#dragon!sora

“Who else?” Riku wasn’t sure how that boyish voice came out of the creature that practically curled around him, but then, he couldn’t really explain how he’d gone from being this to such a small person, either.

Riku shrugged. “You look different.”

“Oh, right. Should I change back?” Without waiting for a response, the dragon curled into himself, his face screwing up in concentration. The air shimmered and shifted and grew hot, and then the dragon was gone, replaced by the human version. He leaned forward, panting. “It takes some effort, but I don’t mind.”

Riku stared at the bare body so close to him, bent with his hands on his knees as he recovered. “Ah, Sora, I think you forgot something.”

Sora looked up at him. “What? No, I can’t shift all of it.” He flexed a clawed hand and shifted his wings. “Besides, I like it.”

Riku’s face was pink. “Clothes. I meant clothes.”

Sora laughed. “Yeah, yeah.” Riku got a full view of the planes of Sora’s back, glittering blue and bronze, and the smooth line of his tail, just above firm, round buttocks, as the human-shaped dragon retrieved his tunic and cloak. “This form loses heat a lot faster. I keep forgetting.”

Riku didn’t have a response for that. Instead, he spent the next few minutes considering the Ansem problem as he broke camp. Even as one of King Mickey’s trusted knights, he couldn’t simply depose a Lord, whatever his crimes may be. Nor could he let Ansem’s work continue in the time it would take to send word to the King. He likely wouldn’t have any problems dispatching the captive Shadow Rogues, but if Ansem was keeping them around for a reason, the act wouldn’t go unnoticed. If Ansem and his guards turned against him, he wouldn’t have a chance.

Sora startled Riku mid-thought as he dangled another pair of squirrels in front of him, teeth bared in a grin. “Breakfast!”

“I can hunt for my own food, thanks.” Riku’s grumbled reaction was more about being startled than being handed an easy meal, although he wouldn’t admit it to Sora.

“You were busy!” Sora chirped. “Anyway, it’s a thank you for making it so tasty yesterday.” He beamed at the knight.

Riku just shook his head and made quick work of the game. They ate on the road, walking side-by-side, as Riku continued puzzling out his dilemma.

Sora shot Riku a questioning look as the knight huffed yet another sigh. “Are you trying to breathe fire?”

“People don’t breathe fire, Sora.”

“I know that. I just wanted to make sure you did.”

Riku snorted. “If anything, I’d rather fly. Then I could tell the King about Lord Ansem and I wouldn’t have to deal with this alone. Well, I wanted adventure. Here it is.”

“You’re not alone Riku.” Riku cocked his head at the gravity in Sora’s voice. “What, you didn’t think I was going to help you?”

“It doesn’t really concern you. Anyway, Ansem wants you dead, so you shouldn’t get involved.”

Sora grabbed Riku and whirled him by the shoulders to face him. “How can you say that? Of course it concerns me. After what happened to Roxas, and now… You’re my pair-mate, I can’t just let you do it alone!” His cloak shuddered as the wings beneath flexed in agitation, and the blue tail whipped from side to side.

“I’m not-I’m not your pair-mate! So stop saying that.” Riku shrugged out of Sora’s grip and turned to soothe his horse, who had started at his shout. He tried to ignore the wounded look Sora was giving him, even though it sent a spike of melancholy through him.

Sora’s voice was quiet when he spoke again. “Well, even if you aren’t, I want to help you.”

“Fine.” The curt reply hung in the air, heavy as lead, before Riku added, “Then we’d better come up with a plan.”

They agreed that the first order of business would be to exterminate the Shadow Rogues, and disable any guards that might be outside the cave. Riku deliberated whether to sneak back into the castle, or to enter it under the pretense of having already slain Sora. The first plan wouldn’t go so well, given the security of the estate and his lack of knowledge of the grounds. The second option wasn’t much better, since Sora was, quite clearly, alive and well, and Riku had nothing to show for the dragon’s supposed death. At best, he could lure out a party of Ansem’s men and dispatch some of them afield, but that still required at least something to offer as proof.

Sora solved that dilemma by digging in the folds of his tunic and producing an ivory fang, about half a foot long. “It’s my lucky baby tooth, so I want it back.”

“This is a baby tooth?” Riku arched an eyebrow as he tucked it into his pack.

