Noxious Roses

Author note: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Godchild/Count Cain, and nor do I own Cassandra or Marluxia.

Warning: Somewhat AU, actual and/or mentions of violence, kissing, psychological Mind warping (I don't know how to properly describe it), blood (lots of it), and spoilers for Godchild vol. 5 (namely, the Castrato arc). If you don't like it, just...don't read it. I'm not kidding, this is definitely one of the darkest fics I've written.

Constructive criticism would be great, and I hope you enjoy.

"I honestly thought someone like you would put up a better fight than this, don't you agree?"

The pink-haired Graceful Assassin treaded across the greenhouse, towards his captive tied with thorny vines and heavily scented roses. "I mean, you were the Head Priest of DELILAH, one of the higher ranks. You had the ability to look into people's pasts, people's minds. You had almost all the political power you wanted, being Lord Gladstone as your other identity in public. And...This is where you end up. How pathetic. You can't even use a sword to its full potential, I bet even Cassian would be better than you."

"Shut up." Marluxia's brown-haired captive snarled, weakly struggling against his bonds before giving up. Bruises and clotted wounds dotted his form, and his shirt was completely nothing but rags now. His trousers were torn at the knee, and he was barefoot. "At least I went through with the majority of my plan. I did the main objective; blow up Crimone Gardens as the Cardmaster ordered me to do."

Cassandra nearly gave out a whimper as the Marluxia held the Graceful Dahlia to the ex-Head Priest's throat. "You. Do not. Give. Me. Orders." Marluxia hissed, before pulling the scythe away. "Now, where was I? Oh, right, surely you couldn't put up a better fight than this..."

"At least I wasn't afraid to do the very things I was assigned to do myself than make a little girl that manipulates memories to do all the work for me!"

Cassandra was struck in the face, the 35-year-old cringing when a thorn scratched his left cheek. "You lie!" Marluxia snapped. "Who was the one who dressed a boy as a woman and used drugs to make him do what you wanted? You did. Who was the one who hired the Belk Boys to make the explosives to destroy Crimone Gardens? You did. Who was the one who wanted to claim the Cardmaster's son as your future slave? You did."

"Don't you dare bring Jizabel into this!"

"Do you...truly care for that man so much?" Marluxia spoke, his blue eyes staring into Cassandra's dark amber eyes. "I'll make you forget about him...without the help of Namine, if that satisfies you..."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" the ex-Head Priest demanded.

Marluxia seemed to smile ever so lightly. He touched Cassandra's cheek with his hand, the hand that had the velvety touch of roses. Cassandra winced, wanting to pull away, not wanting to be enveloped by even more roses, not wanting to have anything that reminded him of, or felt like roses, or even smelled like roses touch him in any way.

And then the Graceful Assassin's lips gently touched the ex-Head Priest's own.

The kiss never went any deeper. Cassandra felt the velvety touch of roses against his lips, and he finally let out a whimper of fear, as Marluxia's smile grew a little wider.

The pink-haired man smirked after he broke the kiss, seeing Cassandra's frightened expression. Marluxia's voice took on a tenderer, caring tone that made Cassandra shiver slightly.

"Perhaps...perhaps I can put you somewhere more comfortable. Surely the thorns ache, do they not?" Marluxia seemed to think about it for a moment, before quietly snapping his fingers. The vines immediately slithered away, carrying the roses away with them and causing the ex-Head Priest to fall to the ground on his knees. "Shh..." Marluxia used one hand to push Cassandra's chin up gently to face the Graceful Assassin.

"You have no need to fear of me. Not too much, anyway..."

And then the thorny vines and heavy roses came rushing back towards Cassandra, stronger than ever.


"Namine." The 'memory witch' turned from her drawing to see Jizabel Disraeli enter the room. "Your dinner." He spoke quietly, looking at the abandoned meal on the table. "You haven't eaten anything except for the salad..."

"I'm not that hungry." The blond girl responded, glancing at her drawing before facing Jizabel. "What about you? Have you eaten anything?"

"You have no need to worry about me." The doctor replied with a straight face.

"Well, it seems like I have to!" Namine exclaimed. "Whenever you come around here and Cassian's not around, you never go grab something to eat! I hate to quote Cassian, but seriously, you're going to get so skinny and ill if you don't eat anything!"

