Beauty and the Beast
Summary: Riku is a teenage boy who lives in a little provincial town, suffering from lack of adventure and endless proposals from a certain man. When his father trespasses a castle and becomes its Masters prisoner, Riku and his brother leave the town to the rescue him from the place full of monsters.
Pairing: mainly Ansem x Riku, Xemnas x Saïx, others mentioned
Rating: T
Warnings: Yaoi, characters are very badly OOC, AU, grammatical errors, non-explicit stuff, Disney-based. 'Nuff said.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. This story is mine, though.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
UPDATE: This was formerly known as the first story of my "Kingdom Hearts Fairytales" but I decided to bury that project so this fic counts from now on as an individual story.
A/N: I wanted to write "Beauty and the Beast" because it's one of favorites. I actually had started writing this about two years ago but then the roles were different, and for example Riku wasn't in the story at all. But I decided to change it a bit and now it looks like this. Enjoy~
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Prologue
Once upon a time in a far away land, hidden deep in the woods, was a shining castle, and in that castle lived two young princes, twins with golden eyes. They were sons of late lord Xehanort, and both considered very beautiful by their looks. But they were tainted by their souls. Older of them was called 'Xehanort's Heartless', because whatever he did or got never satisfied his heart so he only wanted more and more. Younger instead was considered as 'Xehanort's Nobody', because he worked behind the scenes for his own goals, not being afraid to hurt to get what he wants. Both of them had everything they could desire and yet the princes were spoiled, selfish and crude. They consider no one equal to themselves, and they were ruthless.
Once in a cold winter's night an old beggar woman came to the castle, asking for a place to rest until the blizzard ends. Sympathetic of the woman's bad condition the few servants who hadn't left the castle for the Christmas let her in to meet their masters. They hoped that for once in their lives the masters would show some heart. Their hopes crumbled when they let the woman into the throne room where the princes were sitting on their golden thrones.
"Who the fuck invited her?" the older of the princes snarled, sneering at the woman's hideous look. As the servants tried to explain how cold it was outside the prince grimaced.
"I don't do charitable work", he said coldly, gaining a nod from the younger. "And she has nothing to offer me. Now get her off my castle."
The old woman showed them a single frosty rose. "I could give you this."
The older prince began to laugh, so the woman turned the gift to the younger.
"Please", she begged handing the rose to him. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the younger denied receiving the gift, slapping it from the woman's hand. He glared at the old woman, and his eyes showed his full scorn towards her.
"There's no place for you", he said with no emotion when the old woman picked the rose from the floor.
"You heard us you ugly hag", the older spat. "Keep your rose and leave."
The woman shook her head, offering the rose to the older again. "I warn you, young prince, the true beauty hides within", she said smiling gently. And as both of the princes dismissed her again she turned to leave.
"As you wish", the old woman creaked, holding the rose. "But let me give you a little farewell present instead." After those words the old woman's ugliness melted away, revealing a beautiful young girl, an enchantress, a white witch. She had platinum blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Floating in the air she shined golden light, hem of her white dress hovering around her legs as she glared at the princes.
"I am Naminé", she said. "And I came from far, far away to see are the rumors I had heard true. I'm disappointed!"
They tried to apologize and ask her to stay in the castle but it was too late. The white witch had already seen that there was no love or compassion in their cold hearts. She tossed the rose to the older.
"You're ungrateful young man", the witch hissed. "You desire for power and beauty but don't see beyond the surface because of your pure foolishness. You're not a human, but a beast!"
"No! Let me explain!" the prince begged but the witch didn't change her mind. As punishment of the older brother's rudeness and lack of respect for others, she transformed him into a hideous monster to teach him a lesson of true beauty.
"Now your soul will match with your appearance", she said. The younger turned his eyes away from his brother's hideous new look. The witch chuckled.
"I didn't forget you", she told coldly, looking at the younger brother. "You're not any better than your brother. You're cruel for those who need your help and your hands cause only pain and suffering. Darkness, that's what you really are and where you belong."
The younger couldn't bewail his destiny as the witch slowly turned him to nothing, forcing him to live in the shadows. He was no longer able to really touch anyone or anything.