Sora went off talking about egg teeth and baby teeth, and Riku had gotten a brief education on the life cycles of dragons by the time they were within sight of the cave Sora had told him about. Near the mouth of the cave was a lean-to, where a pair of guards stood watch. “There’s more inside,” Sora whispered. “Maybe four?” He raised his head, tasting the air, then immediately wiped at his nose. “The smell of the Shadows is too strong, so I can’t be sure.” They draped their cloaks over a branch and left Dawn at the woods before they crept toward the lean-to.

Neither of them had qualms about killing the guards: when they approached, they could both smell the reek of Shadows on their grey skin, and their eyes glimmered yellow in deep, bruised sockets. Sora hissed at the dark blood staining his claws before he burned it away in a jet of fire. “What are they?”

The question haunted them both as they slipped into the cave, Sora leading the way as Riku’s eyes adjusted to the dark. The next set of guards they met were even less human than the first. Hunched, growling, and sightless, they looked as if someone had shoved the consciousness of a Shadow haphazardly into human bodies. Riku had seen his share of horrible things, but these made him ill. The flesh sloughed from the abomination as it fell away from his sword, and he bit back a gag.

Sora’s voice came in the guttural growl he’d used the first time Riku had mentioned Ansem. “I’m going to purge these caves. And then Ansem…” Sora’s voice trailed off, but his eyes had a hard gleam in the haze of the cave, and for the first time, Riku felt a tremor of fear at his presence.

Sora flinched when Riku dropped a hand on his shoulder, but his eyes softened at the touch. “Ansem will face justice with the king.” Sora nodded.

Two more abominations flanked a heavy gate, where Shadows scrabbled at the bars, swarming. The two guards had more fight in them than their predecessors, and Riku grunted when one of them scraped a gash in his cheek during the skirmish. The sting had barely registered before one of Sora’s clawed hands ripped through the thing’s chest from behind, and another quick movement severed the head of his own opponent.

“Riku, are you alright?” Sora’s ferocity dropped away as he reached for the knight.

Riku dragged his forearm over the injury. “It’s just a scratch. Let’s get this over with.” He levelled his gaze at the gate. “Did you see a key?”

“Don’t need one. Stand back.” It was too dark to see much as Sora’s shape grew and shifted, but the heat made the cave uncomfortable, and even the Shadows were shrinking back by the time the air settled. Sora only paused a moment before throwing his bulk against the metal bars, once, twice, and with the third impact, they began to groan. The fourth sent it clattering backwards, catching Shadows as it fell. Neither of them wasted time. As the Shadows surged forward, Riku met them with steel, Sora with talons and fire.

Riku struggled to breathe in the smoke and stench of Shadow gore, but he pressed on, cutting through the ones that managed to get past Sora’s onslaught, or tried to slip under the dragon’s guard. He hadn’t seen so many of the creatures since the Keyblade War, and the thought gave him chills, because, what reason would Ansem have for keeping them? He considered Ansem’s motives, and the potential disaster if Sora hadn’t alerted him. King Mickey would be devastated, after they’d worked so hard to bring about peace. He was suddenly grateful for Sora’s help. Without the dragon slicing through their ranks, maybe Riku could have managed to dispatch the majority of them, but the chances of him surviving would have been low.

It was hours before they finished, although the initial had been the worst. Most of the Shadows had swarmed near the gate, but enough of them had lingered in the deeper recesses of the cave for them to press on. They’d cleared the infestation, a dirty and unpleasant task, but Riku emerged with only scratches and one long, shallow cut, driven out of the caves by heat when Sora began to cleanse them with fire. He rubbed at a dirty spot on his arm, and thought that, at least he would look like he’d fought a dragon when he approached Ansem.

The mouth of the cave still glowed with fire when a grimy Sora stumbled out in human form. He was bare again, his tunic probably lost in his shift, or if not, in the fire, but Riku hardly noticed, because he was too busy rushing forward when his companion sprawled to the ground, wings trembling on his back. His heart leapt into his throat at the sight of the crumpled form.

“Sora!” He began checking for injuries, brushed back the spiked brown hair to look for life in the blue eyes.

Sora blinked up at him, eyes bleary. His voice was hoarse and shaky, but he smiled. “I’m okay, Riku. Just need to rest.” He pushed weakly at the ground, but didn’t succeed, except to dig his claws into the earth.

