Utopia

[Reno]

At first when he noticed the eyes he almost couldn't open his mouth, afraid to break the moment. But when he heard the pained groan that made even him wince, he finally found his voice, "Axel... it's alright, just relax." He ran his fingers over his forehead, feeling them sweating, probably from pain as Axel became aware of himself. He grabbed a rag and dumped it into the water wringing it out and dabbing it along his face.


The mood dragon looked at him uncertainly, glancing back towards her home and shuffling in the dust for a few moments.
"Needs to know... I'm okay..." That's what he had said. Did this fall under that category? If no one but they knew though....
She straightened, her colors changing to red and she nodded with a bit of determination in her eyes. She jumped, flying backwards some and waited until Riku was out of the crater before she turned around and flew off. She heard wings working hard behind her and knew Yue was right behind her.

It wasn't a long flight, and soon enough she was swooping down from the safety of the night sky and dusty clouds down towards the opening in the wall that she recognized as hers. Her red scales made her an easy beacon to follow. She fluttered inside.
"Back already?" Sora asked, laying in his rags and his eyes still shut. When he heard a nervous whine his eyes opened some. And only he could tell that precise shade of red no longer meant courage or vitality, but rather guilt. "Iris... what did you do?"

She didn't answer, just gripped the edge of the rag and pulled it open. And blue eyes widened as another, much larger dragon filled the space, almost not able to fit. "Y-YY-Yue?"

[Rikugurl]

Axel could hardly feel the wet, coolness on his brow, his body as hot as fire and he began to tremble. The exotic eyes closed when he heard the calming voice sooth him, much like the song he sang for the dragons. "Wha...." He gasped, his throat still sore and harsh, dry and scratchy. "Haaapp....u..nnd....?"


Yue touched down against the dirty, cool bricks, having a hard time landing gracefully as she was use to since she barely fit in the room. Her horns hit some objects that were swinging from the ceiling, making her crystal eyes look around in wonderment. This place was... quite a dump. She hated to judge but how could anyone possibly live in a place so dark and cluttered?
He didn't feel her brother climb down from her due to being so distracted, her wings folding in and tried not to move so much.

As for Riku though, the room or place was no concern to him, his eyes only set on the man in the bed. "Sora... you're alright." His voice was filled with joy and as he came closer, Sora could see the tears in his eyes forming. "I was so worried..."

[Reno]

Roxas frowned but was able to make out the words well enough. "The steam dragon got you in the raid." He offered as explanation, pouring another cup of water. "You're pretty badly hurt." Badly? Well if that wasn't an under exaggeration! "Come on, you need to drink some more. You need to cool down."


Sora continued to stare his eyes wide as the divine came over, his heart practically racing. "You... Y-You..." He shook his head, sitting up slowly, the rags falling around his waist, revealing he wasn't wearing anything underneath them. "Riku... you can't be here." His voice cracked at the end of that sentence, looking around panicked as if he expected his tribe to come in with spears to take the them both down. Though he very well knew no one would even realize he was here. Which was probably a serious breach of security. How easy it would of been for the landchasers to pick them off one by one... attacking their rooms during their sleep...

He shook the thought off, looking at the divine. "Are you crazy?! Wait, don't answer that - of course you are!" He gave the other a serious frown. "If my people caught you! T-They'd..." He looked away not wanting to think about it because he wasn't really sure what they WOULD do with him.

[Rikugurl]

"Nnnngh...." The redhead groaned as he tried to lift himself up but he was still, his muscles not even trying to work. So they didn't and he laid limp against his bed, trying to crank his neck back to accept the water. When he swallowed down the cool liquid, he panted some, his fingers tightening as he tried to move them. "Xiu....? He.....k? Yooou....too?"


