Utopia

[Reno]

Yellowed teeth grit, hands falling to either side of him and curling around his own blades, the movement making his stiffened spine scream in pain, already thinking of the Changewing who would no doubt turn around once it noticed it's companion was left behind. He had to get out of here, now.

"Ideh su!" Roxas ordered. Nyxyin opened her mouth and blew out her dark colored gas and in the dark, shadowy haze, Roxas gripped his reigns and pulled back. His dragons were moving fast now, beating their wings furiously to get backwards for his next order. "PARKS!"

Luxra fired off her little spark of flame. It hit the gas. The chain reaction occurred instantly setting off a flaming explosion. They were still so close that it rocked them back and his dual-dragons twisted in the air before gaining their bearings, "PU!" He ordered. The dragon pointed it's body upwards as wings beat a furious tantrum as they shot up high, Roxas' head craning every which way for Unbroken, his heart racing.


A frown worked it's way on the younger man's face, wanting to tell his Uncle that it was alright, he was finding a level of peace in all this loss, When the wall gave a great noise, forcing both of them out of the way.
What it revealed made Terra's heart drop into his stomach and burn away. "No way..." He whispered walking over and looking up at the shield. It couldn't be... ".........SON OF A BITCH!"He tossed his hammer, the shield evaporating it like water under the sun. He stared at the nothingness left behind, "I hope the same spell will work twice..."
Atteris, get up!


In the den, the Murderous stirred as his master called, golden eyes opening as he sat up and yawned. This was where it paid to be connected because in a split second of delving into his other's mind he knew what had happened. Ah, alright, I'm coming. He stood, yawning and stretching his limbs, when something clattering to the floor made his head turn. It was such an odd contraption, one he couldn't quite describe but one that was certainly not there before.

We have a little problem...
And here's were being connected put you in debt. He's GONE?!!?!?
Seems so.
Ugh, and you didn't even notice?! Why do I even have you fucking guarding him then?!
Calm yourself. Atteris lent down, sniffing about. The scent of the boy and the blood he had no doubt squelching was not too old. His trial is fresh, he can't be far.

Terra's eyes narrowed before turning to his uncle. "Damn things being nitpicky. I'll be right back." He hurried from the tunnel.
Don't blame me!
It's your fucking fault!!!


"Love...? LOVE?!" Divine snarled down at the boy her wings flapping in annoyance. "What madness do you speak child? Look upon him! He is not a creature meant to be loved! He is merely one meant to die out with the rest of his filthy kind!"

[Rikugurl]

The Changewing wouldn't have turned around if it didn't hear the explosion but the plane shaped head shot back, seeing the fire and hearing the screeching of the Slitherhawk below. The rider looked back as well, his greenish, blue eyes widening a fraction. "Ocme, ttaack!" He yellowed, the dragon turning and swooping down. The spines all around its body were extremely dangerous and being faster than the Zippleback didn't make Roxas feel any better as the dragon came closer and closer. A rip of fire shot out towards the flyer, missing him by just feet. "Eben a onlg imte insce I ahd a ogod uhnt!" The brunette called, holding onto his dragon easily as they gunned down the Zipple.

"UCKD!" Now that was something Roxas understood and did as instant as he heard it. Another shot of fire blew through the sky, this time, coming in front of Roxas, from above, coming down towards the Unbroken. It was Xiu and of course, Axel. The Changewing dodged the attack but pulled away, the Nightmare flying after it. "ROXAS! EADH ACKB OMEH!" The redhead yelled, passing him as he chased the Unbroken away.


Ventus was now panting, rushing down the tunnels, feeling the daja vu. This time, if Terra came after him with that whip, it would feel even worse than before on his bare skin. He still had welts and scars to remember being hunt down. Still, he look down tunnels, up at the ceilings and around bend to find any source of light besides the ones strung up on the wall. He knew even if he escaped, he would burn and cook in the sun. Still, he rather have that fate than being tortured until he died.


"HOW... HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!? MOTHER, YOU TAUGHT YOUR CHILDREN TO BE KIND AND CARING, GENTLE AND RESPECTFUL! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THIS MAN! MOTHER, PLEASE, WE NEED LOVE, NOT JUST FOR OUR SIBLINGS BUT FOR OTHERS TOO!" His tears continued to fall, his arms stretched out to shield Sora from any other attacks. He didn't care how his brothers who tried to pull him away watched with dark eyes or the worried whimpers coming from Yue. "IF YOU WISH TO KILL HIM, YOU'LL HAVE TO KILL ME FIRST BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD LIVE ON HAPPILY WITHOUT HIM!"