Riku continued looking for injuries, anyway. Finding only minor ones, he crossed his arms and regarded Sora wearily. “I don’t suppose you can walk,” he murmured, voice gruff.

Sora beamed and shook his head. “Nope!”

Riku huffed and crossed his arms. He bit his lip and dropped his arms back to his sides. “Fine.” It took a moment to gather Sora into his arms, figuring out how to maneuver around the wings and tail, before he set off towards where they’d left the horse. He was hot and heavy in Riku’s tired arms, but his heart felt light as Sora curled into him with a happy hum. “Why are you like this?”

Sora cracked an eye open to look at him. “I used up almost all of my energy,” he croaked. “That’s why I couldn’t do this on my own. Ansem or his guards would’ve caught me after I was done.” He yawned and nuzzled the fall of silver hair at Riku’s neck. “Knew you’d help me.”

Riku’s lips twitched. “I guess we’ll have to go to the castle after you’ve rested. I just hope Ansem doesn’t suspect anything before we’re in.” Sora hummed in agreement. “We should probably ride a little ways off, just in case.” Another hum; Riku nodded. With an effort, he carried Sora back the way they’d come and draped him across the saddle; the blue tail flicked once while Sora found his balance. Riku spread a cloak over him before donning his own, and they set off again.

Sora was in a deep slumber by the time Rike deemed their position far enough away to avoid attention. He’d managed to spread his bedroll and lay Sora on it before weariness weighed him down, too, and he all but collapsed next to the dragon boy, sharing his body heat in lieu of a fire. He propped himself on an elbow and regarded the sleeping face for a moment. It was peaceful and lovely, even smudged with ash, and Riku leaned forward and pressed his lips to the soft brown hair on his brow. Whether he was his pair-mate as Sora claimed, or not, Riku was growing fond of him even after the short time since they’d met. He would admit that much.

Riku faded into sleep sometime after one of Sora’s wings had shifted to drape over them both, feeling safe and warm.

o - o - o

Riku’s eyes flew open in pre-dawn gloom. He was already casting about for danger, hand closing around his knife, when he realized what had disturbed his sleep.

Sora was gone.

Riku was wrapped in his own cloak, but it did little against the cold mountain air. It was as good as nothing, compared to the heat of a dragon. He shivered, feeling the cold seep into him. It was probably for the best. With Ansem’s desire to see Sora dead, he would be better off not joining Riku when he returned to the castle. They hadn’t even considered how to explain Sora’s presence, so there was one less thing to plan.

He pulled his cloak closer and turned over, hoping Sora was safe, wherever he’d gone to. One thought slipped into his mind as he nodded into sleep again: that Sora hadn’t finished convincing him they were pair-mates. So much for that.

When Riku woke again, it was light. He had a breakfast of rations and a couple of apples he found as he steered Dawn towards Lord Ansem’s castle. He would get be able to eat a real meal when he finished his duty. The woods were silent as he rode, and Riku missed his talkative companion. Maybe after this, he’d return to the capital for a while, to be around people again. To have a home. Boring was sounding more and more appealing as he felt the weight of solitude on his shoulders.

Riku was at the tree line bordering a cultivated field when there was a roaring of wind above him, followed by a crack of breaking branches, a small thud, and the exclamation of a familiar voice.

“Ow!”

Riku turned and stared at the dragon boy collecting himself from the ground, looking refreshed and energetic. He crossed his arms with a frown. “What are you doing here?”

Sora gave him a puzzled look. “We’re going to take care of Ansem together, right?”

Riku’s turned his eyes to the ground. “It’s better if I go alone.”

Sora leaned against Dawn, trying to catch Riku’s eyes from below, and placed a clawed hand on his knee in the process. Riku flinched and avoided his gaze. “And why’s that? I already told you I wanted to go with.”

A heavy sigh. “Look, I don’t know how you expect to get into the castle,” and here Riku finally looked at Sora, eyes narrowed, “looking like that. If Ansem realizes what you are, you’re done. That’s it. No more Sora. Especially after how you were, I thought you’d realized that and gone away.”

“Oh! Right, I didn’t want to wake you, so I didn’t tell you.” Sora scratched his head sheepishly.

