Disclaimer: I don't own anything Golden Sun related in this story.

Warning: This story is rather dark in nature and contains abuse and suicidal thoughts. Don't complain if I've scarred you for life. You have been warned.

-o-

Pain.

It was a world of hurt. Complete darkness, disturbed every so often by a splash of red. Red like blood. Red like the chains of blood that bound me to this world. Oh I have considered just taking up my sword and ending it all. Hell would be utopia compared to this.

The door slammed. I swore under my breath. Menardi was back, and from what I could tell, she wasn't very happy.

"You useless bastard!" she screamed at me, hoping to inflict pain. I refused to give her that satisfaction. I had heard that phrase from her mouth in so many languages it was starting to loose its threatening tone. "How DARE you let Isaac and Garet escape with the Stars? What use are the little bitch and the old dolt when it comes to world domination?"

I tried to ignore her. Like it was my fault that Isaac and his friend escaped? She could have stopped them too.

"Don't ignore me, Saturos!"

Her fist colliding with my stomach sent me to my knees, knocking the wind out of me.

"That's a good boy. Get down on your knees like the dog you are."

My eyebrow twitched in anger. I staggered to my feet. No, I wouldn't allow her that satisfaction either. I could feel my insides wrenching, fighting for the small bit of oxygen left in my blood. Choking, I managed a shaky breath, cursing the fact that I wasn't wearing any protective armor. Unless a cotton shirt and leather breeches counted as "protective". Not that armor would have done any good. If there was a single set of armor in the world that would protect me from Menardi's wrath, I would have sold my soul for it.

The armor of my heart rusted away the moment I left Prox.

I felt a sharp pang of pain in my left arm, then a warm liquid running down it. Blood. A thin chain of blood traveled down my arm, onto the carpet below. Menardi had drawn her dagger.

I was helpless to defend myself. I could barely breathe, let alone move away. Her knee collided with my stomach, sending me back to the floor. Her blade dragged against my shirt, cutting it open and exposing my torso. More blood from where the blade had slipped. She slowly carved an 'X' over my heart with her dagger. Then, she was gone.

I didn't move from where she had left me. I didn't care if I bled to death. At least no one could accuse me of suicide. My eyes closed, and I began to feel darkness enveloping me once more. I was drifting in and out of consciousness. That's when the sweet feeling first came over me, something warm and strong wrapping around my frail body. Was this death? No. It felt like molded steel, but warm, flesh and blood.

"Saturos?" a deep voice said from the darkness. Then a little more urgently, "Saturos!"

I slowly opened my grey eyes. Gentle blue ones stared back at me, set in a pale face fine as the winter snow.

"Saturos, can you hear me?"

I nodded, still too short of breath to speak.

"Hold still."

Alex slid his right arm behind my shoulders, supporting me, as he raised his left over my injured heart. "Ply," he said softly, and I felt the holy light wash over me, the pain vanishing instantly. Whether this was from the psyenergy or Alex's presence I didn't know, and quite frankly I didn't care.

Seeing that he had successfully stopped the blood, Alex vanished without another word, leaving me in a daze.

I didn't have long to dwell on it. "Saturos!" Oh how I knew that voice. That was not Alex's gentle baritone. Oh no. That voice was filled with power hungry bloodlust, and could only belong to one person.

"Coming, Menardi," I choked out.

"The twerps are en route to the Mercury Lighthouse. You better not screw up this time." She turned on her heel and stalked away, yelling for Felix to get the hostages ready and Alex to get off his lazy ass and be productive for once.

Healing me would not have been considered productive in her book.

Slowly, I gathered myself from the ground and located the pieces of my armor. I knew that the weight of this battle would be dumped on my shoulders and I would be left to bear it alone.

Alex might not be there to catch me. Even he could not fully sever the chains of blood.

-o-

Author's Note: Seriously, I don't know where that yaoi bit came from. It just came out and when I beta-red it, I was just like 'Hey, it fits'. I always pictured Saturos and Menardi this way for whatever reason. I'm rating this PG13 (or whatever the FFN equivalent of that is), but I'm really not sure if I should have put it up as Mature. If you think the rating should be raised, mention it in your review (Because you are going to review, right?). And as my ending statement, this came out a whole lot darker than I planned on. Probably one of the darkest things I've ever written.