Feeling no sorrow of what she had done to the cruel brothers she was sorry for the all people who lived in the castle. She couldn't leave her punishment unfinished so she placed a different spell on the castle and all others who lived there. No longer would anyone who had lived in the castle return or remember the place, but to help those few servants who had stayed there she gave unique powers. And eventually, because Naminé was a kind-hearted witch, she gave to the brothers a chance to break her spells. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose. It will slowly melt and lose its petals until their twenty-fifth birthday. If they could learn to love, and earn love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spells would be broken and everything would turn the way it was. If not, the princes would be doomed to live with their curses forever. Ashamed of his monstrous form the older brother concealed himself to his chamber with a Magic Mirror as his only window to the outside world, and the younger brother instead wandered in the shadows of the castle. As the years past, they fell into despair, and lost all hope…
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Chapter 1. Meet the Beauties, Enter the Castle
All these years, not so far away from the castle, there was a village. It was just a little town, a quiet village with its little people. And among those people there lived two young men in a little cottage just outside the village.
"Damn you, Saïx!" the younger of them, a boy just 17 years of age, yelled annoyedly and chased the older around the kitchen. The boy had shoulder-length white hair and blue eyes, and he was rather tall and slender than muscular. His name was Riku, and he was an inventor's son. The man he chased instead was called Saïx; he was on his early twenties. Saïx had long blue hair and yellow eyes; he was also taller than Riku and more manly build, yet still effeminate. They were brothers, adoptive brothers to be exact. Neither of them was really related to the inventor, nor to each others, and yet they considered the kind and wise man as their father and mentor.
"Just catch me, if you can!" Saïx yelled back, smirking when picked up his speed and run out from the open door to the yard. Riku had no other option than follow him to the town. Saïx smirked at his brother's distress, seeing that Riku was still left far behind. He slowed down as he stepped from the dirt road onto the cobbled street. Having time to rest for a moment and noticing the baker going with his tray, like always at the morning, Saïx turned to chat with him. The baker had the same old bread and rolls to sell but for change there were also spinach pinwheels today. Too bad the blunette hadn't taken money with him.
"Good morning, Saïx", the baker greeted as he noticed the blunette waving at him.
"Good morning, Pence."
"Where you're off to?"
"The bookshop", Saïx replied, showing a plain book with dull red covers. "I just helped Riku to finish the most boring book ever about a keyblade, and keyholes and a-"
Pence gave a smile. "Well that's nice. Olette, the baguettes, hurry up please!"
Saïx shrugged, understanding that the baker wasn't really interested in talking with him, and continued walking. Riku would catch up with him soon. Walking down the street like everyday, Saïx gained disapproving and flouting looks from fellow townsfolk.
"Look, there he goes", Seifer spat, standing across the street with his two friends. "That boy is weird, no question."
Fuu nodded. "Blue hair, sharp canines…"
"He's parlous, can't you tell?"
"Never part of any crowd."
"'Cause he's different from us, y' know", Rai added.
-o-o-o-o-
Trying to ignore all mean talking he heard, and mumbling his hatred towards this poor provincial town and its narrow-minded people Saïx entered the bookshop Riku used to visit every so often.
"Ah, Saïx?" Merlin noted, alarmed a bit when he didn't hear the door.
"I came to return the book Riku borrowed", Saïx told with a smile. In his opinion Riku used too much time reading books than helping him with household chores.
The shopkeeper smiled. "Did he finish it already?"
"He read it twice", the blunette told, hiding his grimace, and continued politely. "Have you got anything new?"
"Not since yesterday."
"Good."
"Merlin!" Riku cried out, gaining a surprised look from the old man.
"Riku? What brought you here?" Merlin asked, surprised that both of the brothers had appeared to his humble shop.
"That book!" the whitette told, pointing at the book Saïx was holding. "I mean… I'm sorry. I need more time."
"But I heard you've read it twice!"
Riku looked a little flushed. "Well, it's my favorite", he told, smiling brightly and empathizing his words. "Far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a hero in disguise!"
The shopkeeper laughed and took the book from the blunette and handing it to Riku. "If you like it all that much it's yours!"
"Bu-but Merlin?!" Riku stuttered.
"I insist!"
"Well thank you, thank you very much! "
So much to Saïx's disappointment Riku got to keep the book. "You're happy now?" he snarled as they left the shop.
"Not as much as if I could have eaten my breakfast without interrupting, but yes", Riku told with a smirk.
"You read while eating", Saïx reminded him. "It's annoying. I just had to tease you a little."
"And that was a little?" Riku laughed, punching the elder's arm.
