I can go back to my friends. We’re different in that way.“
Darryl nodded slowly. "I hope that someday, I can be a friend worthy of being returned to.”
Roxas looked as if he was going to say something positive in that regard, but before the words could leave his mouth, Darryl leaned forwards and smooched his lips. The blonde was so shocked that he made a strangled noise and was rendered momentarily speechless.
“Please do not be alarmed. This is simply how things are done in Amoi,” explained Darryl with a genuine smile. "Good luck on your journey.“
”…Er, right! Thanks for everything!“ answered Roxas with a stutter and hot blush that flared over his cheeks. He very quickly made his way to the Sea Salt and lowered himself into the cockpit as fast as he could to avoid all the awkwardness.
The glass over his head slid into place, and the interior of the ship lit up with a soft blue glow and several colorful buttons. He placed his hands into two grooves where the steering mechanisms were located and initiated the launch sequence.
"I think he likes you,” commented Data Sora from his watch.
“N-no way,” denied Roxas. "I think they are just really kissy on that planet, that’s all.“
"Uh huh,” lilted Data Sora.
“I hope that Sora hasn’t gone too native,” said Roxas with chagrin.
Sora was the sort of guy that went all in when it came to other cultures. Whether it was immersing himself into the role of a dirty pirate, or prancing around in a vampire get up, or swimming for hours as a merman - there was virtually no limit on what he was willing to do to fit in. Usually those behaviors were tempered by Donald and Goofy’s guidance, but now he was alone for almost a year. Who knew what sort of bad habits he could pick up from the latest weird world.
Hang in there. I’m coming.
The Sea Salt lifted out of the hangar with a downwards push of its verniers, and soon it drifted out of the colony’s artificial gravity and made it to space. Then it shot in the direction of the Elemina Jump gate.
This was the part of the journey that was the most harrowing. In order to pass the checkpoints, he had to use the cloaking device and hyper jammers to render the Sea Salt invisible both visually and by radar. Then he had to approach one of the larger vessels making the trip to Amoi and magnetically lock onto its hull without being detected.
Thankfully, the new upgrades worked flawlessly. The cloak folded over the hull of the ship and wings to disguise it in a black cocoon that blended seamlessly with the space around it. Data Sora calculated the trajectory to an adequately large ship to dock with, and Roxas approached it slowly and quietly with very underpowered pushes of the rear booster. He held his breath as they approached a cargo shuttle, closer and closer until he could see the pilots sitting in the cockpit.
The Sea Salt rotated sideways and engaged its magnets. It docked with the smallest shudder. In intense silence, Roxas waited for a hint of alarm, but none came. Instead, they drifted through the jump gate without so much as a hailing from the open channel. When they arrived at the other side, the blonde breathed normal again.
“I can’t believe that worked,” said Roxas with a sigh. Then he looked in the direction of Amoi and broke into a grin. Shining above the desolate world was a bright Kingdom Hearts; a sure sign that Sora was alive and well.
“Someone has been really busy,” he said with a grin, “but why didn’t he lock it yet?”
“Maybe he can’t right now,” suggested Data Sora. "Should you do it for him?“
"I could,” answered Roxas thoughtfully, “but then everyone will know that I’m here. We’ll put it on the to-do list.”
With that decision made, the Sea Salt was detached from the cargo ship and allowed to drift towards Amoi. The plan to locate the missing keyblade wielder was a simple one: Data Sora would track all the transactions that Sora made with the money stick that Darryl gave him. That information included the GPS of where those purchases took place. After triangulating where most of the shopping occurred, they ended up landing squarely in the middle of the gnarled squalor of Ceres.
The Sea Salt was parked and cloaked on the tallest decimated structure that they could find. Roxas stepped out of the ship onto exposed rebar and beheld the mountains of trash and cracked concrete with dismay.
“This place is a dump,” was his first blunt assessment.
Next, his clothing shimmered as it adjusted to blend in with his surroundings. A black pair of leather pants and boots replaced his khakis and sneakers, and his checkered jacket disappeared completely. His tank top shortened to reveal his midriff, and his black cloak became sleeveless and broken at the zipper so he couldn’t close it. All of his bracelets became armlets that curled around his biceps, a choker circled his neck, and his hands got covered in black gloves. The outfit was completed with several looped earrings that appeared on his ears. He looked at his new getup with an arched brow.
“And what does this place have against clothes?” he complained.
“You look like a stripper,” teased Data Sora.
“I don’t even want to know what that is,” said Roxas blandly. Whatever, the sooner he found Sora and helped him to finish the mission, the faster that he could leave this weird planet. He carefully leapt down from his precarious perch to where he could reasonably walk and started his search.
The first GPS location brought him to an inn. There, a very disgruntled landowner informed him that he had not seen Sora in months and didn’t have much else to say on the topic. Next, he followed the transactions to a dubious place called Hot Crack. The moment he arrived there, he knew that he had stepped into something deep.
There were a lot of gangs in that area, and it didn’t take long to attract their attention. No sooner did he go down an alley that a group of sneering Jeeks surrounded him on their hoverboards and floating skates. They swarmed around him like a group of flies, and he spread his arms and legs to the side in readiness for a fight.
“Daaaaaaaaaaamn,” said one of the Jeeks with an obvious leer. "This one is fine enough to be an academy bred pet! Look at that body and that face. You think he’s blonde down there too?“
It took herculean effort for Roxas not to start gagging on the spot. "Get lost,” he said to the rabble. "I’ve got somewhere that I need to be.“
"You’re not going anywhere cutie. You have a date - with all six of us,” threatened another Jeek.
“None of you are my type,” said Roxas flippantly. He started to walk off, but found his way blocked by a plasma knife that was beamed at his face. The Jeeks were all activating menacing weapons that looked capable of melting stone.