[Reno]

"AXEL!" Roxas cried in terror, watching the hunter rush off after the other Unbroken. For a moment he considered not listening, chasing after the still-recovering red-head. But he knew at this point he would just get in the way. Axel knew how to handle his own...
His eyes shut, before he called, "Omeh!" The dual-headed dragon twisted around and flew off, wings beating vivaciously towards the towers. Instead of heading to his own, he guided them to Axel's. He was just waiting for him - he lied to himself. It had nothing at all to do with Van. Nothing at all...

When they touched down, Roxas jumped from his dragon's, in his frustration and fear forgetting him injuries. "AH!" He yelled as searing pain shot up his back and forced him to his knees. As the haze of pain faded away he stared at the brick below him, seeing some of the sand pebbles that had managed to get past the rags before him. Some of them shaped the wing of a dragon.
Right now, Axel could be dead... and it would be all his fault. "Divine damn it all!" He yelled, slamming his fists into the ground, his shoulders shaking. "Damn me to hell... What use am I really?"


The weeks spent studying the boy and learning the habits of hunting kicked back in as Terra hurried to a main corridor. He ordered Atteris back, wanting to do this on his own. He looked about for clues, and found a most obvious one at his feet. flecks of red where blood was making a faint but noticeable trail, along with prints of feet too small to be anything but a younger male. He hurried after it and as he came to the fork in the road, the same one the cat and mouse game began, he noticed the trial now going down the end he had blocked. He grinned and hurried down it.

When it spread out into many different tunnels and he picked up the trial again, he didn't choose the one he could clearly see the flier had gone down. Instead he took one two tunnels away and was off.

The reason for this was, of course, because they eventually became perpendicular to one another. And, sure enough, like a blind mouse that had lost it's way in the sightless maze, just as he came to the tunnel, the panting blonde appeared. "Gotcha." Came a triumphant purr making the boy jump and spin around, showing his full self off to Terra as he gripped the boy and shoved him up against the wall, glaring down at the other. "Very, very clever one you are."


The dragon growled fiercely and then opened her jaws, striking down.
SNAP!
Fierce and deadly rows of teeth clashed down but a mere inch away from the body of her son. Eyes stared into one another for a long moment, before Divine drew herself upwards, scoffing. "You are such a fool Riku! What can this hatchling even offer you but misery and pain?! I have taught you also many times what his kind is capable off and does and it is nothing but cruelty!"

[Rikugurl]

The moon was slowly coming down from the sky, the horizon glowing, threatening as the sun was about to rear it's head. That was when the rags of the high tower fluttered as the redhead and Nightmare returned, catching the blonde who was still waiting off-guard. When the Unbroken manged to get off his friend, the young man was at his feet, studying him over to make sure he wasn't hurt. Axel had to chuckle and suddenly placed his hand on Roxas's shoulder. "Don't worry, I just talked to hi---" He stepped back when the blonde tore the hand from his shoulder, looking down at the dusty floor. "R-roxas...?" He called, his eyes becoming worried and concern, noticing how strange the man was acting lately.

And that was when he saw it. The small dabs of blood on the ground next to the blonde's feet. He could see that it was trickling down his inner legs, making his green eyes blink a few times. "You're hurt. Where are you bleeding?"


"AAAAAAH!!" Another blonde screamed when he was pushed up against the wall, his spiral wide eyes looking up at the other's deep dark blue. His chest was heaving now, his heart racing a mile a minute. H-how?
"ETL EM OG!" He cried, struggling with all his might to get away but the Chaser, of course, was stronger, easily keeping him there. "AVEH ERCYM! ILLK EM LREADYA! LEASEP!" Tears were rolling down his face, his eyes closing before he looked away, his body trembling.


Riku showed no fear when the Divine nearly chopped him into bits, knowing that she wouldn't hurt one of her own. He swallowed though, feeling as if a rock was stuck in his throat. "He brings pain and misery because that is all he knows! If we were dying, we too would be the same. Our sorrow has only made our love grow." His crystal eyes were dark and for just a second, they looked at his sister and he nodded.
The feathered dragon hesitated for a moment but suddenly shot out towards Sora, grabbing him by the rags and pushing him up onto her back. Without pause, she shot up into the sky, beating her wings hard to bring the Flyer out of harms way.