Jizabel sighed quietly. "I don't need another Cassian, thank you." He muttered, looking around the room before picking up a drawing on the table. Namine flinched, standing up quickly before trying to snatch the drawing out of the doctor's hands, but he pulled it away from her reach. "And speaking of Cassian...this is him; if I'm not mistaken...did he drop by here, by any chance?" he asked, showing the drawing of her. It was Cassian, asleep in a bed with Jizabel watching over him.

Namine shook her head. "I've only drawn what's gone through my head for the past couple days." The 'witch' responded quietly. She looked up, wondering... "What happened to Head Priest Cassandra? After you and Cassian captured him? You never told me what happened next. Unless...he is deceased?"

Jizabel shook his head. "No. The Cardmaster figured he would be better off use for one of the three that command you to do their work." He responded.

"Larxene?" Namine could easily image Larxene torturing Cassandra with electrocution.

"No, it's not the Savage Nymph."

"Axel?" She could also imagine Axel grinning as he hung Cassandra in a cage overtop a huge bonfire. But then again, it didn't seem anything like Axel to do that.

"No, it's not the Flurry of Dancing Flames either. And that leaves..."

"Marluxia." Namine whispered, before immediately scrambling back to the drawing she had been working on and grabbed a pencil before scrawling onto the paper.

"Namine?" the girl didn't respond as she continued to scribble and scrawl at what Jizabel would describe as an abnormal speed. "Namine?"

Namine held up the drawing to Jizabel. The doctor stared at the picture with a look of shock.

In the picture, Cassandra was completely dripping scarlet blood as thorns pierced his skin, his dark amber eyes looking so confused and panicked as he tried to struggle against his vine-like bonds.

Marluxia stood, smiling as he looked at Cassandra with a little triumph in his eyes, leaning in close as if about to kiss the ex-Head Priest's cheek.


"You're bleeding all over..."

Cassandra didn't want to hear that tender tone of voice. Marluxia's voice usually sounded hollow, more emotionless than this. He wanted to hear that voice again, not this venomously sweet tone. He didn't want to inhale any more scents of those noxious roses, none. He didn't want to be stuck in the thorns that bound him back and would give him more cuts and scars and make him scream in pain when whipped upon his back.

He especially did not want to feel those velvety lips on his mouth or cheek again, either. Never. Again.

"Maybe the increased amount of thorns and roses were much too strenuous for you. Perhaps, perhaps..."

Cassandra felt so dizzy. When he was suddenly released from his thorny bonds, he collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

"Mnn...don't worry...I know a special little girl who would gladly keep you company while I'm away for a while, darling. Alright?"

He didn't want to be called darling.

He didn't want to be Marluxia's prisoner anymore.

Heck, he would rather be killed already than suffer this.

Still, he didn't have a choice...


Namine and Jizabel stared as Marluxia dragged a bloody ex-Head Priest into the room and hauled him onto the floor.

"Well? What do you think? I'm going to be away for a little while, to Castle Oblivion, so..." The Graceful Assassin paused for a moment before speaking in a completely monotone voice, "I need you to watch over him. Alright?"

He left right afterwards.

The doctor and the 'witch' just stared at Cassandra for a moment, lying on the floor, completely helpless and enveloped in his own blood.

"Get Cassian over here." Namine whispered quietly to the doctor. "Please." Namine honestly had never really liked the ex-Head Priest from the beginning. He had treated her like a dog, practically the way he would treat Cassian. Cassandra used to act so...vain, so pompous, so 'I'm better than thou.'

But...he was still a human being, if not Nobody. And Namine knew too well that human beings would either help or abandon those in need.

The doctor nodded quietly, before leaving the room in search of the Trump Card.

Namine slowly crawled over to Cassandra, afraid to search for his pulse. Was the ex-Head Priest even still alive?

A soft, incoherent whisper answered her. Cassandra tried to say something again, but Namine shushed him quickly.

"You really lost a lot of blood. It-it must really hurt..." Namine barely knew what to say, but she knew she had to calm down Cassandra. The 35-year-old seemed...broken beyond repair. "It's going to be okay...I...Jizabel...he's...gone to get help."

Cassandra only let out one sentence before he abruptly passed out.

"Don't make me inhale any more noxious roses..."

Author note: What. Have. I. Done?

...This...has definitely got to be the darkest fic I've written. I'm not sure if any other fics I write could surpass this...

...Well...what do you think of this fic? Was I too harsh on the torture scenes or something? Please...constructive criticism will REALLY be a great help here.

...I hope you review...