“You don’t understand the situation,” said the Jeek who was currently pointing the knife. "You aren’t leaving until you pray tribute to us with your ass and mouth.“
"You want tribute?” said Roxas flatly. Oblivion manifested in his right hand in a swirl of black and purple light. "I got it right here.“
"Are we supposed to be scared of that?” laughed one of the Jeeks. "What is that, a giant bat?“
Oathkeeper appeared in Roxas’s left hand in another flash of white and gold. That caused some of the Jeeks to step back.
"Two bats?” said one of the Jeeks with incredulity.
“Two bats,” confirmed Roxas with a smirk.
In the next moment, he used his keyblades to completely flatten the gang without mercy. By the time he was done, they were a pile of twitching limbs on the dirty ground. He dismissed his weapons and commandeered one of their hoverboards. "Thanks for the tribute,“ he said with an impertinent thumbs down, and then he coasted out of the alleyway on his new transport.
"You know, world order is still a thing,” said Data Sora.
“You heard them, they just got beat down with bats,” countered Roxas. "Besides, guys like that only back down when they’re handed their just desserts. We shouldn’t have any problem now.“
Indeed, it didn’t take long for the rumor of a good looking blonde with a couple of bats and a bad attitude to spread through Hot Crack. People didn’t approach him after that, but it also made it hard to get information on Sora. His frustration was building as he coasted along with the hoverboard to check the broken streets for clues.
Eventually the GPS took him to a crumbling structure that had a flimsy door. He tried knocking on it, and it tumbled off to the side when its hinges gave up the ghost. "Er, sorry about the door,” he said sheepishly. Upon receiving no answer, he tentatively walked inside. "Hello? Anyone home?“
"Don’t move.”
Someone was able to sneak behind him and press something sharp against his throat. Roxas responded by lifting his hands in the air in surrender. "I shouldn’t have trespassed,“ he admitted readily. "I thought this place was abandoned.”
“Everyone says that about Bison now,” said another voice in the room. "Abandoned. Now people are coming for our scraps.“
There were four men in total - three who were sitting on top of crates, and the fourth who was currently holding Roxas hostage. They looked as if they couldn’t care less about the intruder. An air of depression was thick in the air.
A man with wavy, brunette hair and glasses approached Roxas. He leaned forwards to get into the blonde’s face. "If you want our hideout so bad, then why don’t you–” the guy paused, and then he lowered his shades in surprise. "Is that Sora?“
The man holding Roxas at knifepoint stopped what he was doing and walked around the boy so he could look at him from the front. A third person joined them, and the blonde found himself under the disbelieving gazes of Norris, Sid and Luke.
Roxas’s surrendering gesture became a frantic wave of his hands in denial. "No, you guys have it wrong. I’m not Sora, but I’m looking for him. Have you seen him?”
“Look elsewhere,” said a cold voice from the back of the hideout. Guy wore a sour expression as he stared at the bottle of stout that he was holding. "Sora has been gone for months. He was picked up by the Darkmen and never seen again. He’s dead.“
"No way!” denied Roxas vehemently. "Sora would never go down that way. He’s definitely out there somewhere.“
"If he’s alive, then he’s probably been crushed,” said Luke with a morose expression. "We’ve been looking for him and our leader all this time. Turns out that Riki is a pet in Apathia, to a blondie of all things. He’s worse than a neutered dog now. I wish he was dead so at least my memory of what he was could live forever. Now I can’t even have that. Sora is probably the same. You’ll wish he was dead too.“
Roxas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Did these guys give up on Sora and that Riki person because they lost their way in a moment of weakness? "I don’t care what Sora is right now, I just need to see him,” he insisted.
“You really want to see?” said Guy in a nasty way. He got up from where he was squatting and walked over to Roxas. He reached into his pocket and took out a small datapad the size of his palm. It was tapped a few times, and then he showed it to the blond. A video began to play, and it was one of a pet’s debut.
Roxas watched intently, and his expression slowly collapsed to horror, to disgust, and then an indecipherable mix of pain and sadness.
“No…”
“You understand?” snapped Guy as he snatched the pad away and placed it into his pocket. "These fucking blondies think they can trample on us like this. Not anymore. Not one day more. I will spit on their pride and make them choke on it.“
"Not this crazy talk again,” bemoaned Norris. "There is nothing you can do against a blondie. Let it go and move on with your life.“
Guy continued to talk about revenge like a mad man. The other members of Bison surrounded him and tried to calm him down. In the midst of all this, Roxas went outside of the hideout and slid down against the grimy wall until he was sitting on his bottom. What he saw on that video was burned into his retinas and heart forever.
Where was Riku? Was he here, or was he still en route to the planet? What was going to happen when he found out? Roxas stared down at his hands in shock.
"We couldn’t find out much about Sora,” said a voice from above him. It was Sid, who came outside to speak quietly to the blonde. "I am sorry that we could not help you regarding that. That video was from a private club in Tanagura. That is all that we know.“
"Thank you,” said Roxas mutedly. After a few moments, he got to his feet. This didn’t change his mission. If anything, it made it more urgent. "I guess that’s where I’m going then.“
"It may not be worth finding him,” said Sid. "He is probably a different person now.“
"That may be true,” conceded Roxas, “but no matter how he changes, I still want to be a part of his life.”
With that said, he continued his journey in silence. Data Sora said nothing. Instead of using the hoverboard, he walked because he wanted to feel the burn on his legs. Out of all the intense things he was feeling, one stood out the most: He needed to see his Other now and know what had become of him on this terrible planet. Somehow he had to get into Tanagura, but at the moment it was hard to think and come up with a plan.