Riku frowned, not really ready for this sort of reaction. He was hoping Sora would be happy to see him. But instead, he truly wasn't. "I... I appologize. I didn't mean any harm. I was just so worry, I had to make sure you were alright... with my own two eyes. I-I'll leave you now." He stood and turned, about to climb back up onto Yue but paused. Aquamarine eyes turned down, looking at the dirty, sandy bricks his bare feet were getting stained by. Slowly, he looked back, his eyes peering through his silver hair. "Sora...are you strong enough to walk? I want to bring you somewhere..."
When the brunette shook his head, the Divine turned completely around to face the SkyFlyer. "Sora, you promised me you'd do anything. You won't keep it?"

[Reno]

It took him a few moments to understand the other;s garbled speech, but eventually he got it. Roxas eyes darted to the dragon then smiled down at Axel, "Xiu is just fine. He's been by your side all this time, worried about you though and trying to bite my head off every chance he gets." He heard a huff. "And I'm fine too."

Well, not exactly, but he was pretty sure Axel had more things to worry about then what happened to him.


"No! I! UGH!" Sora threw his hands up then groaned and drawing up his knees and laying his head on them, feeling suddenly dizzy. He wasn't even honestly sure he could make it across the room let alone across the desert. Yet Riku expected... expected... how could he... Unless....

Did he not know what sickness was?

"Riku... come here." He whispered. When the other didn't move, he coughed some then said, louder, "Please." There was a moment of hesitation then footsteps tapped along dusty ground to his side again. He rose his head, looking up at the other with dull blue eyes. "Put your hand on my forehead."
He saw the other frown, now because he was acting so peculiar, but slowly he raised his hand and pressed it along his skin.
Then leaped away. The reaction was kind of cute and made Sora smile.
"You're... you're so hot."
"Yeah... it's called a fever." Sora mumbled. "It's an illness."

[Rikugurl]

Riku looked at Sora as if he had changed into some sort of sand monster, his eyes widened and uncertain. What was going on? No one should be as hot as the sun outside of the Crater. He frowned and shook his head, recognizing the word 'illness'. His mother had spoken about something like that, that it killed off a lot of people on the 'outside'. Killed...? Sora... he couldn't die. Not after becoming.... becoming friends. His frightened and childish look cleared his face within seconds and he was back at Sora's side. In an instant, a second layer of white robes wrapped around the darker skin and Sora was lifted right out of bed. When the Flyer protested, Riku heard a growl from behind him, glancing back to see Iris turning a wicked shade, her eyes narrow and fangs gleaming.

And just like that, the band that Riku wore around his waist was pulled off and wrapped quickly around the flailing boy's eyes, blindfolding him. With Sora unable to see, those pretty aquamarine eyes changed before Iris, his round pupils turning into slits like a Fury's eyes and all his teeth became sharp, much like a dragons. He gave a hiss, making Iris back down out of confusion, allowing Riku to slowly head back to Yue and carefully mounted her, Sora being placed between his legs. "He needs help... let me help him." He spoke softly, the monstrous features fading into the calm and peaceful appearance Iris always knew. Slowly, Yue backed away out of the tower and flew off, Iris quick to follow.

As they reached the Crater, Riku looked back at the mood dragon and pushed out his palm. "You must stay back for now. Once you hit the shield, everyone in the Crater will know you're here. You must wait." The Flyer's dragon gave a huff and turned a color, not giving in that easily. "If you follow us, Sora will die! NOW DON'T FLY ANY CLOSER" He called and with that Yue beat her wings faster and soared down into the lush, beautiful world below. Before they came to the shimmering dome, Riku wrapped Sora up in the robe, covering his whole body and they passed, the atmosphere becoming lighter and instantly cooler, refreshing and peaceful. Down, down Yue fluttered until she landed in a meadow, her feathered wings laying flat on the ground out of exhaustion.

"Thank you." Riku smiled, hopping off her back. Sora was still squirming but the silverette was strangely stronger. He walked across the soft grass and through the forest, following the glowing light from within. It was there, in a clearing, where the source of light came from. A spring.
Gently, the Divine lowered the boy down against the lush surroundings of the glowing water, leaning down and carefully pulling the silk belt from his face.