-o-o-o-o-
The townsfolk glared them as usual, a little more when they were together. "The sons of crazy old inventor" were actually quite popular, yet outlandish sight.
"Look, there they go", Cloud said, whispering. "They're so peculiar."
"I wonder if Riku's feeling well", Aerith added, worriedly taking Cloud's hand and pointing at the brothers. "He's always reading a book..."
Yuffie snorted, interrupting Aerith. "I can say nothing but they're both screwed up!"
"Isn't this amazing?" Riku sighed, showing couple pages to Saïx while walking. "It's my favorite part because... you'll see."
Saïx raised his eyebrow, glancing at the book Riku was so fond to.
"Here's where they meet again but he won't discover that it's him till Empty Melodies."
Tifa grimaced as she heard Riku and Saïx when they passed her and Leon.
"It's a wonder why his name means "earth" when his head's always up on some cloud", she noted with a sigh, making Leon nod in agreement.
"And behind his fair façade I'm afraid he's rather odd", Leon mumbled. "He's very different from the rest of us, as you see."
Of course not all townspeople looked down at the two brothers. Marluxia, a gardener in the third generation, saw them very differently. And Marluxia, who not to mention was often told to be very cute and charming with his petal pink hair and sky blue eyes, got always what he wanted. A sound of a gunshot.
"You didn't miss a shot, Xigbar", he said, leaning to a tree. "You must be a greatest hunter in the whole world."
A hunter looked at him and grinned widely. "I know." The hunter instead was named Xigbar. He was way older than Marluxia but still acting a lot like a teenager. His black hair was already started went gray and his left eye was covered with an eye-patch.
"No beast alive stands a chance against you!" Marluxia continued almost admirerably.
"I know", Xigbar hummed again and picked up the goose he had just shot down. Larxene, a green eyed girl with slicked back blonde hair and two tresses pointing out like antennas, giggled. She was sitting other side of the tree.
"But no girl, or boy, stands a chance against Marluxia, if you know what I mean", she chuckled, sneering to Xigbar.
"As if", Xigbar sneered back at the girl. "Someday I'll find some cute kid. Someone humorous and sweet. Someone who will adore me. And it will be love at the first sight! Then we'll see who laughs!"
"Good luck with that", Larxene spat. "How did you think you'll even find someone who will stand you? You'll frighten that poor person with a gun?"
The older man was already commenting about Larxene's previous statement when the pinkette interrupted him.
"I don't care what you were talking about", Marluxia noted, with a grin. "But Larxene is right at the one point, Xiggy. Unlike you, I already have one I've got my sight set on!"
Xigbar and Larxene looked curiously at the direction where Marluxia was pointing at.
Xigbar's jaw fell. "T-the inventor's daughter!? I mean, his son?!" he blurted out. "Are ya losing your mind, too?"
"He's the one, the lucky boy I'm going to marry!"
"But he's so... odd", Larxene threw in. "And he's family is spaced out as well."
"Yes! Wait, no! His personality is a little minus, and I can handle his crazy old father so his lunatic brother is barely the only problem", Marluxia said confidently. "And Riku is the second most beautiful person in this town."
Larxene raised her eyebrows suspiciously. "Who's the most-?"
"I am the most beautiful, of course! And the fact he's the second makes him the best option! And could you, Larxene, Xigbar, my friends, say that don't deserve the best? Could you?!"
"Well of course, I mean ya do, but I…!" Xigbar gabbled as Larxene just smirked, a bit disappointed that Marluxia didn't consider her as the second most beautiful.
"Right from the moment when I met him, saw him", Marluxia hummed, taking Xigbar's hand and pulling him next to him as he pointed at Riku. "I said he's gorgeous and I fell."
Larxene sighed for her best friend's fuss over the mad inventor's son, listening as Marluxia continued. "Here in town it's only he who's almost as beautiful as me, so I'm making plans to woo and marry him!"
-o-o-o-o-
Marluxia was sure that Riku would marry him at the moment he proposes him, but he didn't know that the whitette had other admirers as well. The triplettes – Sora, Roxas, and Xion – had also laid their eyes on him.
"Look there he goes!" Sora, the brunette, squealed. "Isn't he dreamy?"
"It's Riku!" Roxas, the blonde, chuckled.
"Oh, he's so cute!" Xion, the one with black hair, added.
"Be still my heart! I'm hardly breathing!" Sora whispered on the edge of fainting.