The best that he could do was go to the last place that Sora used his money stick. Roxas knew that he wouldn’t find his friend there, and it was even less likely that he would get any information, but he wanted to be in a place where he once was. As if by just being in that space, he could feel his lingering presence.
So he walked until the sun went down and the twin moons of Amoi lifted into the sky. Eventually he found himself at a bar where Sora had spent a lot of money. He went to the counter and asked for water, and then sat in quiet contemplation.
A man came to sit next to him. He had auburn hair that fell over his face and a stuffy trench coat. This person ordered alcohol and lit up a cigarette. The acrid smell made Roxas cringe and look over in annoyance. He caught a glimpse of an unruly scar on the stranger’s face when he did.
Katze released a plume of smoke from his lips, and then said without preamble, “I know who you are looking for.”
Roxas whipped around in his seat when he was addressed in this way. "Who are you?“ he demanded to know.
"I am your best hope of locating Sora,” answered Katze in an unfettered way. “You didn’t think that purchasing a hyper jammer and cloaking device from the Black Market would get unnoticed did you? Although to be fair, I couldn’t surmise how you would use those things. You didn’t purchase nearly enough equipment to hide even the smallest passenger shuttle. I didn’t realize that you passed the Elemina gate until the cameras detected the use of a keyblade.”
A scowl etched itself on Roxas’s face when he realized that the jig was up. "So where is he?“ he asked bluntly.
"When Sora came to this world with a falsified PAM and counterfeit money, it was inevitable that he would be persecuted as a sinker,” explained Katze. "But he committed a more grievous act by smuggling a powerful weapon that can not be disarmed or analyzed. The Tanagura elite are worried about the consequences of unleashing several keyblades on this world, so your comrade has been kept alive as a diplomatic trump card.“
"You should have done better than just keep him alive,” said Roxas angrily. "He never meant to harm anybody, and instead he was treated like trash!“
"He should not have trespassed,” countered Katze. “What happened to him was not illegal by Tanagura’s standards. Regardless, the blondies wish to avoid a war with those of your kind, although there is disagreement on how this should be accomplished. Whether its murder, brainwashing or simply allowing him to fall to depravity, there is no consensus. My employer offers a more elegant solution: Simply letting him go and never speaking of this incident again.”
“Sounds like a smart idea,” said Roxas guardedly, “but what’s the catch?”
“I can tell you exactly where he is, but I can not help you beyond that,” said Katze. "Should you become captured or interrogated, you will be killed immediately to prevent information of my involvement from spreading.“
"Great. Anything else I should know?” asked Roxas dryly.
“Yes. But you’ll have to discover it on your own,” he answered unhelpfully. Katze reached into his coat and took out a piece of paper. Written on it was the coordinates to the apartment in Apathia. It was placed on the bar top. After doing this, he simply got up and left.
Roxas watched the guy go before snatching up the paper. Then he drank the last of his water and paid for it with the money stick. As soon as he left the bar, Data Sora finally spoke up:
“You believe that guy? He was super shady. That Apathia place is in Midas, not Tanagura. What if its a trap?”
“I don’t trust him,” said Roxas, “but I can’t afford not to check this place out. If Sora is there, then that’s where I have to be.”
Getting into Midas was easier said than done. He had to take the same sorts of routes that PAMless slum mongrels did when they were sneaking into the city. Thanks to Darryl’s programming, Data Sora was able to lead him through a labyrinth of twisting tunnels that connected Ceres to different areas of Amoi.
Roxas was amazed when he emerged from the filth of his journey to the clean and orderly streets of Midas. The people who lived there were clearly high class with fashionable clothing and expensive looking aerocars. Some of them were casually strolling with their leashed pets on full display. Although he was prepared to see this due to his briefing with Riku, it boiled his blood to think that Sora might have been forced to be a part of that.
He tried to keep his emotions checked as he zeroed in on Apathia. There was still a possibility of a trap, so he cased the place first to see what he was dealing with. All the entrances were guarded on the ground floor, and he expected to run into a lot of surveillance inside. Thankfully, Data Sora was prepared to hack the cameras and place their views on a brief loop so that Roxas could pass through. It was the security personnel who were a problem.
So he cheated by setting some of the outdoor landscaping on fire using his keyblade. When the security detail ran out to see what was going on, he went past their checkpoints and quickly went to the front desk area. He told the black haired receptionist that he was a visitor of the room on the 33rd floor. Data Sora made sure that when the guest list was checked, Roxas’s name would be there. Upon confirmation of his fake registration, he was granted entry to the elevators, and he left the ground floor just the guards were returning from their ordeal.
Roxas’s heart began to beat hard. He was almost there. Data Sora erased his name from the guest list as soon as it was verified and fooled all the cameras until they reached the 33rd floor. In a few moments, the door lock of the flat was disabled and he burst inside as soon as the barrier folded away.
There was no one around. Roxas checked all the rooms until he found one that had a sealed pod inside. In that moment, he knew without a doubt that Sora was there. He rushed over to the egg shaped bed and scrambled to find a way to unlock it. After patting it down to no avail, he ripped his Oathkeeper into existence and tapped it against the metal.
The pod opened with a rush of whisper soft hydraulics. Roxas rushed to the edge of the bed and looked inside with a tight throat, and smiled in relief when he finally saw who he was looking for.
“Found you.”

{{———————————————–}}

Sora’s eyes began to sting when he saw the face of his Other just outside of the bed. Roxas! Roxas was here! He tugged desperately on the chains that held his arm and legs in pinned position. "Roxas!“ he cried in immediate recognition. "Please - get me out of here!”
The desperation in Sora’s voice startled Roxas into action. "Hold on,“ he said as he pointed Oathkeeper at the chains. The keyblade was turned clockwise, and the locks fell away with a loud thud.
