To Sora

To Sora

Riku was quite an unlucky young man.  Twenty years old and already his life was coming apart.  He lost his job, didn't have much money, could barely afford the apartment he was living in and now he thought he was coming down with a cold.  As sluggish as he felt, he walked the five blocks from his house to the drug store on the corner in the freezing, icing rain.  After achieving his goal, he stood on the street curb waiting for the light to change.  Darnit, he hated this light.  It always stayed red 3/4 of the time.  Of course he snow and rain was just a plus.  He scrunched his face in a grimace and gave the light one last glare before looking down and out into the street.  He froze solid like a deer in headlights when he saw a brown kitten stumble into the street, limping quite disorienting.  Riku turned and saw the cars coming head on.  It wasn't going to make it!  He dashed between the groups of people and right out into the street into oncoming traffic.  He grabbed the kitten and dodge rolled to the other side of the street, people shouted and cursed at him as he made off with the kitten.  He was sure to be a public freak from now on.  Diving into rush hour saving kittens in distress.  He slowed his running to a jog then gradually to a walking state.  Riku looked down and noticed the little furball was shivering.

"Ngh...guess I better take him home with me..."  Once he got home, he kicked his shoes off, threw his coat off, and sat the shivering fuzzball of cuteness down on the bed in his room.  "Better get you some food, huh? ...I think I have some leftovers..."  The kitten raised its head and mewed, its eyes shut tightly.  "Aw crap!  It's probably not even weaned yet!"  He panicked, cupping its face carefully.

But then his fears went away when it opened its eyes.  He moved closer, his nose practically touching the kit's.  Such a beautiful blue...  The kitten blinked and mewed, darting his tongue out to lick Riku's nose.  "Awww..."  He groaned in adoration.  "Did someone throw you out too?"  It only mewed again and popped a clawless paw on Riku's cheek.  Dear God, the cuteness...he blushed and watched it tumble clumsily on his sheets.  "Hm, I'll bet you don't have a name...so-...so..."  He trailed off, those beautiful blue eyes staring back at him knowingly.  "Blue...like the sky...I know!  I'll call you Sora!"  Sora mewed loudly, jumping at Riku's bangs.  He laughed out loud, nuzzling his face into the tiny fuzzy belly.  "Sora."

Well weeks went by since Sora came into Riku's life and already things were looking up.  He found a job, made rent on his apartment, and his childhood friend moved back into town.  It was like the kitten's prescence gave Riku the luck and hope he needed.  As the days passed, Riku realized Sora had become a necessity.  He loved that kit so much and spoiled it to death.  He even bought an expensive sterling silver crown shaped collar for him.  I guess you could say a special bond formed between them.  One never went without the other.  And soon Sora was growing and quite unusually fast too.  The more Sora grew, the more lucky Riku became.  

Riku layed out on his queen sized bed, groaning from work earlier.  He jumped slightly when Sora took a mightly leap and landed on his stomach.  "Mngh, Sora.  You're so mean."  He chuckled, petting the cat's ears.  Sora purred lovingly and leaned into the touch.  "Let's go to sleep.  I'm tired."  He smiled, closing his eyes and soon drifting off to sleep.  Sora perked up and crawled off of Riku's stomach, stepping cautiously to his pillow.  He leaned close and opened his feline mouth.

"Riku, I love you."  He whispered.  Then leaned even closer, pressing his mouth to Riku's lips in a kiss.  He pulled away and his heart began to swell...he felt so happy.  Sora, the angel, had found love.  Surprised?  Yes.  Sora was an angel in feline form while visiting earth.  This cat body was his only material form.  If anything were to happen to it...well...I'd rather spare you the details.  Riku had become a great big part in his life as he had become in Riku's.  Nothing could keep them apart.  He curled up on the still sleeping Riku's pillow and fell into a deep slumber.  Just days later it seemed that Sora have given away all of his luck and didn't leave any for himself.  For...