Divine watched them and just as she was about to open her mouth to certainly shoot flames towards them to stop them, Riku spoke. "Mother, let him leave. It's me who should be punished for he... is already damned.'

Yue didn't stop flying until she came to Sora's room, landing as gently as possible but it was still a little rough.

[Reno]

Eyes that seemed to have lost most of their swirls to it rolled down looked too at the dusty ground and cursed inwardly. He must of.. split it back open when he jumped down. He drew his legs together, uncomfortable by the other's stare. "N-Nowhere... it's nothing, don't worry about it."

He should of known, knowing Axel's nature, that it wasn't going to end there. The red-head reached for him again, and Roxas couldn't help but flinch when he his arm was grabbed again, the red-head insisting that even the smallest scrape needed to be cleaned! His eyes widened, and his stomach twisted at the very idea of anyone else even seeing- "No!" He snapped back, yanking himself free and scuttling back all at once. "I said it was nothing, so just leave me alone!"


Terra regarded his prey with a bit of indifference, watching as he struggled in futility before, with some final screams, just slumped against the wall in resignation. It made his lips curl up some, and something, maybe the familiar position with their bodies so close, maybe because in a secret way he got off on pain like his dragon did, just in a different way, he felt a stirring below.
"You know," He hissed, enjoying the fact that the boy would understand every word he was about to say. "You killed my lover." His blue eyes narrowed, seething for a moment, before his face relaxed into a decidedly pleased and malicious grin. "Now I have no one to satisfy me because of what you did."
His hips pressed forward and he felt the blonde jolt against him at the feeling of something hard pressing against his thighs. "So I suppose you'll have to make that up to me, now won't you?"


Divine's head turned to face Riku, not much feeling like chasing after the already sure-to-die boy. Her eyes narrowed down at the silverette, "Do not bring another back here Riku. Or there will be nothing you can do to save them from my wrath." She warned before her wings spread and off she flew, leaving her sons, and one fallen dragon, behind.

A nudge stirred the little form on her back, blue eyes slitting open to see a blurred white in front of him. He tilted his head some, slowly, painfully, finding it hard to breath. Slowly features became more apparent and he whispered, "Y-Yue...?"

[Rikugurl]

Axel just stood there, watching the blonde coward in the corner of his room. Both the Nightmare and the Zippleback watched with arms, neither of them sure on how to react. There was no threat coming from the redhead warrior but the blonde was petrified. Axel himself was stunned, unsure how to react with the boy until he realized that whatever was bleeding, it was private. He backed away slowly and walked to a pail of water that had been fetched for him by Lilo, dipping some clean rags down into it and squeezing the water from the fabric. He turned and carefully walked back to the blonde, handing him the clothes. "You need to clean the wound. I won't look... I promise." The blonde stared down at the rags for a moment before snatching them, the warrior turning his back, the horrible sight of his muscles and ragged skin easy for Roxas to see again.

"I don't know what I did but I'm sorry." The warrior sighed, crossing his arms, his weight being pushed to one leg making his loin cloth shift over his bony waist. "I know I was rough on you but I didn't mean to hurt you.'


Ventus's breath hitched when he heard it.
"You killed my lover."
With that simple sentence, everything that was happening to him made sense. This was why the brunette was doing this to him instead of just killing him. This was why he had killed Verrill in front of him, showing no mercy. The man Ven had killed during the raid was this man's lover and though Ven knew that it had to have been linked, he didn't know the Chaser he watched die had someone waiting for him.
For a moment, he felt guilt knowing that if he died, only his family would be sad but to have a lover...

His eyes snapped back into attention when he felt something hard against him and he finally faced the other, looking at him with his mouth lacked slightly from surprise. "Hyw otn ustj illk em? I ta eastl etl oury overl aveh hatt leasurep!" He struggled a little bit more, sighing again in defeat when it was no use.


Riku watched as the mighty dragon flew off towards her cave before looking at his two brother. "Why?" He asked, his voice cracked and choking, his body shaking from overwhelming sadness. His brothers only looked at him for a moment before they both turned and walked away. "WHY!?" The wind blew around the lone silverette as he watched his kin walk off, not caring about his hurt in the least. His legs felt weak and he nearly fell when he heard a faint sound, the man looking to where the fallen dragon laid. "Iris!" Riku called, quickly running up to her side and fell beside her, running a hand over her permanent colored scales. "I'm so sorry..."