“Tell me what?”

Sora beamed and stepped back, and made a series of growls deep in his throat. Riku blinked, and the person in front of him was, well, a person. Not just humanlike, but human. No tail or horns. No clawed hands and feet. “I worked on my illusion spell!” He dragged his nails over a nearby tree, and the bark split. Riku thought maybe he saw a hint of blue there, but it was gone in an instant. “I still can’t shift everything, but I look like it!”

Riku took it in for a moment. Sora was…normal. He was still beautiful, but there was something lacking in the new appearance. It just wasn’t Sora. But he dismissed the thought. “Fine. You look normal. So how do I explain why I’m dragging a kid around with me?”

“Oh, that’s easy! You saved me from the big, bad dragon.” Sora nodded with conviction. “He was keeping me prisoner but you freed me.”

Riku raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t have the disposition of a prisoner.”

Sora pressed against Riku’s leg. “Because I’m so happy you saved me!”

At that, he had to laugh. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Of course.” The tone reflected the statement, and Riku was reminded again of Sora’s venom towards Ansem. How he could maintain such a cheerful countenance was beyond Riku. He himself was generally more sullen and apathetic. Sora…made him feel a little lighter. Even if he was still irritated at the earlier, unannounced departure.

Riku sighed and considered the scenario. He wasn’t sure how much Ansem knew about Sora, or dragons in general. He certainly couldn’t trust that the man had told him everything he knew, especially after he’d seen the caves. He hadn’t known much, and still didn’t, even after his conversations with Sora, so he hoped the man was just as ignorant. A dragon keeping a human was plausible. Maybe not Sora keeping one, but Ansem didn’t know that.

His hand fell to brunette spikes as he thought, seeking out the horns hidden by the illusion. There: hard little nubs nestled in the thick hair. Would the dragon’s claws be a problem? He’d have to come up with an excuse to keep Sora away from the lord. And the thought that followed—would Ansem try to possess him, the way he’d pursued Riku? His mouth tightened.

“Sora,” he murmured, once he’d come to a decision. “I think—” He stopped at the little purr the boy was emitting under his hand.

Sora looked up at him, eyes half-lidded, and suddenly Riku felt hot all over. Well, the dragon did have a high body temperature. He pulled his hand away and cleared his throat, ignoring the pout that Sora was giving him, and the way he was nuzzling into Riku’s thigh. “I think your idea might work. If you’re convincing enough, and if we can keep him from getting close to you.”

Riku and Sora worked out a plan for the second part of their endeavor. They would return to the castle, Sora as Riku’s charge from his success. Despite his embarrassment, he conceded that it would be expedient to claim Sora as his prize, and that neither of them would be parted after the ordeal. Weariness from the battle would inspire them to accept the obligatory offer to stay the night, and then when darkness fell, they would act. Sora’s concession was that he would have to ride double behind Riku, astride, not perched as he preferred, although when Riku helped him up, he wrapped his arms around his waist eagerly.

o - o - o

Ansem was surprised to see the rider—no, correct that, riders—approaching his estate from the north. A flash of silver-white in the sun made his eyebrows shoot up. He hadn’t expected the young knight to return, at least, not any time soon. His predecessors had been gone for weeks before returning empty-handed, unable to even locate the creature. Riku hadn’t seemed to be one give up so quickly, with that bright gleam in his eyes, but maybe the figure riding behind him had had something to do with it. The thought made Ansem narrow his eyes, mouth set in a thin line.

Xigbar met them at the gate, and Ansem watched from a balcony as he escorted the two weary figures up and into the castle. Straight into his receiving chambers, as he’d ordered. He let them wait, unrefreshed, as he made the long descent to meet them.

The two young men were both grimy, faces and clothes smeared with ash, skin peppered with superficial cuts. Riku had already laid a large fang on the table, and the other cowered close behind him. The other looked to be in worse shape than Riku, with only a tattered cloak to cover him as he clung to the knight. Ansem let his eyes linger over that one as he addressed Riku.

“What is this?” He finally turned his sharp gaze to Riku.

“It’s the dragon’s fang. I couldn’t carry the whole corpse, so I brought that.”

Ansem took it up and examined it. “It seems to be the right size. But I hardly can take your word that the creature is dead.”

