A/N: I am re-revising my story and continuing on again!

Disclaimer: I do not own any ideas or characters pertaining to the original Kingdom Hearts storyline and/or characters…just my bag of pebbles *sigh*

Warning: There will be LEMONS and YAOI in this story, hence the rating "M." Please find another story if this is not to your liking. Have a great day!

Chapter 1

To Dwell

It was dark; there was an essence of pain swelling in a mixed net, coating the black abyss in its web. The black confines held a massive amount of anger, desire, and loathing. Riku knew exactly what was causing this disruption in his happiness. It was the one thing responsible for his misery, the one being that managed to tear his entire existence apart. His step-father.

He once had something that resembled a smile grace his face, appearing rarely except in times of complete bliss. He tried to remember the last time he smiled; he hasn't been blessed with its return in such a long, long time. How long has it been? How long has it been since the last time he laughed? Hell, since the last time he's heard a laugh. 'Hell if I know.' A sadistic scoff was released from his lips as he slowly opened his eyes.

Riku looked at the chain on his ankle once more and sighed, he cautiously shifted his left leg from its embedded position on his mattress, eliciting a soft jingle from the chain attaching his foot to the bed. The boy winced as a jolt of white hot pain shot throughout his entire left ankle from the small movement. A defeated sigh escaped his cracked pale lips.

'It's definitely a bad sprain…' The teen thought. He was familiar enough with the pain of injuries to understand his ankle was going to take some time to heal. The blonde attempted to recall when the event causing his discomfort occurred, slowly shifting through his recent memories of his step-father's last visit. He scoffed, a sadistic smirk appearing on his abused lips. Usually he was able to forget the time spent with his step-father, but that time had been different. About a year after the beatings started, all the pain began to blend together. Slowly a slap to the face began to register as a broken bone, split lip, or black eye. He would just simply retreat; fall back into the black abyss of his mind. There he could watch as his step-father took out the frustrations of daily life on his body, just as if he were watching a twisted lifetime movie.

"Bastard…" Riku had to discontinue his search, his attention snapping to the surroundings outside his confined room as a disturbance in the silence was broken. Aquamarine eyes drifted towards the entrance of his prison, trying to calculate future events. There was a soft shuffling outside of his beaten door, the sliver of light below dancing with the shadows of someone's feet. His breath was caught in his throat, panic starting to rear its nasty head in the back of Rikus mind. Instantly regretting speaking that defiant word out loud, he had let himself slip. If the insult was actually heard a harsh beating was soon to follow, surely resulting in the status of his ankle evolving to that of beyond repair.

The blondes' heart pounded rapidly against his chest, his fear spiking as every dreaded second passed. 'Did he hear me?' Sea blue eyes watched in anticipation as the handle to his door was being disturbed by the sound of a fumbling key. Riku shut his eyes tightly, praying for some miracle to distract Sepheroth away from his fury.

'Oh Kami-sama not again...' He desperately repeated these words, clinging to them as if they were his only hope. His panic rose to a climax as the realization that his desperate prayers went unheard, the portal to his prison cracking open with a jolt. He could feel the pain coming already. His body began to quiver in fear. What was it going to be this time? Another blow to the head? Being cut by that retched knife? Another black eye? Or maybe the burner this time? He flinched as more footsteps were heard, his body trying to curl into itself in an attempt to protect his vitals as a natural defense mechanism. Turquoise eyes widened in shock from the intense pain stemming from his ankle. 'Fuck! How could I have forgotten about a fucking sprained ankle?' He mentally beat himself over the head for letting something so important slip. The blonde tensed, he had forgotten about his current situation. He was about to be visited by the devil himself. He slowly tuned into his senses, taking in the reality presented before him. He waited for the blows to come, only to be met with absence.

'Wait…what?' Aquamarine pools widened as he examined a perfectly unchanged room, no other living body present. His attention was shifted to the cracked door resting parallel from his bedside, he could hear voices. Riku strained his ears, trying to decipher the mumbling into coherent words.

"Take…reak…you have…so hard…lax." He recognized that gentle voice, an angel coaxing away his most dreaded nightmare. It was his mothers. The teen tilted his head, aiming his ear towards the portal. He longed to hear her speak more, he needed it. It had been so long since he heard his mother's soothing voice.

"Aerith…the brat…disre…me…" Riku cringed. He knew that voice too well; the sound reminded him of the sharpening of a sword.

"Please…made…some food…ome eat." His ears strained to hear more of his mother's soft voice, relishing in the small blessing.

Riku bit back tears as he thought of the last time his mother came to see him. The memory was burned into his head like a dreadful repeated nightmare. It was about seven months ago, the same time the beatings started to get more serious than cuts and bruises. His mother had come in to comfort the boy, bandaging his wounds, apologizing endlessly as tears trailed from her beautiful green eyes. The teen smiled continuously, enjoying the company of his beloved mother. Riku put in his best effort to console the sobbing woman, assuring her that he was in fact "alright" and she needn't worry over him. He could never blame her, knowing his mother's kind heart had never wanted this to happen to her dearest son. They both had come to an understanding that after his mother had married Sepheroth, he had fooled them both. The disguise he perfected had lured in both he and his mother. Who wouldn't be drawn to a dashing, successful, kind, family oriented man? Aerith had believed she was making a positive choice for both of them. Never in either of their wildest dreams had they believed this would be the outcome of a marriage, being beaten and abused. When his step-father had come in the next day to find that Riku's wounds had been treated he went into an uncontrollable rage, attacking his mother mercilessly.