Yue gave a chirp, nuzzling him gently and nudging him to his bed. The brunette was quick to find sleep and the moment he did, Yue carefully turned in the small room and flew back out, heading for the Crater. She landed near the scene, her wings folding up beside her while she walked towards the Mood dragon and her brother. "Yue... help her..." The Divine whimpered, and the Windwalker walked around to face Iris, lowering her head so that they were face to face. She closed her eyes for a moment before breathing out of her mouth, a swirl of cloudy breath gently flowing from her and into the nose of her dying friend. It was a power that only Windwalkers had; Medicine Gas.

[Reno]

Roxas looked down at the cloth, then gave a pointed stare at his and Axel's dragons until they too got the hint and stopped looking. Perhaps it was a bit silly to even be shy of them, but he couldn't help the feeling of shame that layered over his skin like dust in the sandstorm. His shaking fingers reached up, undoing the rags that kept his lower half hidden, inspecting the sight of his thighs for the first time since it happened. The bruises along his skin were deep purples and blacks, even some with spots of red in them and disappearing around his legs to place he couldn't see. He tried to ignore them just liked he was ignoring the raw red bands around his wrists that he had been hiding under his riding rags as he started to clean up the blood.

'I know I was rough on you but I didn't mean to hurt you.'
Roxas lips trembled at those words, for a moment imagining that it was Van speaking them.
"Look at what you've gone and made me do.......
"You never understood that I do this out of love."
Roxas shut his eyes, remembering that invading touch, the burning pain, those sweet words that meant nothing and had he not of vomited last night, he knew he might of right then and there, "N-No!"
"Roxas?"
He gasped, his eyes opening and it took him a moment to remember where he was. He swallowed hard, saying, his voice jumping all over the place, "I-I mean no, this... it's not your fault. I... T-Thanks... for coming after me. You... You shouldn't of... you're still injured..."


"There's no point arguing," Terra said with a deadly intent in his tone, "Even if I could understand it. This... you did this to me... and now you're going to suffer!" His fingers gripping brutally into blonde hair, yanking the head back and smashing their dirty lips together, the taste of metal and blood between them. He felt the other put up a fight, but Terra paid it little mind as his hand wandered down along the lithe and naked form, thrilled at how vulnerable this little bunny was.
....Bunny?
There was a chuckle in his mind, and a flash of something small, fluffy, with long ears passing his mind. He realized he'd seen them before, beyond the Crater wall. Easy prey. Atteris filled in before curled up in the back of his mind again to give him as much privacy as possible.


A whimper came from Iris, faint and gurgling as her eye shut, wishing for her sasheer. She couldn't even hear much around her anymore. She didn't even hear the sound of footsteps coming around her head, giving a weak sound as something touched her face. Another dragon, perhaps here to finish her off and bring her in as a meal.

That's when she started to breathe in something... sweet. Her lungs worked weakly at first, nostrils flaring a bit as she breathed in the smell and she wondered if this was what the Great Beyond was. But no...
"Iris?"
That voice was of her bond's lover. An eye opened some before closing, nothing but a cloud of green around her but something instinctively told her to keep breathing it in, so she did. With each one, her limbs stopped aching, the pain fading, breathing became simple and mindless again.

And then there was a happy chirp that made her eyes open again, seeing Yue above her. Her head raised, tentatively at first as hadn't she just been on the brink of death? Her limbs moved though just as they always did, albeit a teeny bit sluggish as she stood, looking about, then giving a sound of pure confusion.
Quite proud of herself, the feathered dragon filled her in with a few soft growls that, to her of course, made much more sense then to Riku. She had brought her back. Rose-colored eyes blinked before Iris gave a chirp of happiness and her scales, with had become a mess of mis-matched colors all turned to one happy shade of yellow as she nuzzled the other under the chin. But her mirth didn't last for long as she spotted a bag on the floor, fruits throw haphazardly around and she remembered why she ended up in such a terrible state in the first place. She pulled away and chirped in alarm, looking around.
"Where did my Sasheer go?!"

[Rikugurl]

Saddened eyes stared out blankly, the man nearly jumping when he heard the shout, about to turn around to make sure the blonde was alright but he caught himself, hearing Roxas explain. Now was was even more worried than before, knowing that this wasn't the blonde he knew. He turned his head slightly, looking at the Zippleback and frowned. The dragon had a few straps on him and a large plate that Axel had recommended for day time hunting, to use it as a mirror to blind the beast with the sun. The redhead clicked his tongue, catching the two headed dragon's attention and the beast slowly moved closer, the plate now easily reflecting Roxas as he started to clean himself.