[Reno]

"Riku? Hey, wait you'll get them dirt-" Sora yelped as he was lifted up, "What are you doing?!" He cried, his cheeks flushing bright red and glad he had the fever as an excuse. He flinched a bit though as the white silk was wrapped around his head with no effort, cutting off his sight as he heard his own dragon growling. "Riku?" He heard the hiss reverberate from his chest, wincing some, knowing it was probably dragonese. In fact, it made him wonder why he never believe it was strange they both spoke the old tongue...

It happened so fast he hardly had time to really stop it. Next thing he knew he was atop a dragon and they were flying. Though their was a circulation of wind around then it was nothing but heat and he started to try to wiggle away again, not because he wanted to exactly but it was just overly unbearable. Sweat was collected along his skin all over. He felt the arms tighten and hold him as still as he could.
"Stop moving." Riku said in his ear.
"I can't help it. It's so hot." He whined, his voice a mixed with pain and a near-sob. Even though his eyes were covered, they were burning making tears soak into the material.
He felt the arms squeeze a little harder, "Just a little longer Sora."

He felt them jerk and the flight was over for a moment. He heard Iris calling for him, her voice worried and unsure, and just as they started to dive he called to her, "It's alright Rissy!"

And then... then they were somewhere else. The air around him was different and even though he didn't know where he was quite yet... he had a pretty damn good guess. "Riku..." Sora whispered still trying to get away but the other wasn't giving him an inch. His breath caught in his throat as the other allowed him on the ground, and he was sitting on... something. He couldn't even describe it. the belt was pulled away and his hand reached up, rubbing the moisture from his eyes.

And then he opened them and gasped. "Oh... my word..." He breathed, looking outwards at the... the... the everything! So much to see after seeing only sand and metal and brick all his life. But this world wasn't cruel steal or dusty yellow. It was full of colors. Full of life!

The trees he always admired from afar were now so close... He reached up, towards a branch hanging nearby with cute little leaves, then froze and lowered it, wondered of breaking it, not wanted to spoil it's delicate beauty. Then he admired the water, glittering in the moonlight and clearer than any water their shifter managed. He swallowed hard, wondering how wonderful to tasted, how cool it was, and reached for it as well, his fingers falling short of touching it, realizing all the dirt and grime on him would taint it. Instead he rose his hand, running it along the ground around his legs, feeling the ticklish strands of green along his skin. It was tougher than he imagined, but not unpleasant. "This is... this is what you call grass, right?"

[Rikugurl]

"Heh... yes, this is grass." He said softly standing next to the Flyer now. Yue had settled under a tree, nuzzling her snout against the soft grass and resting her eyes.
"It's not very good to eat." Riku chuckled and started to pull on his bottom layer of robes. "This water here, it's called a healing spring. If we cut ourselves on branches or rocks, we come to one of these springs and it will heal us instantly. They always glow and the water from them is the most refreshing taste." He spoke, walking around the other side which wasn't very far away. He turned his back towards Sora and pushed his white robes from his shoulder, the silk fluttering down passed his shoulders, hips and ankles. It was then that Sora was about to look away but something stopped him from being so modest.

It was Riku's spine.

Instead of a flawless dip of a backbone that Sora had expected, it shimmered, a line of silver and white scales running straight down the middle of his back all the way down to the rounded cheeks that were pale yet soft looking. "Please join me in a swim, Sora. It will take your fever away and any wound you have ever gotten. You won't taint it... I promise."

[Reno]

Outside the crater, Iris whined some, flying restlessly back and forth before raising higher, peering down until she could see Sora nearby an edge of water, watching him and the divine curiously.

"A-A what?" Sora asked, confused by the world 'swim'. Riku had mentioned it before of course but even when he explained it to him, this 'movement through water' he couldn't quite grasp it. The silverette looked over his shoulder, making him blush brightly at being caught staring, and he quickly looked away.
"Please?"
He frowned some, his head dipping to look at the ground. "I don't know how..."