Sora wasted no time to shake the chains off his limbs and climb out of bed. He threw his arms around his friend in a bone crushing hug. "Thank you!” he said tearfully. "I thought you guys would never get here!“
Roxas was nearly bowled over by the force of Sora’s clinging. His keyblade fell out of his hand and vanished, and it only took a moment for the surprise to wear off before he was returning the hug. "I’m sorry,” he said as he tried to calm his friend. "We had no idea that time was different on this world. It’s only been a few weeks since you and Riku left.“
"Riku is here?” asked Sora hopefully.
“No. At least, I don’t think he is yet,” explained Roxas. "He decided to go around the jump gate while I stayed behind to find a way to get through it. I think that finding you first means that I win.“
He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of beating Riku at something, but that expression softened when he leaned away to get a good look at Sora. Asides from the pet gear that he was wearing, he looked physically healthy. The only thing wrong were the tears that he couldn’t seem to stop crying. Roxas used his thumbs to wipe them from the other’s face. "Let’s go home Sora,” he said softly. "Everyone is waiting for you.“
"I never closed the keyhole to this world,” said Sora dolefully. "My mission is not done yet.“
"Then we’ll find the keyhole and leave this dump,” said Roxas resolutely. "You won’t have to do it alone this time. First, lets get you out of this building. It wasn’t easy getting in, and it’s probably going to be hard as heck to get you out, but I’m sure we can think of something.“
Roxas started to pull out of the hug, but to his surprise, Sora wouldn’t let him go. "Sora, we have to go,” he said urgently, and then froze when he felt something hard rub against his crotch. The hair on the back of his neck stood up when he realized what it was. "Sora!“ he repeated in a more shrill voice.
Finally realizing the situation, Sora pulled away quickly. His cheeks heated up shamefully as he turned his body away from Roxas to hide his erection. "Sorry,” he murmured in mortification. "I can’t control it.“
"What do you mean?” asked Roxas dumbfoundedly. How could he not control something like that?
“It’s this.” Sora lifted his right wrist to show Roxas the D-ring. It was still glowing a fierce blue. "It makes me this way. I can’t stop it.“
Roxas’s jaw fell open as he felt anger boiling up from his stomach. Without a pause, he summoned Oblivion and pointed it at the device. There was a brief glow that surrounded that D-ring, but otherwise, it remained steadfastly on. "What?” he said in disbelief.
“It’s patched into his nervous system,” said Data Sora. "The keyblade probably doesn’t work because it knows that removing it will hurt him.“
Sora blinked when he heard that voice. "You have Data Me with you?”
“I’m thinking of giving him a different name,” said Roxas. “Maybe I’ll call him Smart Sora.”
“Hey!” protested Sora.
The two of them looked at each other, and then started laughing. At first awkwardly at the weird situation that they found themselves in, but then more comfortable and heartfelt as they realized that they were truly together again.
“We might not be able to get that thing off, but I can jam the remote signal that’s controlling it,” offered Data Sora. "It should solve the uh. Problem.“
Within moments, the D-ring returned to its black, inert state. Sora breathed a sigh of relief as the nagging feelings of arousal died with it. The embarrassment of the whole situation was enough to make his erection vanish. When he finally felt that he body was under his control, he was able to turn and face his Other with some modesty.
"You have really saved me,” he said sincerely. "I can’t thank you enough.“
"Don’t thank me yet,” answered Roxas. "There’s still a lot that we need to do.“
Sora nodded, and then he looked in the direction of the door. His friend was right, it was time that they got his mission back on track. The only thing separating him from the beginning of his freedom was a mere doorway. He started walking towards it, and with each step, the enormity of everything began to fall on him. Once he was past that threshold, he would utterly defy the hold that Raoul had over him.
His body began to shake. Nausea twisted his stomach and the strength left his legs. He fell onto his knees as fear paralyzed him. A part of him knew how stupid this was. Roxas was here and this was a chance to make a break for it; all he had to do was move forwards. However, his body didn’t respond. The pet training and the experiences he endured were firmly settled into his bones and weighing him down like lead.
"Sora?” said Roxas in surprise. He didn’t expect his friend to suddenly collapse. Maybe he was injured after all? He rushed over and placed his hands on his comrade’s shoulders. "What’s wrong?“
"I… I can’t go…” answered Sora with a shudder. He hid his shamed expression in his hands. "If I leave, Raoul will blow me up. There’s a bomb in my neck.“
"You’re kidding!” Roxas lifted the hair from the back of Sora’s nape and palmed the area there. He half expected it to be a bad joke, because only a maniac would do something so unhinged. When he felt the lump under the skin, his expression went grim.
“I think it’s for real,” said Data Sora. “Whatever is in there is sending out a signal.”
“So jam it like you did that other thing,” demanded Roxas.
“The encryption is different. It’s going to take a while to decode it,” said Data Sora. "I’m sorry Real Sora, I know that you probably want this taken care of right now.“
Sora didn’t answer. He was still frozen in place and trembling. Roxas didn’t know what to do. He was going to try holding him again, but suddenly the door to the apartment began to slide open. Immediately, he dived to the wall to the left of the entranceway to avoid being seen.
Ray walked into the room with a stoic expression, which changed as soon as he saw Sora cowering on the floor. He immediately rushed to the pet. "Sora! Why are you out of your pod? What happened?”
“Don’t touch him,” barked Roxas once the door to the flat closed up. He detached from the wall and approached the newcomer.
His presence surprised Ray, who put his arms around Sora in a protective way. "How dare you!“ he said reproachfully. "This is a blondie’s pet! If you have damaged him in any way, then you will pay a heavy price!”