Adoring eyes watched, seeing the blonde turn himself to face away and watched as he lent down. He knew he shouldn't watch and just as he was about to look away, the reflection showed him something horrible. Roxas was bleeding from his sphincter, his inner cheeks being bruised and battered, his cheeks red and bruised as well. Someone... someone had---
His mind was cut short when he saw eyes watching him in the reflection because he forgot of his own blinding plate that he hung up on the wall, the young warrior taking a glace at it and seeing Axel's reflection along with his own.


"NNNNNNNNNNNGH!" The other blonde flinched when he felt lips on his own, the taste almost as disgusting as the room he was trapped in. His mind was slow at first but the moment the brunette ran his fingers over his body, it snapped to attention and he started to freak out even more than before because now... now he wasn't sure if he was home or not.

"Stop denying me, Venny." Tanned fingers gripped onto the blonde hair, pushing his head back so that it smacked into the brick wall before their mouths came in contact. Fingers ran down the bruised trembling body of his older brother, coming all the way down to the hardening length that betrayed it's very owner.

"AAAAH!!" Blue eyes widened when he was violently whipped around and pushed up against the wall, his body twitching and shuddering at the feel of the larger, strong hands at his waist. Slowly, his horrified eyes glanced over his shoulder and he saw him. Those golden eyes piercing right through him and that grin appearing on his face.
Vanitas.
All of a sudden, Ventus stopped fighting, his cold interior coming to head. He had been raped so many times by this man, what was the use fighting. His body relaxed and he turned his head to face the wall, a sign of easy defeat. Still, he managed to speak on sentence in a language this brunette knew.
"You are no better than a SkyFlyer..." At that very moment, he felt his cheeks being spread before everything just stopped.


"Calm yourself, Iris." The Divine ran his fingers over the changing scales, smiling to see the dragon back to herself.
"I brought him back home, to safety. He's sleeping in his bed now like a new born hatchling." Yue purred, nuzzling her friend back.

[Reno]

Axel didn't speak again and that was alright to him, because he couldn't find words right now that made sense or would make sentences. He didn't notice it at first, too busy wiping up the drying rivulets from his skin, one of them having curled down almost to his ankle in one long thin stream. Divine, how did this happen...? He was shifting with a pained sigh, his neck already aching as he tilted it up.

He looked back at Axel's, frowning some at the reddened skin of his lower back, thinking it was perhaps worse than before and felt guilty for it. Had he not been so incapable...
His eyes traveled up, admiring the stark red hair the man had that was so unlike anything - and then anything he might of felt to feel bad for this man just flew off with the Cloud Dragons. His breath caught seeing the reflection of green eyes. Staring right at him. And Axel realized he was caught two seconds later, his eyes going wide.

His lips parted some perhaps to yell, but all that came past his trembling lips was, "You promised." He dropped the cloth, snatching up his ragged trousers and tying them back up, feeling so ashamed suddenly he almost couldn't breathe.


The shock of his own tongue coming from the flyer was enough to make him pause completely, his head tilting to look at the back of dirty and bloodied blonde swirls. No better than a Sky Flyer... what did that mean?
He tilted his head down slowly, his eyes roving over the other's skin once more, and things he hadn't noticed before were suddenly so obvious. Some of the bruises littering his skin was from the treatment he had been giving the boy these past few days. But some were older. Healing slowly but definitely aged by at least a week.

"S-Stop... H-hurts..."

His hands, now trembling some, pulling away from the other's ass, his fingers lacing over the skin in a gentle almost not-there touch. He saw them now. The bruises too much like hand-print.
"Stop that. Chasers don't cry over a little pain."
His eyes traveled to a limb hand nearby, seeing the circlets of depressed skin around the wrist too precisely to be anything but bounds that once held him. The sight of it made him swallow back bile.
"Please! I-I won't be late for practice again... I swear..."
He gripped Ven's shoulders and flipped him around, hearing him gasp at the impact. His eyes looked down almost invasive to the other's lower regions, almost praying to Divine he wouldn't find them...
"Don't you understand yet Terra? This is your reward." But there they were. More bruises littered along the pelvic bones and the old, crescent moon-shaped scars from brittle fingernails digging too hard.

"W-Who gave you these...?" Terra whispered, his voice weak fingers running over the little scars, both fascinated and frightened by them. This boy... he'd already been... by one of his own?