There was a bit of silence and then a strange sound of the water sloshing loudly and he looked back to where Riku had been - but he wasn't there? "Riku?" He looked around at the immediate area, looking at the trees and wondered if he was hiding between them or something. "Riku...?" He looked down at the water, seeing it ripple, and his heart started to race in panic. Did he fall in? Was he okay? "Riku where are - AH!" He yelped jumped back some when the silverette emerged from under him!

Well, not exactly. More like a few feet in front of him but from below... below the ground!!!
Well, the water! WHATEVER!

"H-H-How are you doing that?!" Sora stuttered, eyes wide. It made Riku chuckle as he told him, plainly, that this was swimming. He stared in confusion flinching a bit as arms emerged next, gripping onto his wrists, the other urging him to come in. "B-But your robes..."
The other shook his head, saying it didn't matter, tugging gently again. Sora bit his lip hard, looking at the water surrounding the other nervously.
"Trust me."
His eyes raised, meeting Riku's, before he finally sighed, shifting his body so he was no longer sitting on his legs. He dangled them above the water for a moment before hissing in surprise as he submerged them. It was so unlike just dripping water on them from a cloth. It was almost like... they were on air but yet wet and something swirled around them like air currents but it had a different sort of feeling to it. The divine backed off some, giving him more encouragement as he planted his hands on either side of the edge of the pool, his heart racing as he scooted closer inch by agonizing inch.

And then he pushed off.

And then yelped as he slipped on something wet but solid underneath his feet and reached out for the nearest thing to grab - which turned out to be Riku. He clung onto the silverette tightly hiding his face in his shoulder.

[Rikugurl]

The divine effortlessly caught the clumsy brunette, though he knew it wasn't Sora's fault. Sora had never seen so much water, let alone know how to act when around it. He realized that Sora probably didn't even know what slippery meant and that he should be careful around the water or he could fall in. But when he fell into his arms, strong arms wrapped around him loosely, a smile forming on his lips when the warm body pressed up against him and brown hairs tickled his neck. They stood there for some time, neither of them moving to ruin the moment.

Slowly, Riku pulled away, his crystal eyes looking down into the widened blue that sat above the bright red cheeks. A handsome smile was given to the brunette and a strong hand came up from the water, running over the sand and dirty stained face, wiping his thumb over it and instantly, his cheek was clean, a heavenly tan from the sun shining through. "Now... take a deep breath and hold it."
The silverette watched as Sora did as he was told cautiously and the moment those cute cheeks were fulled with air, Riku ducked down, bring Sora with him. Together, they sank under the water for just a moment and resurfaced, the brunette spluttering out his air and gave a shiver.

"Your 'fever' should be gone now. How are you feeling?" The divine asked, his hair a mess across his pale face.

[Reno]

Admittedly, he panicked a bit when he went under the water. He just instinctively knew it wasn't natural and that if he started to breathe he would die which made him a bit frightened. but it only lasted a moment and then they were up again. He blinked away the water from his eyes, wiping it out of his eyes. And he could feel, without even having to think about it, that he was fine now. "I feel better." He said catching the color of his hand as he pulled them away. He marveled at them for a few moments, having known them for so long to of been covered with a layer of dirt all this time. But it was gone now. even the dirt under his nails!!

He glanced at Riku and smiled. "And cleaner too." He looked around whispering softly, "This place is so amazing..."
I wish I could live here. He thought to himself but didn't say. "O-Oh! Can I... Can I see the fruits?"

[Rikugurl]

"Mmmm." The man nodded, finding Sora's expression priceless. How he thanked his mother for sparing this brunette from the raid a few days ago. Though he would not thank her personally, he did have her in his thoughts. He was much like a child, full of wonderment and innocence. How could his other brothers not see this?
"Of course, but we don't have to go anywhere. They are here, above our heads." He spoke softly, Sora instantly looking up, his eyes dilating when he saw the hanging fruit over them like a canopy, the moon sneaking through the trees to illuminate them. There were apples, bananas, pears and cherries and when he looked around, berries littered the bushes that lined the water.