"Ah, Roxas, I missed you!"  Riku hugged this blonde haired boy lovingly.  Sora looked on in jealousy and ran up to the couple, rubbing against Riku.  "Ah, Sora!"  Riku laughed, picking him up and nuzzling him lovingly.  "Did you want some attention too?"

"Riku, you don't need a cat in the apartment..."  Roxas reached out for the cat.  Sora gave a low yowl at the offending hands and flattened his ears.  Riku laughed and tickled Sora's chin.

"Guess he doesn't like you!"  He smiled at the cat and kissed it on the nose.  "My pretty Sora."

"Honestly Riku...it's like you love that cat more than me..."  Roxas pouted in jest.

"Sora's not just a cat!"  Riku frowned.  "He's my good luck charm and my friend.  If you raised him, you'd know what I mean."

"Riku...haven't you thought of settling down?"

"Roxas-"

"Riku, I love you!  I love you, okay?!"  Roxas blushed, staring down at the ground.  RIku's eyes widened as did Sora's.

'He wouldn't...he wouldn't...'  Sora thought desperately.  'Riku...'  ...and Riku let go of Sora, letting him plop to the floor on all fours.  Sora looked up with a breaking heart and saw his only friend, the first human he ever set his first born kitten eyes on...and the only boy he ever truely loved...take the other boy into his arms and kiss him.  Sora mewed up at the couple.  He mewed and mewed and mewed...neither payed any attention.

"I love you too."  Riku whispered back.  Tears poured from Sora's eyes as he ran out of the apartment, down the street and into the park just a few blocks away.  He came across a secluded area and cried his heart out.  His tears soon ceased when he heard a voice.

"Little brother.  What is the matter?"  Sora looked up and saw one of his many sisters.

"Big sister Aerith."  Sora mewed.  "My heart hurts."

"Little one... we warned you about love and heart while here on earth.  That is why we gave you the body of a cat..."

"It's so unfair big sister Aerith!  I love him!  Can't you-"

"No little one.  I can't give you your true form here on earth."

"But he won't notice me!"  Sora cried out.

"Won't notice you?  My dear little brother, he has taken you in, fed you, named you, and sheltered you from the elements.  Now run along back to him.  He's dreadfully worried about you."  She smiled and vanished in wisps of light.

"Big sister!"

"Find your own path!"  Her voice echoed.  He sat up from the grass and slowly walked back with a heavy heart.  He looked around cautiously.

'I guess Roxas went home...'  At once Riku scooped him up and held him tightly.

"My God, Sora you scared me!  Don't run off again!"  Riku's expression saddened.  Sora purred into the hug and mewed at Riku.  "Ooh Sora...you're impossible."  He laughed, kissing his nose.  "Come on, let's go to bed.  It's almost ten."  The both of them settled down in bed and went to sleep.

More days went by.  Roxas came by every now and then and it was the same routine.  Roxas bends down to pet Sora, Sora hisses.  Roxas leans forward to kiss Riku, Sora hisses.  Riku tries to hand Sora to Roxas so he could hold him, Sora hisses.  Sora flat out despised Roxas for taking Riku away from him and didn't hesitate to show it.  But not matter what Sora did, Riku would always pay attention to Roxas.  His own future looked very bleak indeed.  The next day, something terrible happened and Roxas fell ill.  He caught pneumonia it seemed and each day it got worse.  Soon he was lying on his deathbed in the hospital.  

"Isn't there anything you can do?!"  Riku shouted at the doctors.

"I'm truely sorry."  The doctor murmured.  "He's in extreme critical condition...he has...a ten percent of surviving the night..."  Riku's eyes widened and he began to cry.  He fell to his knees by his lover's bed and cried his heart out.

The doctors urged Riku to go home for rest.  Soon the security guards escorted him out when we wouldn't go of his own free will.  Riku layed out on his bed and cried.  He perked up when he felt motion on the bed and a gentle mew.  "S-Sora...oh Sora!"  He reached out and held the kit tightly.  "R-Roxas is going to die!"  He sobbed, tears soaking into Sora's brown fur.  He knew it was time.  He would end both of their pain for good.  He waited for Riku to tire himself out and fall asleep which he did eventually.  He touched his forehead to Riku's and he too fell asleep.  And Riku dreamed...he dreamed...  "Huh?  Wh-Where am I?"  He looked around...it was beautiful!  A sunset frozen in the sky, sea birds called out, water rushed and receded on a wide open beach...how nostalgic.