“Don’t call him a pet,” snapped Roxas. "And you’re the ones who damaged him, not me!“
"Stop,” said Sora in a listless tone. "No fighting. This is my friend.“
Ray gave Roxas a closer look, and noted his similarity to Sora. His expression then changed to a hopeful one. "Is this Terra?”
“Terra?” said Roxas incredulously. "No way. I’m Roxas.“
"Oh.” Ray looked disappointed at this information. "You shouldn’t be here, Roxas. You are causing Sora a lot of stress.“
"Sora’s leaving,” said Roxas firmly. "As soon as he gets himself together, we’ll be on our way.“
Ray’s eyes widened in understanding. "I see. This is a rescue attempt.”
Raoul had ordered Ray to come to Apathia and take care of Sora. The furniture had braced himself for what he would find. He knew that the end of a pet’s usefulness was a harsh downfall from grace. Like Elisha and so many others before her, he expected the boy’s condition to be severely diminished.
Despite this, a part of him hoped that Sora would beat the odds and remain a bright presence. If Roxas was here to save him, then he had a chance to escape his fate. Ray feared Raoul as soundly as anyone else who had sense, and he never dreamed of defying him. However, he was no different from the pets in that he was also disposable. In time, he too would also be cast aside, and when he looked back on the entirety of his life, his only accomplishment would be that he served as furniture impeccably.
The only experience he treasured was being seen as someone worthy in Sora’s eyes, and that alone gave him the strength to defy his master. In the time he trained, groomed and cared for Raoul’s pet, he learned the things that weakened his spirit and what gave him strength. So he whispered the words that he knew would calm the shaking and fill his bones with strength:
“Sora. Apathia is where Iason keeps his pet.”
Sora’s tremors calmed. He pulled his hands from his face in realization. "Riki is here?“ he asked.
"In the penthouse floor,” confirmed Ray. "This may be your only chance to see him.“
As expected, Sora began to pull himself together. Ray looked at him with grim pride. He realized long ago that the boy’s strength came from protecting others. In his opinion, it was a dangerous sort of self-sacrifice that had no business in pet life, but currently it was his hope that it would serve to catalyze his escape.
"I have to go to him,” Sora said to Roxas.
“I was afraid that you’d say that,” answered Roxas with a sigh. "Darryl told me about that promise. I guess there’s no helping it.“ Really, he was just grateful that Sora was back on his feet again. He looked over to Ray and asked, "What’s your name?”
“I am Ray. Furniture to Raoul Am,” Ray answered formally. "I will not hinder your escape with Sora. I too wish to see him free.“
Sora looked surprised by Ray’s declaration, and then his expression softened. "You’ll get in a lot of trouble.”
“I accept my fate,” said Ray solemnly. "Now please, go.“
Roxas and Sora were able to leave the apartment easily after that. Once again, Data Sora took care of the details regarding the cameras and access to the elevators. The penthouse was on the 55th floor, and soon they were riding a cart up to that breathtaking height. As they ascended upwards, Sora said to his friend, "When we get there, I want to talk to him alone.”
That made Roxas arch a brow. "How long is that going to take?“
"Might be a while,” admitted Sora. "Sorry, this is probably making you crazy.“
"When are you not making me crazy,” drawled Roxas. "Don’t worry. No matter what, I have your back.“
The elevator reached its destination. A single doorway separated them from the penthouse. Data Sora opened the locks and Sora stepped past the threshold. Roxas remained on the other side as the door slid shut behind his friend.
Sora found himself in a flat that was filled with the ambient glow of the cityscape below. Windows surrounded all sides of the penthouse, and they were set to allow the panoramic view of Midas and the moonlit sky above it to filter in. It gave the place a greater sense of space than what actually existed. The lights were turned off, leaving only shadows of where things were. At the very end of the living space, the warm glow of a cigarette lit up Riki’s silhouette.
He was sitting on the windowsill and gazing down to the metropolis below. There was an uncanny stillness to him, and the gleam in his eyes were dulled. The ashes from his smoke extended out by an inch, completely forgotten. He didn’t respond to the sound of the door opening and closing.
Sora knew what this was. The waiting, the wanting, the boredom. Those things had slowly sucked at his resolve as he went from one humiliation to the next. It chipped away at his sense of self. Even now, he felt like he was a ghost in his own body.
He quietly approached the other boy. There was still a lot between them since their last meeting, but that wasn’t why he was here. Right now, he was trying to save a friend who was slowly slipping into the darkness.
"Hey,” he said quietly. "I know I don’t have any right to be here, but I really wanted to see you.“
There was no answer from Riki. He kept his face turned away without acknowledgement.
Sora turned his gaze down in awkwardness, but he continued. "I keep thinking about the time that we met at the bar. You said some things about me that were embarrassing, but the truth is that they were right. I do like you.” He rubbed the back of his head and felt shy. "A lot has happened since then, and I get that things are different now. You’re not the same, and neither am I. But I just wanted you to know that who you are right now, is still someone that I like. It’s not because you remind me of my friend anymore. It’s because right now, in this whole world, I feel like we can understand each other. Anyone else outside of this room will never come close.“
In the quiet that followed, Riki finally moved. The cigarette was taken out of his mouth and snuffed on the windowsill, then he turned to face Sora. He reached for the back of the other’s neck and drew him forwards until their lips met in a kiss.
That was not what Sora was expecting. He jumped a little when they made contact, as if a spark had gone off.
"Don’t be a stiff virgin,” Riki murmured against Sora’s mouth. "You just said that you liked me, so I’m answering.“
Sora gave a bittersweet laugh. There wasn’t an ounce of virginity left in his body anymore, but Riki’s words brought him back to a more innocent time when it mattered. They were proof that despite everything, his friend’s strong heart was still surviving. It gave him honest joy.