Riku gave him a frigid stare. “I’m a knight of the Radiant Kingdom. My word is my oath. But if you wish, I can take you to the body, once I’ve rested.”

A nod. “And the boy?” Again his eyes travelled over the ragged thing behind the knight.

Riku’s lips curled in a scowl. “It was keeping him as a prisoner. He wouldn’t leave my side after I rescued him.”

“I should like to question him about it.”

Sora curled his fingers into Riku’s cloak and buried his face against the knight’s back. Riku could feel the claws pricking his skin and suppressed a grimace. He understood. It would put them both at risk, to be separated, or even for Sora to speak of his experience as the dragon’s prisoner. “He’s mute. Or if he’s not, he won’t talk. If you please, milord, the road was very rough. I would very much like to rest.” Riku struggled to remain courteous, even as his skin crawled at the man in front of him.

Ansem regarded them coolly. “Very well. Perhaps you would care to join me for dinner later this evening to discuss your exploits?”

“Milord, I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid I am barely able to keep my feet.” Behind him, he could feel Sora trembling, despite his heat, and he was quickly losing patience in Ansem’s presence.

“Very well. In the morning, then?”

“Gladly, milord.”

At a gesture from the lord, Xion appeared from a corner in the room to escort them to the chamber where Riku had stayed on his first visit. Sora loosened his grip as they came into the hall, but kept his face turned to the ground. Riku shot a concerned look over his shoulder as they trailed behind the girl, but he only shook his head. It wasn’t until Xion opened the door to the room that Sora raised his head to show dark, angry eyes, and for the second time, Riku felt a thrill of fear in his presence.

“Sora?” He glanced back at the girl who lingered at the door. “If you’ll excuse us?”

Xion nodded but didn’t move. “Sirs…?”

Riku’s eyes had already returned to Sora. “What is it?”

The girl stepped into the room and closed the door without invitation, gaining the attention of both men. “I saw what you did,” she whispered. “In the caves.” Before they could respond, she added, “I want to help you.”

They both gaped at her, but Sora was the first to recover. “Really?” Xion nodded.

Riku’s face brightened. “Are there others who might be willing to help?” Another nod.

According to Xion, there were many who knew a little about what Ansem was doing, enough to send a wave of fear through his subjects, but they were unable to do anything, in their position. With the help of a knight, they might be able to bring the lord to justice. Xion had already sent whispers out through the kitchens about Sora and Riku’s exploits—sans mention of Sora’s true nature—and she was willing to help them navigate the castle and supply them with information about its inner workings.

They still waited for dark to act, but with Xion’s help, they made quick work of rounding up the handful of Ansem’s men, under the threat of steel and brute strength, and secured them in cells where the castle’s chef kept watch, until only three remained. Ansem himself, Xigbar, and a man that Xion refused to approach, Vexen.

They approached Vexen first. The man was an alchemist, with his own set of workrooms, where he was still sitting up, candles burning in a dim haze on the table. He had his back to the open door, and Riku slipped in first, as quiet as possible, but the tall man still turned in a swish of long, blond hair, and fixed him with an icy gaze. “Ah, the knight. And where’s your dragon, Sir?” Riku’s eyes widened, and Sora paused at the edge of the doorway. “Don’t worry, I haven’t told Lord Ansem about him. He’d only want him killed.” Vexen’s eyes moved to the door, as if sensing Sora. “Come on now, let’s see you.”

Sora stalked into the room, muscles tense, and Riku moved towards the alchemist.

Vexen tutted, and shards of ice rose up between them. “Don’t think you can come into my domain unhindered.” He returned his attention to Sora. “Ansem would have you dead, but not me. Even if you destroyed my experiments, I would rather you live, to study you.”

Before Riku could react, Sora had already sprang in an attack. “YOU!” The room rumbled with Sora’s growl as he knocked the man to the ground.

More jagged ice had formed at some command from Vexen, trapping Riku outside, and the two, inside, where Vexen held a wicked scalpel to Sora’s all-too-human throat. “I just want to see you up close, creature.” Riku began hacking at the icy barricade, even as Vexen continued on calmly. “Shed this ugly human guise and show me those wings.”

The ice was already melting in Sora’s body heat when he let loose another growl and shredded claws through Vexen’s chest. In his last breath, the alchemist’s scalpel sliced at the boy’s throat, and Riku yelled.

