Chapter 1

Warm hues of orange and reds swirled in the sky as the sun was beginning to set. A golden glow cast over the town of Dorhaven, the once bustling streets nearly emptied as all the shops were closing up for the day; spare for the local pub that thrived for the night hours to share laughter and local music throughout the evening for all the sailors coming in for a warm meal. A certain floral shop was right around the corner from the popular pub, and often heard the echoes of the music resonating through their walls as the owners organized after a long day of work.

One of the owners was a young man, barely the age of seventeen. His silver hair reached past his shoulders, tied back while he swept the long aisles between the colorful array of flowers. He paused beside the window, leaning against the wood of the broom as he gazed outside. His bright, aqua eyes spotted the ocean in the distance, shimmering against the horizon as the sun set beyond it.

"Riku," a low voice caused him to tense as he looked over to see his older brother eyeing him with a stern glower in his gaze. "Have you finished?"

Riku let out a breath, giving one last look out the window before he went back to his work. "I was just taking a second to rest. I'm almost done." His voice was short, barely hiding the irritation.

"They'll be time to rest after we lock the door." His brother reminded him, making Riku's hands tighten around the broom.

"Yeah, yeah," Riku muttered, keeping his eyes downcast.

"Sephiroth," Riku's younger sister opened the back door that led to the back garden. Her golden blonde hair was braided over her shoulder, complementing the soft blue of her eyes as she looked between her brothers, before focusing on the oldest. "I finished taking inventory, and… I believe we're missing a few tomatoes."

Sephiroth held out his hand, having no reaction as his sister handed him the clipboard of information. "Thank you, Namine." He simply replied, turning and heading to the back garden without another word.

Riku let out a breath of relief once the door closed behind him, leaning the broom against the wall and crossing his arms. "You think those kids are stealing again?"

"It's possible," Namine sighed, clasping her hands in front of her faded green apron. "I also spotted a rabbit, so it's possible the animals are eating them."

A soft hum was all that Riku gave in reply as he moved to put away the broom. His eyes remained downcast, his lips curved into a frown as he walked. He could feel Namine's gaze on him, even as he shut and locked the storage closet.

"What?" He asked, barely glancing over his shoulder at her.

She looked away, her fingers fidgeting as she went over to a bouquet of lilies. "It's nothing… I just realized something."

Riku waited for her to clarify, but when she didn't he turned around to face her, leaning back against the door with his arms crossed. "Realized what?"

Her thin brows furrowed as she almost seemed to wonder if it was worth saying. "I realized I haven't seen you smile since-" she paused, her voice quieting down to a near whisper "well, before mom and dad left."

A tightness gripped Riku's chest from the mention, but he didn't let it show any effect on his face as he merely blinked, looking towards the shimmering ocean through the window. "Yeah…" He muttered, a melancholy silence rising between them. Clearing his throat, he pushed himself off the door and went to the front desk to grab a ring of keys. "I'm going to head back home."

Namine darted her eyes to him, before she slowly nodded. "It's your turn for dinner tonight, right?"

He nodded, "Yeah, might as well get started." He stuffed the keys in his pocket before he pulled off the dulled green apron and hung it over the metal hook beside the entrance. "See you at home, Nams."

"Be safe." She smiled as he glanced back at her, raising her hand with a small wave.

A golden bell chimed as he opened the glass paned door, sending her a wave in return before he was gone. Cool night wind brushed past him the moment he was outside, carrying the sweet scents of the garden surrounding the shop. Riku paused at the picket fence, scanning his eyes over the vines and plants nearly covering the familiar shop. Even with all the warm, inviting colors, it was empty. It was as if the plants themselves knew that their original caretaker was gone. Or perhaps Riku was simply imagining it as a sort of unspoken companionship that he wasn't the only one that felt how desolate the shop was.

Darting his eyes away, he turned and pushed open the gate, allowing it to swing closed behind him. His hands dug into his pockets, shielding themselves from the breeze that grew colder by the second. It was always cold in Dorhaven. One would think that living beside an ocean would bring warmth, instead, it brought harsh winds, storms, and chills that would make even the largest fires seemingly useless against them.

Riku hated the cold. He hated the way it caused him to shiver, how there were never enough clothes or blankets to shield himself from the frigid wind. Just once, he wished he could feel the true warmth of the sun.

The rolling sound of waves crashing against the shore brought him out of his thoughts. He had left the marketplace behind, only the endless ocean and sand before him. There was a shorter path back to his home if he were to cut through the alleyways and behind shops as his older brother often instructed him to do, but there was something about the ocean that calmed him. Walking along the shore, it was the only time where he could think freely, allowing his mind to wander and recall all the stories he heard from sailors when he'd make deliveries to the local pub.