"I already told you,” answered Sora with sweet impishness. "I’m not a virgin.“
This time, when their mouths met again, they were in earnest. Sora gave into it completely. He wanted to speak to Riki in the language of Amoi, and he was answered in kind. They embraced each other tightly, as if the other person was the only driftwood left in a desolate ocean.
Riki pressed his thumb to the corner of the other’s mouth to make him open. As soon as he was obliged, he delved his tongue in and fluttered it, earning a soft moan. The stimulation was making Sora lose his mind, so he softly clamped down on the probing wetness and sucked on it deeply. He was answered with the rutting of the boy’s crotch against his bare stomach.
It was completely different than all the times Sora was forced to do this. Riki made him feel wanted and liked. His erection came in natural, slow waves that let him be present for the act. He was happy to be touched and to give in return. The problems he had and the horrors he endured faded away as they pawed at each other’s pet clothing to find shivering skin and muscles that contracted from touch.
Riki picked the other boy up from under his bottom and hoisted him high enough to bury his face into his belly. Sora gasped as he hooked his legs around his friend in reflex to keep from falling. He was carried over to a round bed in the next room and dropped onto the mattress. The stuttering sounds coming from his mouth grew deeper as his naval was thoroughly licked. A corner of his latex shirt was pushed up to free a nipple for nibbling.
"This feels good,” said Sora heatedly.
“What are you going to do for me?” asked Riki huskily.
Sora grinned, and then he pushed Riki onto his back so he could straddle him from above. He rubbed the other’s chest as he firmly sat on his crotch. “What do you like?” he asked.
“I’m not telling you a damn thing,” answered Riki with a smirk.
“Do I have to touch everything just to find out?” asked Sora with a grin. He leaned down as if to kiss Riki, but ended up just lipping him. Instead, he traced his mouth against the other’s neck and smiled when his lover turned to his head to give more access. There was a spot close to his clavicle that caused a hitch in breathing, and he closed in on that area fervently. As he suckled, he reached for the waistband of the other’s shorts and fished out the prize of his hard, oozing cock.
It made Riki arch in wanting, and with a soft growl, he flipped Sora back onto the mattress. "You’re not ready to eat that up yet,“ he warned.
"But I’m really hungry,” said Sora as he locked eyes with the other boy.
“Open your legs. I’ll give you an appetizer,” promised Riki.
Sora felt a hot thrill go down his spine. He rolled his hips to help pull off his shorts and spread himself with a blush. Riki kissed his belly and traced a line down to his crotch with the backs of his fingers. Then he took hold of the other’s shaft and licked the side.
There was a shift in Sora at that point. He went quiet and still, and he was watching Riki in a haunted way. This maneuver reminded him too much of the times that Ray went down on him at Raoul’s command.
Riki stopped what he was doing when he noticed the change in mood. There was no need for explanations; as a pet, things had been done to him as well that robbed the joys of an honest coupling. "Not for me,“ he whispered in understanding. He rubbed Sora’s penis against his cheeks as if it was a precious thing.
The tension in Sora’s body left when Riki answered his silent plea. He gave a small nod with a grateful expression. His shaft was stroked in a lazy way until the errant thoughts passed and he became pliant and distracted.
"You’re getting a lazy look on your face again,” teased Riki. He stopped what he was doing to roll over to the edge of the bed and reach for the dresser. While he was searching in the drawer, Sora curled up against his back and reached around his hips to grasp his cock.
“You’re going to put it in me right?” he whispered in Riki’s ear as he stroked his lover’s member. "All the way in until I can’t think straight anymore.“
Riki grunted erotically and found himself bucking. "Who taught you to talk that way?”
“I’m just telling you what I want,” Sora huffed against his shoulder.
“Fuck.” Riki finally found the lubricant that he was searching for and managed to spill half of it in his rush to open it. The liquid was applied liberally to his throbbing dick, which Sora continued to stroke until it glistened wetly. Then he turned so that they lined up next to each other on their sides, and he guided the other’s leg up over his hip to open him up. After wetting his own fingers with extra oil, he slipped his fingers into Sora’s hole, one at a time to help wedge it open.
Sora flinched as the penetration started. He curled his arms around Riki’s torso and clung on tightly. "Are you going to fit?“ he asked.
Riki gave him a gentle kiss in answer. "You’re going to get everything you want, Sora.”
He continued to work Sora’s bottom until it loosed up, and then he pressed his cockhead against the opening. Riki bit his lip as he wedged himself and started to push up.
“Nnnngh!” Sora flinched as the heat started to fill him up. The entry was slow and deliberate, and it made him feel as if he was slowly being split apart. About midway, his body throbbed as it wised up to the intrusion. "It hurts!“ he cried.
"Ssssh,” said Riki as he kindly brushed Sora’s hair. "It hurts because we’re men. The pain makes us alive.“ He gave his lover a few moments to adjust, before moving to seat himself further into that wet heat.
Without Ray’s preparations, sex was difficult. It was pain and pleasure that had Sora gasping and whimpering as he adjusted to it. Yet, despite how it felt, he craved to be connected to Riki. He wanted something meaningful. When he felt their bodies grow flush together, he thought he almost reached the core of his desperation.
"Feeling better?” Riki asked as he stroked Sora’s back.
The pain had given way to a dull burn. Sora could feel Riki’s shaft pulsing with every beat of his heart. "It’s okay,“ he murmured with an expression that was full of desire. "I have what I want now.”
Riki narrowed his eyes at Sora, and then he started moving his hips. Slow at first, but then building in crescendo as he saw that his lover could take it. He grunted hotly as their bodies moved against each other, becoming more and more driven from the pitched noises that the other was making.