“Sora!”

The blue eyes turned to him, shining with unshed tears, but Riku was more worried about the blood streaming from his neck. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “But he…those creatures…and…”

Riku had finally knocked away enough of the ice to reach him. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Are you okay?” He turned Sora’s head to examine the wound. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it wasn’t a life-threatening wound, then set his mouth in a grim line. “We still have work to do, Sora.”

“I didn’t mean to kill him,” Sora insisted. “I’m sorry.”

Riku shook his head. “You didn’t have a choice. He was no more human than the things he created.” Sora bit his lip and nodded reluctantly. “Let’s go.”

According to Xion’s information, Xigbar and Ansem’s chambers were near each other. And, if Vexen had been unsurprised by their onslaught, it was likely the lord would be ready, as well. Riku tightened his grip on his sword, and exchanged a nod with Sora as they approached the wing where their final targets waited.

They smelled the reek of Shadows before they saw them. It was the abominations again, the stronger ones, and they struggled for a few long minutes before cutting them down. Riku watched Sora from the corner of his eye, looking for weakness, or hesitation, but his companion was relentless as ever despite his earlier reaction. At least he kept his head. If Vexen was any indication, the last two would present a challenge.

A purple-fletched arrow grazed Riku’s cheek.

Xigbar reloaded a crossbow from a doorway further down the hall. “Sorry kids, I can’t let you pass.”

Sora shook himself, and his glamour melted away. “I’m not a kid,” he growled, lashing his tail and spreading his wings. Xigbar’s single eye widened as he took in the creature before him.

“Some knight you are, kid. Lord Ansem,” he called over a shoulder, “I found your dragon.” He sighted down the crossbow. “Should I kill him for you?”

A composed Ansem appeared behind Xigbar, sword in hand. “By all means. Riku, I think you owe me a dance.” With surprising speed, he darted forward to meet the knight in a clash of swords, and Riku was thrown into battle, unable to keep an eye on his companion. “I’d hoped it would be the sweeter kind of dance,” Ansem panted.

Riku grunted. “Not interested.” Slash. Parry.

“I noticed. You like that nasty creature, do you? You were supposed to kill it.” Thrust. Block.

“I think you’re mistaken about which is the nasty creature.” Evade, slash; glance over at Sora.

“Eyes on me, boy!” Ansem advanced, driving Riku towards a wall.

Sora and Xigbar were locked in a wordless struggle. Despite his age, Xigbar was still strong. Not strong enough to overpower a dragon, but enough to hold his own against the human form. The crossbow had been abandoned in the close quarters, and the two wrestled. Sora had the advantage of strength, speed, and claws, while Xigbar pressed on with his greater size and experience. There was a dagger in one hand, but he’d only managed to land a few shallow cuts in response to Sora’s onslaught of ragged scratches.

Riku only worried that Sora wasn’t fighting to kill, while Xigbar was.

“I said, eyes on me!” Riku gasped as Ansem landed a blow across his chest. The hard leather there stopped the sharp edge, but the force of it had caught him by surprise.

Sora heard the sound and cringed. “Riku!”

“I’m fine!” Riku and Ansem’s swords met in a ringing clash.

“I won’t kill you,” Ansem ground out. “Not right away. You’ll live long enough to watch the thing you’ve protected die.”

Riku’s eyes flashed. He kept moving, kept meeting Ansem’s attacks, but his mind was working on another problem. The man was right. Riku had been protecting Sora, and the thought of him dead sent him in a rage. The fire of battle was on him, and keeping Ansem alive to face the king’s justice was no longer an option. Benevolent as King Mickey was, even someone like Ansem would be dealt with firmly. Riku was the king’s justice. The people who’d aided them would attest to the man’s crimes.

The moment he began fighting to kill, the tide turned in his favor. Ansem was skilled, but cold, and too calculating. Too arrogant.

“Lost your voice, boy? But those beautiful eyes!” Even as he lost ground, Ansem taunted, and when Riku saw an opening in the man’s guard, he went for it automatically.

Even though it meant that Ansem’s sword pierced his shoulder, at a joint in his armor, tearing a scream from him. But the man had no armor to protect him from the mortal blow.

