Author's Note: Well guys, here it is. The revisions I promised months ago. I hated where the story was going, so I overhauled the whole damn thing and started over. I changed the narrative style (as the prologue shows), and so now this story is much, much longer. Even if you read the original version, read the revision because it WILL contain new information that wasn't in the original.

I can't promise anything as far as updates go, but I will try to be fairly regular. About once a month or so. Part of this is because of how long the chapters are, the other part comes with the territory of being an engineering student. Free time, what is this that you speak of? I haven't had free time in over a year!

WARNINGS: Though I rated this story as M, it is actually a very, very high T/low M for references to sex, including nonconsensual sex (rape) and prostitution, as well as references to torture, violence, and abuse. This story also contains references to polyfidelity (see story notes for details), heterosexual and homosexual relationships. If ANY of this bother you, I urge you not to read, as I can be a brutal writer and I don't always pull my punches.

Longer Summary: Riku is no stranger to feeling powerless. Born a slave in an oligarchial society, he's experienced the worst degradations that can befall a human being, and come through each one bearing just one more scar on his heart. Yet even still, Riku has the tenacity to believe that he will one day buy his freedom. When he is bought by Lord Hikaru that dream seems closer than ever before. Yet an ill-planned, fragile and unsteady romance with his master's youngest son, Sora, threatens to unravel all of Riku's carefully laid plans. Can Riku, who has never been able to control his own life, find the courage to seize what his heart desires, or is he merely doomed to a life as plaything of the rich?

Story Notes: Polyfidelity, for those of you who don't know, refers to the idea of closed circle relationships, where members often have more than one partner, but partnership is restricted based on the approval of the other members in the relationship. Paramour is a slightly archaic word referring to a mistress, actually. But it was used in a positive sense, and sometimes women had paramours too. In this story, it refers to the partners in a polyfidelous relationship.

Part One: Touch

Prologue: Riku: Journey

Pyreflies
That's how it ends.
Ashes dancing on the wind

Riku slipped his shoes off and buried his feet in the sand, delighting in the feeling of the warm particles between his toes. Kairi and Axel had already run in ahead of him, and were splashing merrily in the warm ocean water. Summer had finally come to the island, and his paramours were determined to celebrate while they could. After all, this was their last chance.

"Riku!" Kairi called from the water, waving her hands at him from where she stood, waist deep in pale blue water. Her skin tanned from the sun. "Get in! I need you to help me dump Axel!"

From just a short distance away, the other redhead glared at Kairi and, with a mischievous grin grabbed her around the waist, hoisting her out of the water. "You won't be the one dumping me, I'll be the one dumping you, got it memorized?" He tossed her down and held her beneath the water for a few seconds.

When Kairi came back up, she was sputtering but laughing as she splashed Axel with water. From the shoreline, further up behind Riku, he heard Namine's exasperated cry of "Would you please not kill my sister, Axel?" and Larxene's amused chortle. Neither blond had much interest in swimming, preferring to sit in the shade and watch everyone else get wet and sandy as they cuddled with each other.

Riku just grinned and did as Kairi told him too. "You're both idiots, you know that, right?" He told the two as soon as he was within arm's reach.

Kairi pretended to look offended and slapped his shoulder. "We're entitled to it! After all, we just got done taking that Yevon-damned bloody awful test to end all tests. That stupid thing was so hard! I don't know about you, but my brain is completely fried!"

Ah yes, the reason for their impromptu celebration; the SIAT. It stood for "slave intelligence and aptitude test" but Axel had taken to calling it the Shi-at, or "that shitty test." Not every slave took it, though. Only those who were being considered for special training took the SIAT. As much as Axel and Kairi complained, however, the SIAT was their one chance at getting out of Destiny Labor Camp. Because, despite the seeming evidence to the contrary, Riku, Axel, Kairi, Larxene, and Namine were all slaves.

Riku shook his head sadly, but was smiling broadly as he said, "It's supposed to be hard. It's an intelligence test. But I'm sure you did fine."

Kairi rolled her blue eyes, "Oh, sure, that's easy for you to say, Mr. I-get-prefect-thirty-sixes-on-everything." She grabbed Riku's hand in one of hers, and with the other one grabbed Axel's. Both teenage boys just shared a look as Axel rolled his own eyes over Kairi's head. "Well, whatever. If it will be, it will be. I'll just cherish what I've got, even if I never get to have it again." She squeezed both their hands.

"Aww, Kairi." Riku teased. "We love you too, don't we Axel?"

Axel rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, whatever, 'course we love the conniving little nuisance. How can we not?" He deadpanned, to Kairi's exasperation and Riku's amusement.