Sora was turned onto his back. Riki grasped his hands and pinned them over his head as he drove between his legs with relentless thrusting. His dick was melting with the pleasure of feeling the other boy meeting him push for push with strong rolls of his body.
“Finally quiet,” said Riki with a note of triumph. He gave the boy beneath him a heated kiss, and then drew away just enough so they could stare into each other’s eyes as they climbed to the peak of their lovemaking. Sora was the first to give in; his expression glazed over and his damp lips parted in one last, shuttering moan as he grew tight as a bow with the arch of his back. The space between them was thoroughly wetted by the spray of his cum.
Riki lasted a few more thrusts after that before he ground himself balls deep into Sora’s channel and released a hot stream of his sperm inside with a loud groan. Then he collapsed on top of his lover in a sweaty, gasping pile.
They spent some time in a tangle of pulsing blood and limbs, until Riki pulled himself out and moved off to the side. Sora stared at the dark ceiling a few moments longer before turning to cuddle close to his lover. His gesture was answered by his bedmate who extended his arm across his shoulders to pull him against his chest. Somehow, that one plain gesture brightened his world like a supernova.
Sora smiled softly as he traced the lines of Riki’s abs, completely contented. "Thank you Riki,“ he said quietly.
Riki stroked the underside of Sora’s chin. "Thank you, for helping me cheat on my blondie,” he answered with a lazy grin. "To think I said that I said that I would never do this again.“
The dim light that was in Riki’s eyes was now a fierce glow. Sora realized that what they did was a swift smack of defiance in the face of their captors. His friend had probably run out of ways to fight back and assert his pride, until now. It made him glad that he was able to help in some way.
"So,” said Sora with uncertainty, “was I normal?”
“Yes,” answered Riki seriously. He realized the importance of that question. His fingers lightly dragged behind Sora’s shoulders in a soothing way. "Completely normal.“
Their bedtalk continued for some time after that. It was full of light touches and embraces that felt healing. They talked about nothing and poked fun at each other. The schism that had grown between them closed up.
"I could do you again,” offered Riki. “This time you can ride on my lap.”
Sora shivered at the thought. His cock gave a little twitch in answer. "As amazing as that was, I can’t. There’s someone waiting for me.“
"If you liked it, then pass the technique along,” said Riki lazily. Then he added in a more somber tone, “What are you going to do now?”
“I have to find a way to get the pet ring off and this bomb out of my head,” answered Sora with a light frown. “And when I do, I’m coming for you and all the other pets.”
“You must have hit your head somewhere, because there’s no way that you can free the pets,” said Riki incredulously. "They don’t want to be saved in the first place. Where would you even put them? The slums? They wouldn’t survive an hour.“
"I’ll think of something,” persisted Sora. "At the very least, I can try to free you.“
"How?”
“My friends are here, and they have ships that can get us off this planet,” answered Sora. “All we have to do is get you on one.”
Riki was quiet a few moments, and then he said, “Do you remember Mistral Park? The place we saw in Midas?” At Sora’s nod, he continued, “When you’re ready to leave, find me there.”
Sora’s expression filled with hope. "How are you going to get away from Iason?“
"I’m allowed to go off on my own. I run errands for one of Iason’s men,” he answered.
“You are allowed out by yourself?” said Sora in disbelief. All this time, he thought that Iason kept Riki on a tight leash. Being allowed to travel by himself was suspiciously like granting his pet some mercy.
“If I don’t leave this place sometimes, then I’ll really turn into a fossil,” explained Riki. "Iason wants to keep me spry.“
A memory tickled at the back of Sora’s mind. Raoul had said something about Iason claiming that he loved Riki. Was that for real after all? And if so, what did Riki think of that?
"We should get cleaned up,” suggested Riki.
“Good idea,” agreed Sora. They took a shower together and cleaned off their pet clothing as best as they could. Then they shared one last kiss before Sora left the apartment through the front door. On the other side, he found Roxas fast asleep with his head mushed against the walls of the building. After running himself ragged day and night without any sleep, he was completely exhausted.
The sun of Amoi was peaking over the horizon. Sora sheepishly realized that he had been fooling around with Riki all night. He reached for Roxas’s shoulders and shook him awake. "Get up, we have to get moving.“
"Geh,” said Roxas intelligently. He sat up with a tired expression and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it. You were gone for hours.“
"Exactly three hours and fourty five minutes,” added Data Sora.
A blush colored Sora’s cheeks. He tried to play off his embarrassment as he said, “We need to get back to the apartment. There’s something that I need to ask Ray.”
Roxas rubbed his face as he got to his feet and led the return to the 33rd floor. They made their way back into the flat, much to Ray’s surprise.
“You are still here?” said the furniture incredulously.
“Yeah, why are we still here,” groused Roxas.
“Ray, I wanted to ask about this pet ring,” said Sora with a gesture to his wrist. "Is there any way that I can take it off?“
"The only person who can remove it is Lord Raoul,” answered Ray, “and he is not apt to do it until you are no longer a part of the pet registry.”
“But he doesn’t want me as a pet anymore, which means that I won’t be registered and the ring is going to come off, right?” asked Sora excitedly.
“That is true, but he will coordinate the removal of your ring and unregistration together once you are in the Keeler Lab,” explained Ray. "He won’t take a chance that you will not be under his direct control, pet or no pet.“
"You sure that there is no other way we can get it off?” asked Roxas.
“The only way to illegally remove a pet ring is by amputation,” answered Ray seriously.
Just the thought of that scenario caused Roxas to cringe. "Yeah, we are definitely not doing that,“ he said dryly.