And it wasn't Riku's imagination playing tricks on him when he saw droplets come from the tanned boy's eyes, knowing that it wasn't the water they had just dipped in but tears.
"I didn't bring you hear to make you cry, Sora... I'm sorry... I just.... wanted to make you feel better. You're the same right? You... you want to protect and take care of the people and things you really care about. Don't think this will be your first and last time here, Sora... as long as you are completely covered in my robes, you can pass through the shield. I.... I don't quite understand why mother won't allow everyone to cross but... maybe she'll see.... what I see.... someday..."

His voice was soothing and soft, like the look and feeling of his hair. The divine leaned in closer, his hand coming from the water again to run behind one of the brunette's ears. His eyes lidded, the glowing clear blue hiding behind the silver lashes and, the feeling as light as a feather, their wet lips touched.

[Reno]

Seeing all the fruit around him, the endless amounts of food, it made his throat close up. He couldn't help but cry, this life beyond his comprehension. One without sickness or starvation or hurt. Maybe not even death. It truly, truly was paradise. His eyes turned to Riku's, hearing his words and wodnered at them.

And then his eyes widened as the other came closer - much closer. And before he could stop it, their lips were touching.

And it was Divine.

His eyes lidded then slowly shut, reaching his arms up on instinct and bringing Riku closer as their lips pressed together more firmly. From above Iris watched this action and her scales turned pink, her wings fluttered up over her eyes bashfully, before she peeked through them.

[Rikugurl]

Pale fingers wrapped around the back of the brunette's wet neck, his one thumb rubbing against the soft, clean cheek. Even if the fever had passed, Sora felt so warm. It wasn't a sickly heat or overbearing but the kind of warmth he felt when he was home, or with his mother. This warmth was something he didn't want to let go. He found himself tilting his head some, kissing those lips again a bit firmer. The word around him didn't change, nor the glowing spring they were in. If this was as terrible as his mother had said, wouldn't this world try to protect him? And yet, it still stayed the same, the fruit above them swaying gently in the night breeze and the water trickled as it fell from their wet hair.

Reluctantly, he pull away, their eyes slowly opening and looking deep into each other. "We... You should go now. Iris must be worried."


Together, they got out of the pond and into the robes, the silverette holding Sora close when they approached Yue and she arose, allowing them onto her back. Carefully, she flew up, looking around to make sure no one was watching before flying up towards the dome, seeing Iris waiting for them there. When they passed it, they could all feel that weight and thick air that Sora had been so use to but he was sluggish now that he had gotten use to a real atmosphere. The Skyflyer maneuvered onto his mood dragon, seeing Riku's smile. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

[Reno]

As he moved onto her, Iris changed from the bright yellow of happiness from seeing him alive - well, even better than alive - to pink once more. He looked at Riku smiling almost shyly at first but it widened to a grin as the other mentioned tomorrow. "Yeah!"
He wanted to kiss the other goodbye, but being in their dragons such a thing would be complicated. So he settled for reaching his hand out, Riku doing the same so their fingertips brushed, "Tomorrow." He said the word like a promise, "I'll see you then!"

Iris' wings beat, carrying him away across the sands and back home. When he returned to his little room, he jumped off of her and ran a hand through his hair, wondering how he would explain how he was miraculously better. He couldn't tell anyone he was in Divine's place - not until he could find a way to bring them all there. If only he could of brought some of that water back for Axel.

He winced a bit at the reminder of their dear hunter, knowing the blame of his injuries fell on no one but him. If he had just taken her down when he had the chance... Axel would be fine. They wouldn't have to worry about food with their prized hunter injured. He may of doomed his people from one simple action of mercy.
His eyes narrowed some. No, he was going to save his people. He was going to get them to the crater, no matter what it took!

"I'?" Iris tilted her head. "I think we're gonna have to fake it for a little while longer." She gave a chirp of understanding and nodded.