"Boys!" Kairi cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "I don't know why I put up with you idiots!"

"Because you love us!" Riku and Axel replied, in unison, as Axel added (to Kairi's further annoyance), "Got it memorized?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

Cries
That's how is begins.
A child born to the bleakness of life

It's a mere week later that Riku stood outside Kairi's home—the tiny single room shack she shared with Namine and Larxene—watching as Kairi hugged her sister one last time. Kairi was crying, even though she claimed it was out of happiness. Riku could guess otherwise. Riku eyed well-dressed man who stood a few meters away, beside the guard warily, his expression openly hostile.

"Promise to write me." Kairi whispered, reluctant to let go of her sister. "Promise not to forget me."

"Of course not." Namine reassured her. "I will write you as much as I can, I promise, and I won't forget you. I swear I won't."

"It's so selfish of me, but I don't want you to go. Even though I know you're going someplace way better than here."

"I know. I don't want to leave you either. I wish I could take you with me."

"I know, I know. I love you, Namine." Kairi whispered, burying her face into her twin sister's shoulder.

"I love you too, Kairi."

When they finally disentangled from each other's arms, a few moments later, Namine walked right up to Riku, her expression unusually stern, considering how soft-spoken the girl was. "Watch out for my big sis for me, ya hear. I know she can be a bit of a flake at times, so try to keep her from losing her mind."

Riku smiled slightly. "I will Namine. You don't have to worry about that. You just focus on yourself. Be good, do good. Make us all proud."

"You too, Riku." She gave him a brief hug and a peck on the cheek. "I believe in you."

She turned around and walked toward the man, her new master, and that was the last time Riku or Kairi saw Namine.

Journey
The in between
The path from cries to pyreflies

Another two weeks later, the results from the SIAT came in. Riku sat in stunned silence as one of the local school teachers beamed at him from across the table, the portfolio containing the test scores and his net worth potential.

"Thirty-five…" Riku whispered, shocked. "That's…"

"Remarkable, especially for a slave from a labor camp. You've got the highest score out of all your peers." The teacher told him, smiling.

"I… see…" He picked up one of the sheets of paper spread out across the table. It was the bidding estimations. Essentially, it was a prediction of his supposed worth, based on his score and preexisting bond price. Riku could feel his hand trembling as he glanced over the numbers on the paper. "This is…" He tried to push down his shock. "This is far more than my brother and I combined!"

The teacher nodded. "Yes, it is. But believe me, there's already been quite a few bids placed on you, Riku. You are definitely going to be sold, but we won't know to whom until the bid closes. Though, the buyers all look promising. Radiant Garden Research Lab… Vector Imperial Chemistry… The National Administration of Air Ship Transportation… Hikaru Physical Sciences Lab… any of these would no doubt give you an education and a good place to work."

"I know that, but what about my brother?" Riku replied.

"What about your brother? The bidding is for you."

Riku shook his head. "No, I mean, with such a high bid price, why can't it go to pay off his bond too? Why does it only have to be me? There's more than enough for him too…"

"Riku…" The teacher frowned. "We discussed this before you came up for testing. Destiny Agricultural is looking to make a profit. There's no way any business would limit their income like that. Besides, your brother has Lunasis as well, doesn't he?"

The pale haired boy nodded, reaching up self consciously to touch his shoulder length white hair. It was the tell-tale sign that he had the life threatening genetic condition, Lunasis.

"Average life expectancy for a slave with Lunasis is not very high. There's no way anyone would spend money on a sick, unskilled laborer."

Riku scowled. "I know that! I just…"

"Riku, think about yourself. You have a bright future, a chance to buy your freedom. Don't waste that."

Impermanent, malleable, erasable
Meanwhile, I'll be waiting
For remembrance

"So… Do I look like I've just had mind-blowing sex?"

Riku carefully tucked the small blue bottle of green and white pills away in the pocket of his pants and turned to regard Guardsman Fair with a look that was part annoyed and part incredulous. "No, you don't and I don't see why you won't just let me repay you. If the other guards find out about this, you'll be the one to take all the heat."

Zackary Fair, the young black-haired guard who was, in Riku's opinion, the only decent guard in the world, simply shrugged and said. "You're a cute kid, Riku, but I'm not interested. I'll deal with the guards teasing me about being a prude if they find out. It's not like it's that far from the truth." He grinned lopsidedly, showing off even white teeth.

"You can say that again." Riku teased. Guardsman Fair was notoriously picky about his partners; even the slaves had noticed. Riku coughed lightly, and Zack cast him a look that was clearly worried.