There was so much out there. Stories untold and adventures just waiting to be discovered. Someday… Perhaps someday he'd get to find them for himself. The hopes of that had been much higher when his parents were still around. Ever since they had left on their boat and never returned all those months ago… the reality settled in that Riku might never get that chance.

He swallowed hard, pushing away the reminder of reality as he walked along the shore, stopping shortly to slip off his shoes and feel the sand between his toes. The foam of the waves lapped against his feet, tiny, shimmering shells being left in the dampened sand as the water receded for another wave. Riku bent over and picked up a chipped sand dollar, looking it over before slipping it into his pocket to later add to his and Namine's growing collection along the windowsill in their shared room.

The last few rays of sunlight peeked over the ocean's horizon, the warm hues of sunset darkening as the glistening stars became visible in the sky. Riku looked up at them, watching as more and more of them appeared, before a sudden splash of water grabbed his attention.

He looked forward, seeing the abandoned pier not far off. Splintered pieces of wood and fishing nets riddled the once lively walkway over the ocean. It was a sight Riku saw almost daily, and occasionally would spend time under it to get some time to himself. This time though… there was something, or someone, underneath it instead.

His eyes narrowed, the figure shadowed under the pier, but was no doubt struggling as they writhed and wriggled against the sandy rocks.

"H-Hey!" He called out, quickening his pace, "Hey, are you alright?"

Whatever it was that was under the pier whimpered something in reply, the voice and words unfamiliar to Riku, but he didn't stop as he broke into a run.

"Hold on! I'm almost there," he assured them, sprinting and nearly slipping in the sand.

As he neared the rocks beside the pier, he slowed to climb over, finally able to take in details about the stranger. Their brown hair was spiked, tangled with seaweed and plants from the sea, yet it almost seemed to be a part of them, rather than a mess. Widened, brilliant blue eyes stared back at him, an unnatural glow in them that kept Riku from being able to look away. His mouth hung open in shock, before he shook his head, breaking the spell and noticing the translucent fins fluttering nervously along its pale neck and arms.

Whoever they were, they weren't human.

His eyes drifted further down their pale body, silver and blue scales catching his eyes. They were scattered across the creature's torso and chest, before forming a long, graceful tail that was wrapped up and caught in a fisherman's trap.

Closing his mouth, he swallowed to coat his dry throat. "I-I'm not going to hurt you," he assured them, his voice shaking until he cleared his throat. "Just trying to get you out.

He brought his gaze back to the creature's, his breath catching at the blue of their eyes once again enticing him to get lost in them. His heart throbbed in his chest, feeling exposed and entranced by the full, innocent look in their eyes. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the creature had him under some sort of spell.

Shutting his eyes, he looked away before reopening and focusing on climbing over the rocks to get to the creature's level. It scrambled as he came closer, sand and small rocks flying in the air until Riku reached their side. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a small pocket knife that he often used in the shop to cut the stems of bouquets. Never in his life did he think he would use it to set a Siren free.

That's what he assumed it was, anyways. A half fish, half human creature that had the voice of an angel. Only there to entice weak men and drag them into the sea. Riku glanced back at them, the Siren's eyes worriedly darting every which way as they whimpered and desperately tried to shake free from the trap. Whoever they were, they didn't seem as if they would even consider dragging Riku to the bottom of the sea. Something told Riku there wasn't a malicious bone in their body.

He drew his gaze to the tail. Thick, braided rope was tangled in its long, translucent tail fins, tightening with every whip of their tail and rubbing against the scales. Riku grabbed the rope, yelping as he stumbled forward from the Siren's resistance.

"It's okay!" He spoke firmly, wrapping his arms around their tail to keep himself steady, his eyes focused back on theirs. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you… I promise. Alright?"

The Siren blinked rapidly, their shoulders slumping as they looked at the rope and metal trap tangled in their tail. Taking in a breath, they looked away, a soft whimper coming up their throat that made Riku's heart sink.

"Try to stay calm." Riku spoke softly, repeating the same words in his mind like a mantra as he went to sawing away at the rope.

As he worked, he allowed his eyes to drift over the tail of the creature. It was an array of blues and silvers, glittering with each subtle movement. The fins were long and graceful, the slightest bit translucent, just enough to capture the moon's rays as if they were made of stained glass.