The dragon calmed some both from Riku's touch and Yue's reassurance. "Thank you." She nodded again, but still stared at the fallen fruit with dismay. It was very clear... Divine would not change her mind any time soon. "I guess... this is the end of that though..." She whined a bit.

[Rikugurl]

Axel quickly turned to look back at the blonde, his face full of sympathy and worry. "Roxas!" He hurried over to the blonde, who was trying to make himself as small as a rat. The warrior grabbed both of Roxas's shoulders, feeling how the blonde was trembling, his head shaking back and forth before blabbering nonsensical things. "Roxas.... Roxas..." His eyes widened more, hearing little noises and begging for him to stop. "Roxas... it's me.... it's Axel." He whispered and slowly, the blonde's eyes started to focus on him. "Who did this to you...?" He whispered, his face coming closer. Slowly, their lips met and strangely, it felt like the warrior was giving Roxas all the strength and surety he had through this simple kiss.


Ven watched the Chaser through wide, confused eyes when he was turned around, gulping when he felt the fingers against his bare pelvic. He knew what marks the man was asking about and he was glad he did because he couldn't bring himself to look down so instead he looked away, about to snap in his own language why it mattered to him. However, feeling those fingers on him still made his mind play tricks on him and he whimpered, his eyes closing and tears quickly fell from his eyes. Was being tortured like this better than being at home, with him? Was this really his Great Beyond? When he knew he could speak again, he did, and why he felt like confessing to this man instead of his people beat him. Maybe, maybe he just needed someone to know before he died.
"M-my brother..." He choked, tears staining his lips.


Riku followed Iris's gaze towards the fruit that they had planned on returning to the ruins, making the silverette frown. Slowly, he wiped the tears away from his face with a sleeve and gave the dragon a weak smile. "Don't worry... Mother said that he can't come back here but never said I can't come to the ruins. We'll find another way, Iris. Now go home and take care of Sora. He'll be worried if he awoke without you by his side."

[Reno]

"N-No!" Roxas cried, his whole body shaking as he felt hands grabbing onto him, could almost imagine they were about to shove him down. Was it Van - was he back already? His teeth started to chatter as he whimpered, "Stop please... stop!" He felt a tiny shake and the other spoke up making him gasp and look up. That voice wasn't Van's. He blinked a few times and slowly Axel came into focus. The other lent closer, asking him... asking him who. No... he couldn't tell. H-He just couldn't-
Blue eyes went wide.
A-Axel...? He sat there, lips pressed against his own and it was a million times different than Van's. It wasn't forceful or furious or dominating. It was gentle, soft, yielding.

And slowly Axel pulled away and Roxas found the strength he was given, swallowing hard as he whispered, "Vanitas. He...He did..." Just as quickly it was gone, haunted eyes staring back at the other, Roxas' breath jumping, "He k-kept calling me Ven. H-He used to do it to Ventus." Tears surfaced, spilled over his cheeks finally as fear filled those pretty blue eyes. "He wants to do it again... says he loves me b-but..." He shook his head, unable to explain it because he knew it wasn't himself that Van even saw, "Axel please... help me..."


Blue eyes stared at the blonde before slowly shutting. His brother... His own flesh and blood...
Terra? What are you...?
Shut up.
"Come on..." He reached out. There was no resistance, all the blonde's strength gone completely so that when he lifted him up in his arms there was no struggle. His muscles hardly strained carrying the blonde back down the tunnels not having much risk of running into anyone in the near-abandoned halls.

Ven didn't know where they were going - mostly expected to end up back in the den. So when he entered a small but modest little room, he realized he was being placed somewhere else today. It all started to click though when he was placed on a bed - or at least he thought so as the brunette disappeared, rummaging about the room.

He never expected when a bucket was set down beside him with a wet rag inside and then a pile of clothing set beside it. "Here." The Chaser said not looking at Ven anymore - but this time it was to give him back even just the slightest bit of modesty he might have left. "New clothing. And water to clean yourself." He straightened and turned away. "If you need any help, just call for me." He stepped away from the bed and sat down in the hole of the wall of the room just staring out into the tunnel, lost in his own thoughts.


Iris gave a little call, nuzzling Yue again and even giving a sloppy little lick to Riku before she hurried to the edge of the barrier, wings spreading as she took off into the sky and back for home. She entered his room claws clicking onto the bricks and looking over to his bed, relieved to see him slumbering there. She hurried over, curling her body comfortably around him, letting her sasheer snuggle into her scales.