"He's such a cute, sweet, strong, yet so handsome man!" Xion and Roxas chanted in unison. Riku instead was blissfully unaware of those three but he knew about Marluxia's feelings towards him. And really, he wasn't Riku's type. Riku wanted something more, something more than his life in that provincial town. He wanted to live his dreams. And a marriage, not with Marluxia at least, had nothing to do with Riku's dreams. Marluxia approached the brothers, smiling widely.
"Well, hello there. Riku, Saïx", Marluxia greeted politely but noticing the book he gave a disgusted look. "Why are you reading?"
He took the novel from Riku and tossed it carelessly on ground, making Larxene and Xigbar chuckle. Riku quickly grabbed the book, and cleaned it as well as he at the moment could.
"You have more important things to do besides reading. It might cause you to get ideas, and start thinking!"
Saïx grimaced at the comment. He didn't like the fact Riku read a lot but it was his brotherly right to tease him about it, not Marluxia's.
Riku shrugged. "I like reading."
"Please, all that time you spend your pretty little nose stuck in a book you could use more properly", the pinkette told. "Like hanging out with me."
Saïx snorted. Riku forced himself to smile. "I'm busy helping our dad."
"That crazy old loon?!" Xigbar laughed. "It's a matter of time when blows himself up!"
He and Larxene began to laugh, making Marluxia giggle as well. Saïx wasn't the least bit surprised of Xigbar's comment but he ignored it, only snarling at him a bit. Riku wasn't feeling as tolerant. He glared at them, holding his book to his chest. "My father isn't crazy! He is a genius!"
Marluxia stopped laughing and so did Larxene. Xigbar didn't catch on so Larxene hitted him.
"You heard him! His father isn't a crazy!" she shrieked. Suddenly they all heard an explosion go off; turning to see where it came from. Cursing slightly, Riku and Saïx left quickly and began running home, leaving Marluxia and his company laughing.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Saïx got home before Riku, opening the door to their father's workshop. A cloud of smoke gushed out, making him cough couple times.
"Father?" Saïx called. He soon let out a sigh of relief, hearing their father kicking one of his unsuccessful gadgets.
Riku run into the workshop. "Is father okay?!" he yelled. He was always as worried about the old man, even though the inventor exploded his workshop once in a while.
"Yes, he is", Saïx noted, seeing how diligently their usually so well-mannered adoptive father used swear words.
"I've had enough of this! I'll never make this work!" Ansem the Wise, that was the name of their father, cried out, kicking the machine one more time. "This thing was a monster in a making when I first laid my hands on it!"
Riku rolled his eyes and picked up a wrench to give it to their father. "No, dad, it'll be the world's greatest woodcutter! But only if you finish it."
Saïx nodded in agreement. Slowly Ansem's lips curled into a smile.
"You're right! I can't just give up!" He rolled up his sleeves and crawled under the gadget with the wrench. "Maybe if I strain this a little… And pull this there-"
Riku sat reading a little further away from him and opened the book. Saïx instead stood at the door. "Father?" he asked calmly. "Do you think I look weird?"
Riku glanced at his brother, not surprised of his question.
"Of course you don't!" Ansem told, still lying on the floor under his masterpiece-in-making. "Who makes you think that? Townsfolk?"
Saïx nodded, mumbling an apology of even asking such a matter of course. It must be because of your scar, Riku wanted to note but he kept his mouth shut. The X-shaped scar on Saïx's face wasn't disgusting in Riku's eyes but townsfolk found it hideous. Ansem get up from the floor, frowning at the blunette.
"They are simple people. Forgive them for their own sake", he said, taking a rag from the side table to clean his oily hands. "Now, let's try this thing!"
Ansem pushed few buttons and pulled a lever. Riku retreated few steps when the machine began to clack and clatter, steam spraying out from its pipes. An axe hitted a log and split it into two perfect pieces of wood. Ansem laughed loudly.
"It works!" the old man whooped, taking a few dance steps with Riku. "It really works!"
The whitette chuckled. "Now you can go to the fair tomorrow, and become a famous inventor!"
"That's true! Now, boys, help me load this masterpiece into the cart."
Soon Riku and Saïx were waving goodbyes to their father and wishing him luck, and as Ansem with his chestnut horse, Zero, and the cart disappeared into the woods Riku sighed.
"I hope he'll be alright", he said.