His admiration was cut short as the rope snapped. He barely jumped back in time as the Siren scrambled back, splashing back into the sea and leaving the thinnest trail of dark blue liquid that dispersed in the water. Riku let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, covered in sand and salty water with a severed rope in his lap. He certainly would have looked odd to any onlooker, but he instead sat there in shock, questioning if he really had just seen the creature at all.

He didn't have to question long as violent splashing shook him out of his daze. Looking up, he saw the Siren flopping and whipping its tail, unable to gain the momentum to head further out to sea. Their arms swung wildly, finally clinging to a large rock jutting out of the ocean, crying out to the horizon, as if trying to call someone to them. The language was unfamiliar to Riku, but calmed his racing heart with how beautiful it sounded. It rang like a bell, flowed with the eloquence and melody of a song long forgotten. Even with the desperation in their voice, Riku couldn't help the fleeting thought of how he could listen to them speak for a lifetime.

Shaking his head, he darted his eyes back towards the town, noticing windows illuminating with light as the townsfolk heard the voice. He whipped his attention back to the Siren. If anyone caught sight of them - particularly the fishermen or the rare pirate… Well, Riku didn't want to imagine what they'd do to them.

"Hey, Hey!" Riku called out to them, scrambling forward and wading through the waves towards them. "You're going to get yourself caught!"

The Siren disregarded his words, as if they didn't understand anything he was saying. Riku whipped his head around when he heard clamoring from the town, people beginning to gather along the edge of their homes, moments away from seeing the creature. Darting his gaze between the town and the Siren, he jumped forward, wrapping his arms around the creature and falling back. The Siren wriggled and writhed in his arms, its tail thrashing wildly, as Riku was shoved under the water. He gasped as he forced them up for air, pulling the Siren back to the cover of the pier.

The Siren struggled in his arms, until Riku plopped them back on the rocky sand. A slew of words slipped out of it, its eyes widened with fright until Riku put his hand over their mouth, muffling their voice. He put a finger to his lips, his eyes locked with the Siren. Riku could feel their pounding heart, matching the racing pace of his own. Both of their chests heaved, the Siren taking deep breaths as their tail went limp. Their widened eyes danced over Riku, softening with an understanding as they nodded their head. Riku breathed out in relief, the softest smile curving his lips as he removed his hand from their mouth.

The thud of footsteps against the pier above them caused both of them to look up. Riku could hear the murmuring of the villagers, each of them asking the other if they had actually seen anything and what they had heard. As they discussed it, Riku drifted his gaze back to the creature. There was something about them, something that shifted a part of Riku's heart, even though he couldn't begin to explain what it was. He didn't know anything about them… but he knew that he had to protect them.

Their eyes met when the Siren brought their gaze back down from the pier as the townsfolk gave up their search and returned to their homes. Riku breathed out, his heart still pounding, even as the threat of potential danger had passed. The creature's head tilted just a little to the side, then to the other, studying Riku as he stared back at them.

Riku swallowed, feeling himself getting lost in their eyes again. Clearing his throat, he averted his gaze, trying to make sense of what he had just done. He could have walked away, ignored the creature's pleas. According to the local fishermen, Sirens were predatory creatures, cursed and filled with darkness. Looking at this one though, Riku couldn't imagine that tall tale being true. Letting out a shaky breath, he glanced back at the creature, noticing them still studying him.

"Are… Are you alright…?" He asked.

The Siren blinked, as if they were desperately trying to figure out what he was saying. It should have been obvious to Riku, since crossing paths with the creature, they hadn't spoken a lick of English. Sitting up, Riku chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to think of how to communicate properly.

"Um…" He met his eyes back with the creature, placing his hand over his heart. "I'm… Riku." Patting his hand over his chest again, he repeated, "Riku."

The Siren paused, their eyes drifting downwards towards Riku's hand along his chest. "Ri-ku…" They repeated, their voice soft, masculine, and still ringing like a song that made Riku's heart stutter to hear his own name.

Clearing his throat, his heart skipping as it started again, a warmth creeping up his ears. "Y-Yeah, I'm Riku."

The Siren looked back up to him, a smile tipping the corner of their lips as they matched Riku's gesture and patted their hand along their chest. "Sora."

"Sora," Riku repeated, the name sending a pulse of warmth through his chest that caused his lips to match Sora's smile. "It's nice to meet you, Sora."

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**Author's Note: Thank you so much for taking the time to read the first chapter to Aicaya! This is a story I wrote for the Kingdom Hearts Big Bang event ( kh-rogue-nebula) on Tumblr. The entire thing is already written and will be posted chapter by chapter on a schedule. The cover art is by Jirachi ( chibijirachiwish on Tumblr), who was my art partner in the Big Bang event!

I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Have a lovely week!**