[Rikugurl]

Green eyes became slick with tears, hearing Roxas confession. Divine, what the fuck was going on? Vanitas? Doing something so... so.... vulgar. He was a Skyflyer, not a Unbroken. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around the blonde, holding him close and started to rock him gently. "Don't worry... I'll protect you." They stood there for a few minutes and then slowly made their way to Axel's bed, sitting there until the sun came up. Axel stayed awake when Roxas fell into his restless slumber, the man no longer thinking of the raid to honor the late Ventus but now worried about Roxas's secret. Ventus's secret. How had he not known? How had no one known? Finally, he knew that the Zippleback and Nightmare couldn't fit in the same room comfortably so in Dragonese, he told Roxas faithful friend to meet them in Roxas's tower.

Axel carried the blonde across the ruins, through hallways and up stairs to his bedroom. The rags were pushed away quietly, the warrior peering out into the almost empty room, the dragon the only thing inside waiting for them. He was glad the golden eye boy wasn't waiting because it would have been wasted time for him. No one should have to wait around to die. Carefully, the man laid the blonde on the bed, covering him up with his blankets and sat on the floor by the door, waiting for the sunset.


Ventus blinked and looked down at the clothes and bucket of water. These pieces of fabric were not the rags he knew of up above. They were well tailored and made of leather and dragon hide. For people sheltered from the world, they really had it better off. They had food and water, better clothes and cooler air. Oxygen was still a bit thick but he supposed it was nothing compared to all the faults the ruins had. He sat there for some time, unsure about what he should do. This man had tortured him for days on end, feeding him and giving him water only to break him down into little pieces and now... now he was clothing him and letting him clean up?

Ironically, he had never washed himself, the water from the Well Room too sacred to use except for drinking and cleaning wounds. Still, he leaned down, taking the rag and rang it out, watching the delicious tasting water spill back into the bucket. Quickly, he let the rag go and started to drink from the pail, quenching his thirst that he was sure he would have to suffer until tomorrow. When he gulped down the last bit, he again soaked the rag with whatever water was left and started to run it over his arms, watching the blood, grime, dirt, waste, and mud clean away, revealing soft, pale skin and little blonde hairs.

By the time Ven cleaned up most of his body, his hair still stained and dirty and his feet a little rough, he fell asleep from exhaustion, not knowing that he slowly began cuddling again the fur blanket, as naked as the day he was born.

[Reno]

The brunette waited at the entrance to his room for a long time, here the sloshing of water and then, after a time, nothing but silence. He tilted his head some, but didn't understand it until he heard a little snore. He glanced back, finding the blonde sprawled out on his bed, fast asleep. His eyes darted away before he stood slowly, crossing across the room, finding a spare blanket and throwing it over the brunette, tucking it around him before he turned and left for the evening.


"Mmmgph..." Came a groan, blue eyes fluttered open. He blinked slowly, staring up at the ceiling that quickly filled with spring green scales and wide rose eyes. He blinked a few times, and then as everything came back to him, he grinned widely. "Iris?!"
A happy chirp and the arms that wrapped around her made her scales turn to a warm yellow shade, Sora's happy laughter filling the little room.
"You're awake."

The brunette blinked at the familiar and yet misplaced voice, his head turning, only to make his smile get bigger at the sight of the man leaning against the wall, "Riku... Are you alright?"


In another room, blue eyes were slitting open, a grumble coming from his lips as his body was rudely shaken awake.
"Hey, get up already."
"Og 'way Sora..."
"Sora? Who's that?" The brunette repeated in confusion. That made the blonde come almost fully awake, sitting up suddenly to stare at the captor. He started to say something that was really just gibberish to him and almost panic as he shuffled away. The Chaser waved his hands, "Whoa, hey!" He looked around, almost as anxious, before he reached out and grabbed something, practically shoving it under Ven's nose. "Supper!"
Blue eyes darted from the metal bowl filled with meat then back at Terra then back at the bowl. It made him, strangely, feel nervous.
"You... You should eat something..."


In a third room, another pair of blue eyes was staring at the back wall of his room - or more so the long, thin neck of Lux since she had settled down there. He could hear heavy breathing behind him, comforted in knowing it was Nyxyin. He felt protected between them, as if they were a barrier to whatever harm could occur to him.

But they weren't his only one...
He lifted his head just slightly, and looked back, spotting the flicker of red against the wall in the space between the curve of Nyx's nose horn and right eye. He couldn't tell if he was asleep or not. Wondered if he had been there all night. Wanted to yell at him that he wasn't going to get better like that but hardly had the strength.