Saïx nodded, glancing at the sky. It was still early, sun wouldn't set soon. "As long as he stays on the road everything will be fine."
-o-o-o-o-o-
As the night darkened Ansem was still on his way to the fair. He had never had a good sense of direction but this time his bad luck was getting ridiculous.
"Slow down, Zero", the old man mumbled annoyedly, stopping the cart at crossroads. "If I read this map correctly we should take the left path."
Zero gave a disapproval neigh, trying to go the opposite way.
"No, boy! This time I'm sure the left is the right way", Ansem said. "We'll arrive on time if you don't dawdle now."
Despite a wish of taking another path Zero obeyed Ansem and they continued to the left. The steed became more scared as the moon slowly rose to light their way, and whinnied worriedly everytime it heard sounds from the woods.
"Calm down a bit, will you? It was just a wind", Ansem reassured the horse, yet he was more of reassuring himself, and when he heard wolves howling his nervousness increased. He prayed the pack wouldn't attack them. He wasn't that lucky. Half dozen snarling gray carnivores began to slowly surround the cart, getting ready for an easy prey. Zero wasn't going to get eaten alive. It picked up the speed and galloped in panic forward. Ansem had problems to not fall from the cart as Zero rushed through the forest. The steed stopped unexpectedly, dropping the old man by accident and run away with the cart. The road had ended to a massive metal gate. In a hurry Ansem crawled to it, couple wolves breathing on his neck, hungrily. He managed to open it enough that he could slide in, and closed the gate quickly after him. The wolves were left outside. Ansem breathed heavily, he hadn't been this close to death since of his gadgets had exploded. Once he was sure he was safe from the bloodthirsty animals, he looked around. He gazed at a grand castle which in the gleaming moonlight seemed more or less abandoned. After hesitating a moment Ansem walked to the castle doors and warily opened them.
"Hello? Excuse me?" he called, closing the door behind himself. "I got lost and I need a place to rest. Just for tonight."
As he didn't hear a response he sat down on the hall's floor. Spider webs and layers of dust didn't embellish the otherwise ornamental premises. Ansem didn't want to go further into the desolate castle. But what he didn't know was that the castle wasn't as abandoned as he thought. Just in the next room a heated debate was going on.
"What he's doing here?" the first voice asked, sounding a bit resentful.
"He said he got lost. We should help him!" another noted.
"Hell no! Masters won't accept it!" the first said. "We don't do that kind of thing ever again, got it memorized?!"
"Aw, but he'll catch a cold there!"
"Well that's not our problem! Let's just keep quiet about this and wish either of the Masters won't notice him!"
"Oh, come on, Axel", the other whined. "Show some heart!"
"No, Demyx!"
It was too late for Axel's complaining. Demyx has already pushed the door open and went talking to the intruder.
"Hey", he whispered to Ansem politely. "Welcome to our castle. I'll offer you a better place to stay for the night. Follow me."
The dim lightning prevented Ansem from seeing the talker clearly. "I can't see you", he mumbled, narrowing his eyes. "Who are you?"
"I'm Demyx", the talker hummed. "One of the servant's of this castle. Take my hand and I'll lead you to a little warmer room."
Faltering, Ansem touched Demyx's hand but pulled his own quickly back, giving a loud gasp. Demyx's hand wasn't solid, nor was it liquid. It was something what Ansem couldn't describe in words. Demyx quickly mumbled an apology.
"What are you…?" Ansem asked in fear. Before Demyx answer to question Axel stormed out from the next room.
"That's it!" Axel muttered, very frustrated, lighting up the place. "We're just trying to be hospitable and you act like that!"
Demyx blinked at his friend's sudden outburst. "Axel…? Why you-?"
Ansem's eyes widened. Now he was able to see the two, but not because Axel would have held a candlestick or a torch, oh no. His hair was on fire, or probably, instead of hair there were flames growing from his scalp. He had eyes like emeralds in contrast to the red of his flames and purple upturned teardrops under his eyes. The little flames danced on his skin. Demyx instead had almost light brown, weirdly shaped hair and gentle, light blue eyes. Most of his skin was covered with some kind of liquid. It made him gleam in light.
"Why I did what? Come to help you? Please", Axel mumbled, waving his hand. He glanced at Ansem. "You, old man, keep your mouth shut and come with us. No questions. Oh, and I'm Axel, get it memorized."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Ansem followed Axel and Demyx to a comfy living room. A fireplace had been lit and an armchair in front of it looked very tempting.