"Then there is only one thing that I can do,” said Sora with a smack of his hand into his palm. "I have to go with Raoul to this lab place and wait for him to take my pet ring off. Then I’ll escape.“
"Hold your horses there,” said Roxas in alarm. "You still have a bomb in your head. How do you know that he won’t just set it off the second that you try to get out of there?“
"I may be able to assist,” said Data Sora. The extra voice made Ray jump in surprise. "I have been spending the last few hours running a decryption program, and I am close to being able to jam the signal to the implant in Sora’s neck. If successful, the bomb won’t be able to detonate.“
"There’s not much time,” warned Ray. "The launch window opens in two hours. Lord Raoul will arrive with a security detail to take Sora to the Keeler Lab. He’s expecting a pet that will be completely docile at that time.“
"Right, the pet ring,” said Sora grimly. "He turned it way up before he left. He wants me to be like a zombie.“
"The pet ring is constantly sending information about your biometrics,” informed Data Sora. "I can spoof that information so that it looks like you’re a zombie on paper.“
"Yeah but Sora is a terrible actor. He can’t lie to save his life,” added Roxas. "One look at him and this Raoul guy will know that it is a bluff.“
"There is one way,” said Ray tentatively. "Sora can overdose on hallucinagenic alcohol. It will mimic the symptoms of severe dopamine depletion, but he will be very incapacitated.“
"A cure spell or even esuna can reverse all that,” said Sora thoughtfully, “but it’s hard to get Kingdom Key out when I’m not feeling good.”
“What about a potion? I brought a few,” offered Roxas.
Together, the three of them hashed out a plan to get the pet ring removed from Sora. There were a few obstacles to consider, such as how to sneak a potion past the security checkpoints. Ray suggested that they put it into a breakable capsule that Sora could hide in his teeth.
The other problem was the escape. Keeler Lab was on a floating station that orbited Amoi. The only way to get in or out was by ship. They had the Sea Salt, but it was so small that it could only fit one person. It was determined that Data Sora should transfer himself via uplink to the gummi ship so he could pilot it. Then he could follow Sora to the floating station and bring him back when he was ready. He would also be close enough to continue jamming any signals that attempted to detonate the bomb.
Last was the D-ring. It had to be allowed to function to prevent Raoul from being suspicious, but hopefully Sora would be too high on the alcohol to care for its effects.
There were so many things that could go wrong, but Sora was determined. Every time that he moved, he felt his insides throb in memory of Riki’s cock thrusting into him. It grounded him and made him see clearly that if he was going to rescue his friend, then first he had to save himself.
Ray helped Sora to get cleaned up and look presentable for the blondie. He said nothing when he saw the stains on his pet clothes, and just quietly instructed him to wear a new spandex white top and shorts. These were paired with sandal-like shoes of the same color. The furniture realized that Sora committed the ultimate infarction by consenting to an illegal tryst, and it gave him a measure of satisfaction and hope that the pet still had the grit to do it.
The furniture briefly left the flat so he could acquire a very expensive flask of Vartan liquor made by Roget Renna and empty medicine capsules that were typically used to dose the pets. These items were left with instructions on how they were to be used, and then with one last, deferent bow, he left the boys to their work.
Data Sora became silent after his consciousness was transferred to the Sea Salt. His mission was to move the gummi ship close while it was cloaked so that he could maintain the jamming signal and fake the biometrics from the pet ring, as well as to assist in evacuation from the lab. That left Roxas and Sora to be completely alone on the floor of the apartment with the bottle of alcohol and a potion filled capsule between them.
“This has got to be the craziest thing you’ve ever done,” commented Roxas.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been drunk,” admitted Sora as he opened the flask. A spicy aroma immediately filled the air and tickled the senses. "I once found a keg in the Black Pearl and thought it was bad tasting juice, but I was really thirsty.“
"Seriously?” said Roxas with half a laugh. As he watched Sora begin the process of imbibing himself, he added in a more neutral tone. "I know that you can kick these blondie’s asses any day of the week, but are you sure you’re up for this?“
"I know I freaked you out earlier,” answered Sora between sips of the drink, “but I’m ready. I want to face that guy on my terms.”
“That Riki friend of yours must have said something amazing to make you rally like this,” said Roxas with a bemused expression.
Sora coughed a little and hoped that Roxas wouldn’t read too far into his red cheeks. "If you met him, you would understand.“
They fell into silence as Sora continued to drink. Soon, his eyes began to glaze and his mouth went slack. His pupils dilated to tiny points and he stopped moving altogether. His gaze became frozen in wonderment, as if he was seeing something of great interest.
"That’s definitely enough,” said Roxas as he took the last of the alcohol out of Sora’s numb fingers. Then he began the laborious task of picking the dead weight of his other off the floor and hauling him to the pod shaped bed. He carefully lowered his friend onto the silken sheets and spent a few moments just petting the hair out of his eyes, because he was loathe to see him in chains again.
“Sora,” he said in a soft voice, “I never got to say this before, but I was willing to give up my existence as long as you could fight for me. But instead of letting that happen, you let me have my own heart and live my own life, so I could fight for myself. Everyone else was ready to let me disappear, but you wouldn’t let me go.”
Roxas leaned into the pod and pressed a warm kiss to the corner of Sora’s lips. It was his best way to express the deep and complicated feelings that he had for his other.
“Thank you for choosing me,” he whispered. "If you ever lose yourself, I’ll choose you too.“
After saying those words, Roxas placed the manacles on Sora’s wrists and ankles, and carefully arranged him so that he looked the way he did when he found him. He pried the other’s mouth open and placed the encapsulated potion towards the back of his molars. The pet ring came to life in a blue haze as Data Sora ceased jamming the signals coming to it.
Once the preparations were done, Roxas pressed their foreheads together with his eyes closed and remained there for a while. When he finally backed away, he gave Sora one last, intent look as he sealed the bed shut and plunged his friend into darkness.

To be continued.
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Bonds of Misery