Uh, hello, author here. This isn't the first time I write fanfiction, but it's the first time I put fanfiction up somewhere.. Oh well, I hope you enjoy reading~ Reviews would be great as well!

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR! Credit goes to Akira Amano

Lucid Dreams

Deep down in an underwater chamber, a boy in his teens was locked in. He was tied up with chains, tubes and wires placed on some parts of his body, the biggest tube on his right eye. A mask was placed on the boy's face, supplying him with oxygen. Looks like they wanted him still alive. He was Rokudo Mukuro, number one most wanted in Vendicare Prison. He was captured now and had no chance of escape. Unless he was communicating with Chrome and had to swap places with her.

It was freezing inside. Not like he could do anything about it. He was underwater, after all. The hard metal of his chains certainly did not help. Mukuro's whole body felt numb. The illusionist sighed. All of this brought back some sort of feeling. It was like if he had experienced this before. Mukuro opened his left eye slightly before closing it again as a flashback began to play in his mind.

A man walked into a room holding a small boy in his arms. There were many metal cages- large enough to hold a pair of lions- inside. Some were empty, others held children, either alive or dead. Each cage was labeled with a number. The man came across a cage labeled with the faintly visible number '69'. He opened the door and roughly tossed the boy inside. The man then closed the door and locked it before turning around to walk away. The boy inside seemed more dead than alive, but that didn't matter. If he died, they would just replace him. Just like every other test subject in the laboratory. This was the Estraneo Familiga, and sacrifices had to be made for the Family's benefit.

Rokudo Mukuro couldn't sleep.

The hard, cold surface of his cage greeted him as he was thrown in. He was now laying on his back with his arms at his sides, eyes closed. Speaking of his eyes, he wondered what the scientists had done to his right eye this time. They occasionally experimented on it. Blood caked the right side of the boy's face- starting from his eye and streaming down to his chin. He felt light-headed, possibly from blood loss. It was the same thing everyday.

His stomach couldn't help but give a small whimper. The last thing Mukuro could remember eating was a handful of slightly stale bread an hour before the experiment. He had grown dangerously thinner than he was when he first arrived at the Family's laboratory. Laying down, his shirt flattened against his frail body, with his stomach caved in and his ribs showing. He could even count them.

The very next morning the cycle would repeat itself, with the chance that it might end in death. What had he done to end up as a homeless, parent less test subject? No one could answer that. The boy gave up arguing with himself and closed his eyes. After a while, he suddenly got a strange, itchy feeling on his face, but he ignored it. What would be the point? It would only get worse. He wanted to roll over and sleep on his side, but that would make no difference. He was still inside the hard metal cage. Mukuro resisted the urge to roll his eyes, even though they were closed. Not like he could, anyway. It hurt far too much.

How much time had passed? Twenty, thirty minutes? It didn't matter anymore. He was still awake. He wanted nothing more than sleep. It was the only time where he was away from the experiments, the screams of pain, everything. Mukuro suddenly felt a weight on his chest, and he let out a soundless breath he didn't realize he was holding. His entire body felt numb. What was happening? Was he... dying? No, he couldn't be. He had gone through worse. But, he never felt like this before. The boy opened his eyes.

And instantly wished he had kept them shut.

Dark, clawed hands lunged at him. Strange shapes with bandaged faces and eyes as red as blood glared at the boy. Mukuro wanted to scream, but his mouth didn't move and his throat made no sound. He felt fear rising in him. He wanted to roll over to his side and close his eyes, but his body was frozen and refused to respond. Was this an effect of the experiment today? Or was he hallucinating? If he was, why? He didn't care. All he wanted was for it to go away.

And it did.

Golden leaves quivered softly in front of him. Birds with feathers of many colors flew in an indigo sky with stars that shone like pearls. But why was this happening? Was the boy dreaming? With his eyes open? Was that even possible? It seemed so. Mukuro closed his eyes, wondering what would happen. He suddenly found himself in a grassland with wide hills, another indigo sky, and trees bearing the reddest apples he had ever seen. The boy reminded himself that none of this was real. The clawed hands, the sky, the hills, it was all like... an illusion. Yes, that was the perfect way to describe it. An illusion that would end as soon as he woke up.

But was that in excuse to not enjoy it?

No, it didn't have to be. It wasn't any normal dream. It was a beautiful one. One that he would enjoy, maybe even eventually control. Mukuro spread his arms wide and fell onto a hill, feeling a soft breeze blow over him. He relaxed. This wasn't so bad after all. The boy now had something to look forward to everyday. A beautiful thing to look forward to everyday.

Mukuro then, for the first time in months, smiled.

"Sure brings.. memories back, doesn't it..?" Mukuro sighed as he remembered the state he was in.

"Mukuro-sama...?" The quiet voice of Chrome echoed in his head. She had thought he was talking to her. "Is something wrong?" Mukuro chuckled and shook his head.

"It's nothing, dear Chrome," He began. Chrome blinked slowly before nodding. He just smiled. "Just a moment of nostalgia."

- Fin -

Author here again, thanks for reading.. Squalo is coming up next, so be on the look out! Ja-ne~!