The scuffle between Sora and Xigbar stopped abruptly, as they sprang apart and scrambled to their injured companions.

“Beautiful killer,” Ansem rasped.

Xigbar scowled down at him. “Even in death that’s all you care about, eh?”

Ansem ignored him, his focus still on Riku. “I saw it in your eyes. That darkness.” Riku had to turn away from the dying man’s grin.

Sora was there, clawed hands hovering over his shoulder, then moving to clutch his arm. “It hurts.”

“Yeah,” Riku sighed.

Sora shook his head. “No, I hurt. I can feel it.” He moved a hand up to his own, uninjured shoulder, eyes moving between it and a dazed Riku.

Xigbar called after him, pulling his attention away from the dragon boy. “What happens now?”

Riku started to shrug, and thought better of it. “You and the others will stay locked up until King Mickey passes judgement. He’s kind and just, but what he’s done here….” Riku’s eyes strayed to Ansem, just as the life passed from him. He shuddered at the sightless eyes.

“I see. I suppose I knew there would be consequences.” Xigbar leaned against the nearby wall. “I guess there’s nothing for it.”

They were grim and quiet as they escorted Xigbar into the hands of the chef-turned-guard, and the silence followed them until they reached the room they’d been granted by Ansem. It was as good a room as any, and Riku’s pack was still stowed there.

Riku all but fell on the bed, taking care to spare his shoulder. Sora sat on the edge of the bed, fingers tugging at the unshed armor. “Let me see.”

The knight grunted. “I’ll have someone sew it up later.”

Sora frowned. “At least let me help you clean it. You don’t want an infection.”

“Fine.” He sat up with a hiss, and with an effort, began tugging at the buckles that held the leather in place. Sora hesitated before moving to help, dangerous claws showing a surprising dexterity on the straps. Riku let him take over, eyes shining with the pain he wouldn’t acknowledge. Sora placed the leather pieces in a careful pile at the foot of the bed. “Sora?”

The dragon boy was working on the soiled linen shirt now. It was stiff with blood, with ragged tears, and even Sora knew it was beyond repair. “Hmm?” His claws sliced through the fabric with ease, and he gently peeled it away.

“What did you mean, our souls know each other?”

Sora didn’t respond at first, instead continued to bare Riku’s torso. He tossed the linen in the corner, pressed a hand near the edges of the puncture wound. Riku flinched. “Sorry.” The hand gentled as he studied the wound, biting his lip in concentration. Finally he spoke. “I wasn’t sure until I spoke to you, but even when I watched you I recognized you. Like I’d known your face my entire life.” Sora raised his head to meet Riku’s eyes. “And then when we spoke, I felt like I’d come home.” He pulled away from Riku to scratch at his neck, and the dried blood there flaked away. “Like, you know, if I was away from you, I’d never be whole again.”

Riku was quiet as he contemplated the explanation. It had been a short few days, and courting often went on for months, even years, in his world. Not that he’d ever had any interest. But Sora—his mind flashed back to his collapse the day before, and his eyes strayed to the scabbed gash along his neck. He reached a hand up to trace just along the wound, and then further back, to caress the freckled sapphire scales.

He withdrew his hand suddenly, face hot, and turned his eyes to the ground.

“Riku?” Sora’s voice was tentative, breathed near his ear. Invading his space again.

The open road sounded long and lonely, when Riku thought about it. And cold. He shivered. “Yeah Sora.” Riku kept his eyes trained on the floor. “I think I know.”

Those deadly claws were gentle as they drew Riku’s chin to face Sora, and his doubts fell away at the warm, glowing countenance that smiled at him. Steady blue eyes, full of confidence as they gravitated together. The kiss was slow and deliberate, different from Sora’s earlier exuberance. They only parted when Sora’s hand drifted down to land on Riku’s shoulder injury, and the knight let out a pained whimper.

“Sorry!” Sora had the grace to look sheepish. “We should get that taken care of.”

Riku gritted his teeth and nodded. Then: “Ah…Sora?” Sora raised his eyebrows in question. “Would you…uh. Be my pair-mate?”

Sora laughed. “It isn’t something you ask! You just are. We are.” He nuzzled at Riku’s hair, and laughed again. “It’s not like the stories, is it? The knight coming to slay the dragon.”