"Sit down. You're our first guest in a very long time", Demyx requested, smiling kindly, and Ansem was more than willing to obey.
"Demy, don't get too friendly", Axel warned his companion. "He's going to stay only this one night. And you old man, remember to keep as quiet as you can. Here the shadows haveears, too."
"Would you like something to drink?" the water boy asked, ignoring Axel's warnings. "I could ask Lux to make you some tea."
"Tea would be good", Ansem noted, sneezing. He sighed, now he had caught a cold, too.
"Okay! I'll be back soon!" Demyx chirped, making Axel frown in worry. When Demyx left the room, the silence fell. Ansem studied Axel carefully; he hadn't seen anything like him or Demyx in his whole life. They looked like humans but still they could as well be some kind of monsters or illegal aliens from the outer space. Yes, Ansem the Wise believed in aliens.
The fire boy grimaced. "Quit staring, will you?"
"I'm sorry", Ansem said, and turned his gaze away.
"Don't be", Axel told with a smirk. "Just don't stare."
"So, Axel, what is this dreadful place?"
Axel smiled. "This place… is our home."
After a moment of polite conversation things changed. The darkness lingered to the room, making Axel twitch as he noticed it. Not good, he thought, biting his lower lip. They really had noticed him. Even Ansem saw the shadows moving dangerously.
"What's going on here?" he asked from Axel, but the flame-haired man didn't answer to him. Instead he heard someone else talking in a displeased tone.
"What do I see here…?"
"Who is there…?" Ansem asked again.
"How unpleasant."
"Master, let me explain!" Axel begged, not sounding very convincing after finding his voice again.
"Explain what? You've broken the rules", the voice said, dangerously, from the corner of the room.
"It will be only for this one night! Please Master…!"
"We're not that hospitable for someone who breaks into our castle!" a low, snarling voice yelled. Growling fulfilled the room and at the moment Ansem was begging mercy from a hideous beast that was holding its sharp claws on man's neck.
"I-I will never tell anyone about this place…!" Ansem tried. "Please, just let me leave…!"
The beast's growling began to sound like a vicious laughing of a maniac.
"You really think you'll be ever leaving this place?!"
After those words Ansem was dragged away. Axel, who had just been too scared to defy the Masters of the castle again, gritted his teeth. It was all he could do at the moment.
"We must punish you for your idiocy", the voice told.
"Yes, Master Xemnas", Axel whispered, avoiding the glowing amber eyes in the darkness, and left the room, following the Beast.
When Demyx instead came back to the room with a pot of tea, he was shocked the room was empty. The chair had turned over and the fireplace was dying out.
"Axel…? Old man…?" he called, looking around the room. "Oh god… No…"
-o-o-o-o-o-
Ansem had left his home only yesterday but their apartment looked like he had been gone much longer than that. He wasn't the most organized person, more like very eccentric and, well, messy. Saïx and Riku had used most of the yesterday cleaning the mess in his workshop. Saïx had left to the marketplace a while ago, leaving Riku to read his book at leisure. A knock came from the door, and Riku left his book opened on the table, walking to open the door. Saïx wouldn't knock, that's what he knew. Riku opened the door just to face Marluxia. The pinkette entered the house before Riku had time to ask what he was doing there, leaving the door open.
"Hello, Riku dear!" Marluxia chanted, smiling to the whitette.
"What are you doing here Marluxia?" Riku asked, grimacing. Why Marluxia had to pop out from nowhere always when Saïx wasn't around?
The pinkette grinned. "Isn't it obvious, Riku? I'm here to propose you! I have everything ready for our wedding! The flowers, the guests, the cake, did I mention the flowers?"
"Well, you did mention but…"
"Imagine that, our little house full of beautiful flowers, porcelain tableware served to the table, we together watching over our little ones playing on the floor with the dogs. We'll have 6 or 7 for sure!"
Riku glared at the over-exited man. "Dogs…?"
"No, sweetie! Beautiful children of course!"
"Did you take into account, Marluxia, that we're both guys?" Riku reminded the pinkette. Marluxia was already causing him a headache.
"That's what Larxene is for!" the gardener chuckled, making Riku want to vomit. Riku hated Larxene almost as much as he hated Marluxia, and having threesome with those two had never even crossed his mind, not even in his wildest nightmares. Marluxia sat down at the table, giving a disgust look at the book before smiling at Riku.