"Riku?"  A voice called.  He turned around and saw a beautiful brunet boy with beautiful white wings walking towards him.

"Who are you?"  Riku's eyes widened.

"I'm an angel and I'm here to help you."  His blue eyed danced softly.  Riku's eyes washed over the boy's features.  Soft brown hair...sky blue eyes...and a crown shaped pendant just like the collar he gave to-

"Sora-"  Sora placed his fingers over Riku's lips.

"I...I brought you here thinking we could run away together...but Roxas needs you more.  He loves you and you're meant to be together...that's why I'm going to save him."

"You'd do that?"  Riku's eyes watered.

"Riku, I love you...I'd do anything for you."  Sora's eyes began to water as well.  He looked out over the sunset and let out a sigh.  "I always...wanted you to love me back...but now-"

"Sora...I DO love you."  He smiled.  "And now you're saving Roxas...it's more than I deserve."

"You deserve more."  Sora whispered.

"Sora..."  He captured the boy in a hug.  "Thank you, So-"  The angel pressed his fingers to his lips and shushed him again.

"I have to go now."  Tears rained down his cheeks, yet he still smiled as if he got everything he wanted in the world and more.  He tugged on Riku's head and brought their lips together in a kiss.  "Riku, I'll never forget you...thank you...for everything!"  Sora's voice echoed far away.  Riku opened his eyes through the blissful kiss and saw everything was vanishing and a small brown kitten running into the distance.  He reached out for it, but began to feel a searing pain in his side.  Before he knew it he was on the floor beside his bed, tangled up in his sheets.

"Mngh...Sora.  Sora?!  Sora!"  He called out for his pet...he didn't come.  "Here kitty kitty kitty kitty!"  He looked around, nothing.  He let out a sigh and gave up.  Silly thing was probably asleep somewhere.  He flopped back into his bed when the phone rang.  "...Hello?"

"Is this Riku?  I'm an RN from the hospital."

"Yeah...I know, Roxas is-"

"He made it!  He's going to be fine!"  She squealed.

"Seriously?!"  He gasped.  "I-I'll be over there!"  He slipped on his shirt, coat and shoes and leaped out the door.  When he got there, Roxas was alive and healthy.  "Roxas!"  He ran to him and captured him in a tight hug.  "I had the- had..."  He smiled, but then trailed off and looked over in an open window when he saw a brown something hanging out.  He slipped out of Roxas's arms to investigate.  To his horror he found Sora's limp body sprawled out on the sill...still, cold, and lifeless.  "S-Sora?..."  He pet the kit's fur, its body stiff as ice.  Tears cascaded from his cheeks as he picked the poor cat up and buried his face in his fur, crying his name.  "Sora!!"

"That cat was fine last night."  A nurse came in, checking on Roxas.  "Then it started convulsing and Roxas started feeling better.  It's as if they switched healths or something!"  She bowed to the two boys and left.  Roxas stood from the bed and hugged Riku tightly.

"I'm sorry."  He whispered.  Riku choked out more sobs, letting the cat lie back on the sill.  He trapped Roxas in a hug and let out brand new sobs.  

That day, Riku made a grave outside of his apartment for little Sora.  He even ordered an expensive specialized tombstone.  He layed out flowers on top of the freshly dug soil and shed more than plenty of tears as he stared at the grave marker.  'Sora the angel.  Friend, companion, and lost love.  He lives on in our hearts'.  He looked up just as thunder boomed across the skies and rain came down like gentle tears.  It was...raining the day they met too...wasn't it?  And he swore...just for a moment, he saw the outline of a boy with wings chasing after a cat in the sky...and regal voices murmuring softly...'to Sora'.

The End