Tears began to prick at sea blessed eyes as memories of the night continued to run though the blondes head.

He could hear something shattering against the wall, as his mother pleaded for Sepheroth to calm down. Her voice was cowering in terror as she apologized, pleading for mercy. The sound of items being thrown and shattered continued on, only to be discontinued by a broken cry from Aerith. The situation had escalated to something he dreaded, his attempt to break through the locked door were more than useless as he screamed hoarsely. The blonde beat against his door as he pleaded for his mother's mercy, asking to be punished instead. But his cries fell on deaf ears, filled with unreasonable jealousy and hatred. The teen had blacked out from pure shock after that point, not being able to handle the mental pain caused by his mother's cries for help.

Riku cursed to himself. How could he be so weak? He was angry…with himself. He had let his mother be beaten at his expense. The boy could have easily rejected the care, resulting in the woman being fine.

The teen froze, stopping his thought process. There was nothing wrong with how he acted; he had every right to accept her care. It was his fault that it happened, he was so jealous of Riku.

An exasperated sigh fell from pale lips. 'I have got to stop thinking about this; it's only going make the situation worse if I depress myself.' A sudden shift of thoughts occurred in a head covered in platinum.

Once again there was silence. Riku rested his head on his pillow, a soft 'plop' coming from the worn down pile of fluff. It seems as his mother was able to coax the devil away for a while longer. The teens limbs released some of their tension, their threat no longer present. 'She really is an angel.'

An exasperated sigh fled parted lips as he slowly began to close his aquamarine pools again. Flashes of a distant warm memory overflowed his consciousness. Laughter. Ocean. Innocence. Family. Friends. Freedom.

With a longing smile gracing broken lips, the boy was able to drift into a light slumber.

The breeze of night slowly moved the clouds along with their playful shapes, running away from the moon. A soft beam of moonlight protruded through the window, lighting hair of pure silver. The moon watched her child morosely while he drifted off to his familiar darkness.

-Dreaming-

There was peace in his soul, for this small untainted moment. Riku was familiar with this place, its feeling holding a sentimental slot in his closed heart. There was the sky, the ocean, and the sand in between. There was nothing more to it than that. The simple beauty of two completely opposite embodiments that fit perfectly together, only to create the picture of heaven to this tormented soul. His sea kissed eyes gazed longingly towards the infinite blue sky, the plush clouds playfully forming shapes in an innocent game. The platinum blonde envied them, living and dying without borders. They were completely free, innocently carrying out their lives free of pain or any torment.

Riku sighed, a puff of air swaying his moon blessed locks. He loved the sky, it was wondrous, beautiful. If only he could surround himself with its unmatched beauty forever, and forget the world he was trapped in. A content smile escaped the boys newly healed pale lips as he appreciated the purity of blue the sky held.

The soft feeling of water rushed over his feet, inviting him to play a game of endless tag. Riku wiggled his toes further into fine white sand, giddy with content. The wind blew through his godly locks as he shifted his sight to see that he was standing on the shore. Behind him lay a world of tropical greenery holding the childhood promise of an endless adventure. It was paradise. He as if he was home.

A feeling of inner peace flowed through his soul, something that had become foreign to him over the past year. He loved having these dreams, well more like memories. This was his childhood haven, although he couldn't remember more than what presently lay before him. He knew he came here to calm down, as well as when his father was killed. It was his sanctuary, where peace came hand in hand with content. A sentimental chuckle escaped moistened lips as childhood memories of sword fights and secret bases swam through his head.

The blonde closed his eyes, slowly inhaling the scent of crisp sea water. He listened to the quiet sound of the waves playing their game of tag, seagulls chiming their cries of victory from the days catch, and the soft sea breeze whispering through the palms as a game of hide and seek was played between the leaves and sunlight. He felt the delicate caress of the oceans sea breeze playing with his silver locks, swaying them to their content.

The shade behind his eyelids darkened slightly, taking on a reddish tint. Riku slowly opened his teal pools to a masterpiece by Kami himself. The sky was painted an array of reds, pinks, oranges, purples and deep blue. The teen slowly lifted his hand reaching as if he could possibly touch the beauty resting before his eyes, the clouds were a soft hue of the colors around them. Aquamarine eyes gazed at the ocean, which appeared as if it were made of gold. Riku was breathless; he had never seen anything so beautiful.

An odd sense of familiarity washed over his heart, as he suddenly realized he had seen something exceptionally more breathtaking than what lay before him. The boy paused, confused as to what that was.