"I love you, Riku", he said in his creepy, possessive tone. "Will you marry me?"
"Marluxia… I…" Riku mumbled. It was hard to form words and even harder to form sentences. "I'm speechless…"
"Just one word, Riku", Marluxia told, licking his lips. "Say yes."
"No."
Riku and Marluxia glanced at the blunette who had answered to Marluxia. Saïx pressed his hand on Marluxia's shoulder, making the pinkette let out a squeak.
"Oh hi, Saïx", Marluxia noted, a drop of sweat rolling down his cheek. "I didn't expect to see you here. Not so soon, at least."
"Marluxia", the slightly taller man snarled. "Get out."
Reluctantly the gardener got going and Riku was able to breathe evenly again.
"That was close", the whitette mumbled.
"You should be ashamed that I had to come back to save you", Saïx pointed out. He had seen Larxene and Xigbar without Marluxia while he was on his way to the market. It hadn't felt quite right and he had decided to go back to check was Riku in trouble.
"Well I didn't ask you to leave me here alone at the first place, either", Riku snorted.
"I thought you can handle a moment without me", the blunette teased. "But now when you have time you could help me a little and feed the chickens. I have to go back to buy ingredients for tonight's dinner."
Riku rolled his eyes, smirking a bit. "Whatever."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Riku went to outside, glancing around the yard. No signs of Marluxia. He shivered thanks to an idea of Marluxia stalking him, and went to get a basket of birdseeds from the shed before stepping into the chicken pen. He sticked his tongue out, talking to the birds. "Can't you believe me? Marluxia asked me to marry him!" he ranted. "Me? With that freakish, flower-loving jerk… No thanks!" Chickens cackled, not understanding a single word Riku was saying. Riku sat on the fence.
"You are lucky", he said, smirking a bit mockingly. "Hey, can't you just see it? Me and Marluxia, playing husband and wife. No, sir, not me. I guarantee it. I want much more then this provincial life!" He left basket on the top of a barrel and climbed to the roof. As the wind blew through his hair he sighed.
"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere", he sung quietly. "I want it more than life can tell. And for once it might be grand to have someone understand… I want so much more then they've got planned…!"
After a quite long moment of sitting up there and thinking he was brought back to earth by Saïx.
"Riku, come down!" the blunette yelled, clearly worried. "It's Zero!"
Glancing towards the woods Riku was able to see their horse running wildly back to the yard and neighing loudly. It was still pulling the cart behind itself but there was no sign of their father. As Riku climbed down, Saïx was already calming Zero down and checking it out for injuries.
"Is Zero okay? And where's father?" Riku asked. Saïx shook his head, running his pale fingers on the steed's side. Zero was strong and quick, some another horse could have looked much worse after almost getting eaten alive.
"Wolves", Saïx said, looking at the younger. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to look for him!" Riku said and unclipped the cart, hopping onto the horse's back. "I'm sure Zero knows the way!"
Saïx grimaced. "Calm down a bit. I'll go get Luna, and then we'll go."
Riku nodded. Luna was the other of their horses, a white mare, but it was more erratic than Zero. Luna reared onto his back legs as Saïx had climbed on its back.
"Easy now, girl", Saïx mumbled. "I promise you a carrot when we get back home."
Luna neighed at the comment, almost like understanding what its rider meant. Saïx gave it slight smile before looking at Riku. "We're ready."
The whitette whispered something to Zero and the steed began running the way it had come, Luna following it. The horses didn't stop until they reached the metal gate after a long time running. Zero had whinnied nervously nearly all the time after they had taken the left path.
Riku raised an eyebrow, looking through the gate. "Did father get in there?"
"I guess so", Saïx noted, hopping off from Luna's back and going to open the gate. It made a loud, creaky sound as it was pushed open. "Are you coming?"
"Yes", Riku snorted, settling himself down from Zero. Saïx closed the gate as they had gone to the courtyard. They left Zero and Luna there when approached the massive door of the castle.
"Creepy", the blunette said, looking up at the castle. It wasn't even night yet and still the castle looked dark and very uninviting. "Well, Riku, are you afraid?"
"Are you?" Riku snapped back.
"No."
"Then you'll get to open the door."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
A/N: So this was the chapter 1. I really would like to read what you think of it. Was it good? Was it bad? Constructive criticism and reviews are always appreciated~