[Rikugurl]

The silverette smiled and nodded, pushing himself off the wall. Yue was nowhere to be seen but Sora could guess that she was in the Secret Place since she was too large to really fit inside the room. He sat down by Sora's bed, pushing his fingers through the brunette hair. "I'm alright. How are you?" When he heard that the Flyer was a little sore, he nodded. "Yea, looks like Mother wasn't too happy having her fruit taken..." He sighed shaking his head for a moment, a gentle blush coming across his features. "Sora..." The Divine suddenly took Sora's hand pulling it up so that he could feel the rough fingers against his flawless skin. "I decided to run away." He got wide eyes all around. "I mean it. I don't want to go back... not without you and now that Mother knows that you come, she will never leave me alone, my siblings watching me now like hawk. So, I've decided to stay here with you and your people. That way... I can always help."


The blonde's eyes looked down at the food then up at the Chaser and back again a few times until he tentatively took the plate. It wasn't so gross looking as the food he was given before but it smelt just as good. When the brunette backed away, the Flyer slowly glanced around, seeing the room he was in was much different from the one he was held captive in. This one was better lit and didn't smell. There were indents in the walls, holding strange things inside them. A bed was in the middle of the room, large and covered in furs. The ground below him was dry and though it was made of dirt, it wasn't dusty. With some trinkets and other things lacing the walls, he could tell it was a bedroom.

He looked back down at the food, seeing the steam rising from it before looking at the Chaser once more. "Hyw...why are you doing this? I...I thought you.... you were.... t-t-tortur---" He looked away, some tears coming to his eyes and his body started to shake again until he had to place the food down, remembering the first meal he was given here; his very own dragon.


Axel was there all day and still away, his eyes not very heavy at all. Being such a skilled hunter, he was use to being awake for days on end so he was alert when food became available. And when he heard the patter of feet just outside, he stood, grabbing his weapon of choice and walked towards the rags. He could hear a hum on the other side, recognizing it as Vanitas's voice. When the rags were pulled away and the elder brother walked in, he was met abruptly with two spikes flying by his neck and a smaller one pressing firmly against his throat. The weapon and his body was pinned against the wall, the only thing the man could see were the wicked narrow emeralds. "What are you doing here?" The warrior hissed, his nostrils flaring a bit when he saw nothing but a smirk.

[Reno]

"R-Riku..." Sora whispered, staring at this man who just weeks ago had thought he was out to kill him. Now.. Now he was telling him he was staying with him. For a split second it made him so happy, imagining evenings awakening against the other's side. Nights spent flying through cloudy sky, laughing as they searched for metal together. Meals eaten together.
"So hungry..."
And then the vision shattered around his head as his memory taunted him with visions of his late brother, curled up in his rags and sobbing in need for food. And then... he could see Riku there. Riku curled up, pale, crying, suffering, dying.

Helplessness filled his heart and he shook his head vehemently. "No. No you have to go back!"


There was a long silence between them, the brunette stared at the blonde who was trembling so hard he wondered if he might break apart. A million thoughts and lies ran through his head all at once, but the solution he decided on... was surprising even to him. His eyes lidded some, before he sighed reaching up for the waist of his trousers, the sound of fabric shifting making the blonde flinch a bit.
"Look... please." Came a soft whisper. He wasn't sure what made him do it, if it were the plea or if it was just because in such situations, Ven was used to be ordered around and doing as told. But his head turned, seeing Terra had pulled up his shirt up over his belly button and pulled his pants down so low he could see the beginning of pubic hair that disappeared under the clothe. But none of that caught his attention as much as what was on his skin.

Scars. Dozens and dozens of crescent-shaped little marks starting just below his navel and going across his skin in random patterns of abuse that no doubt continued even below what was willingly shown. Marks Ven recognized as they were identical to his own. After he thought he got a satisfactory look, he pulled up his pants and let go of his shirt. "I figured... you've been tortured enough." He mumbled before standing, turning and headed for the far side of his room, tossing back an almost casual, "Eat, will you?"


Blue eyes widened at the sudden commotion, hearing the stone break. It stirred his dragons and they raised their heads some, rising to the possible threat. Drawing the blankets closer to himself, Roxas shifted forward, peeking around Nyx to try and see what was happening. The sound of his voice made his stomach twist.
"My, My Axel, have you lost your senses again?" Vanitas said, voice laced with casual cruelty. "I am just coming by to see my own brother, is that a crime?"