A gasp escaped the said teen's lips as a forgotten precious memory flashed in his head; pale fingers clutched silver locks in confusion.

"Aggnh!" Riku bent over. The force of the resurfacing memory had caused him mental pain. He dug his fingers into his scalp as the pain throbbed throughout his head, resonating after each attack. A gulp of air helped subside the pain, slowly helping him regain his senses. Once the pain resided to a less crippling degree he cautiously stood back up, observing his surroundings. The scene before him was the same sunset, but…there was a new addition.

A small brunette boy, whose hair resembled that of a twinkling star. Aquamarine eyes gazed in wonder at the child, his skin lovingly kissed by the sun as the golden hue of the sunset glowed along his charming unruly spikes. Riku couldn't help but stare, this boy was enchanting beyond all reason. As Riku continued gazing over the brunette, he noticed the small boy was in the middle of talking.

"And I know you're sad Ku' but yew got me!" The kid seemed to beam up at that last comment, pointing a dainty tanned finger towards his chest.

"I promise I'll always be by your side Riku!" A bright smile appeared on the younger boys face, giving the sun a run for its money. Rikus breathe caught in his throat, his heart felt as if someone were cradling it with every ounce of care one could muster. What was this feeling that was overflowing from his heart?

The small child leaned back onto his hands, slouching his shoulders as a frown fell upon his soft pink lips.

"I know yew miss your dad Ku' but always remember, there's a light to every shadow, so keep holding on to your hope Riku! Never let go!" With that last statement the brunette stood, holding a fist to his heart to emphasize his point. Letting his tanned hand fall to his side again, the boy smiled softly at Riku. The older teen stared in awe, he was gazing into pools that entrapped the embodiment of sky in their confines. The sun's rays casting a golden glow across their azure depths, creating a beauty beyond the capability of words.

The sun kissed brunette smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his face lit up.

"Promise Riku?" The kid had eyes full of hopeful expectation that the older of the two just couldn't deny, whatever it may be he was at this enchanting beings mercy.

"I promise." The platinum blonde blushed slightly, flattered beyond his understanding. This wondrous person cared about him of all people. He snuck another peak at the said brunette gazing at the sunset. Appreciation flowed from him without end; he was touched by this caring boy.

Riku laughed softly to himself, his friend never ceased to touch his heart in ways others could not.

"Thanks So-"

-End of dream-

Riku slowly opened his eyes to the ceiling of his dreary room, only to shut them tightly once they were assaulted by the morning light.

He had to remember who that boy was. The blonde's heart ached, longing for his comfort again. He had never let anyone in like he had for that boy…and he couldn't even remember his name.

The teen sighed; he promised the child he wouldn't lose hope. Well, he wasn't one to break promises. If a memory was all he had to hold onto, then he would live with that.

Rikus eyes watered slightly as beams of bright light invaded his thoughts, sunshine began to protrude into his sullen box lighting up the unwanted treasures hidden inside. It was such a dark, dreary room. Turquoise eyes glanced around dejectedly, taking in what his prison held. He knew too well what he would observe; something completely altered from his pleasant childhood memories. Its constrains holding a beat up bed scattered with blood stains, a dresser resting parallel from his bed, the last of the cream paint chipping off from its previous life exposing old wood as beaten as he. Lastly a degrading grime covered toilet within reach of his chained movements, a stack of fast food napkins resting on top of its base. His constraints were bolted to the lower portion of his bed's leg posts, resting menacingly on the floor. The rooms' walls held a sad grey color as they silently wept, flecks of old paint chipped off as if the room itself grieved for the sliver haired boy.

The only window poured in a surprisingly appreciative amount of light. Rikus lips tightened, his slick silver brows furrowed together, this was the room that he loathed, where he was hurt, injured, beaten, and broken. He lifted up his pant leg slightly to reveal his blotchy yellow ankle; he hesitantly reached down to examine his wound. It was swollen, and hot to the touch, his hand pressed down harder to see the damage, only to be greeted with a giant barrage of pain through his left leg. His pale cracked lips gave out a harsh hiss as the ankle started to throb.

"Fuck." The teen decided it would be best to just leave it alone for a while and heal up as much as he could. Turning his head to the cracked door tiredly, he saw the lights outside the room were peeping through the bottom crack of the beat up monstrosity. His step-father must have forgot the shut them off when he left, it didn't really bother him that they were on since the light was already shining in through the window. But he was starting to get a headache, probably from the pain throbbing in his leg, as well as the bright daylight invading his room. Riku raised a paled hand to his temple, attempting to massage away some of the pain. He sighed, exhausted.

The teen leaned his head back upon the rusted bars of his bed frame, ceasing his attempts to quell the migraine he was getting. The pain of the blasted thing made it seem like there was a grandfather clock chiming in his brain. Riku grumbled lightly as his head throbbed once again, he closed his eyes from the light. The best thing to do for migraines was sleep. He knew from experience.

The platinum's thoughts drifted to that of freedom as his mind dozed off, escaping painful reality for the beauty of dreams.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the read! Reviews are appreciated; I would love to know any advice you have if possible!