"Hey, you take some of that medicine too. That cough doesn't sound too good."

The pale haired teen shook his head. "It's fine. Sephiroth needs the medicine more than I do. I can survive another week or two without treatment."

"But what if it's an infection? You might develop pneumonia."

Riku waved off Zack's concerns with a motion of his hand. "It won't happen. My brother's more important."

"Riku…" The dark haired man admonished gently, gripping the teenager by his thin wrist and pulling him into an unexpected hug. Zack was the hugging sort, but Riku was made distinctly uncomfortable by the unannounced physical contact. "You shouldn't talk like that, as though you aren't important. When was the last time you acted selfishly?"

Pale green eyes narrowed as Riku scowled, but didn't quite dare to pull away from his superior. "I am acting selfishly." He replied softly, "Why else do you think I worked so hard to score so high on the SIAT? I want out of this life, even if it means leaving my loved ones."

"It's not selfish to want to get out of here. And you're far too intelligent to spend the rest of your life as a whore in a labor camp."

Riku winced at the word whore, even though he'd heard it often enough to describe his position, even if it was a technically inaccurate description, and derogatory enough for it to bother Riku. He didn't get a chance to reply before the barrack's room door creaked open and another guard stepped inside.

He cast one quick, vaguely condescending glance at Riku, still wrapped up in Zack's arms in what Riku guessed might have looked like a lover's embrace to an outside observer, and said to Zack, "Playtime's over, we have work to do. You can come back and fuck the whore later."

Zack shrugged, managing to look at least a little put out about the loss of his supposed catamite. He released Riku, who took it as his cue to leave and slipped out the door past the other guard, not bothering with any sort of reaction when the guard, predictably, slapped his ass as he walked by. He was used to it.

Outside the large main complex building that was the heart and center of the labor camp, the guardhouse, Riku wasted no time in sprinting down well remembered trails back to his own dwelling. The camp was laid out over the smallest island of the five-island chain that made up the annexed-territory of Destiny Islands, under the control of Radiant Garden. The fruit orchards that were the reason for the camp's existence took up most of the island, and the entire sister island close by. The rest of the island was lightly wooded and scattered with the shanty, impermanent, cheaply constructed shacks that made up housing for the slaves. Riku's own home was no different.

He skidded to a stop in front of his house, narrowly missing Kairi who was standing on the path outside, her face twisted in a frown, waiting for him. "Kairi! What are you doing outside? I thought you were watching Sephiroth for me."

Kairi glared at him. "One of these days, Riku, I would like very much to strangle your brother in his sleep. Gleefully." She told him vehemently.

Riku sighed. "What did he do this time?"

"He was Sephiroth, of course! I tell him to rest and he insists on working. I try to do anything and he tells me to just let him do it. I try to be the nice little brother's paramour, doing all the nice things good paramours do and he just brushes me off! And speaking of paramours, where is his good-for-nothing gods-damned paramour anyway?! This is supposed to be his job!"

"Who knows? This is Gen we're talking about, after all." Genesis, nicknamed Gen, was Sephiroth's young and very lazy paramour, who could be relied on for exactly two things: jealous possessiveness and memorized poetry. Riku wondered what the hell it was that his brother saw in the annoying redhead, but kept his mouth shut.

"Hah, I'd enjoy strangling him in his sleep as well." Kairi motioned with her hands, mimicking the action of strangling someone.

Riku laughed. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, don't be." Kairi's angry expression faded into gentle concern, as she changed the subject. "Are you all right? You were up at the guardhouse, weren't you?"

"I'm fine. It's nothing."

"If you're sure." A small frown, nearly imperceptible, and Kairi slid up closer to Riku, wrapping her arms around his slender waist and pressing against him. "Hey, you know we haven't spent time together, just the two of us, since before we took the SIAT."

Riku returned her hug, leaning down to kiss her gently on the lips. "I'm sorry. I'm a bad paramour, aren't I?" He teased.

Kairi shrugged. "Distracted is more like it." She teased back. "Why don't we spend some time tonight, just the two of us? Come over to my place. I've missed having you to myself."

"I will, if that's what you want." Riku promised, kissing her again.

She smiled at him. "Okay, it's a deal." She sounded like she was in a much better mood now, and she wasted no time in sprinting off, leaving Riku alone outside his house.

Riku shook his head with an amused sigh, and turned to head inside.

Sephiroth, Riku's older brother by nearly seven years, was standing at the workbench against the far wall of the room, busily at work with jars of extracts and herbs scattered around him. Riku just sighed as he stepped up behind his brother and said, "You're supposed to be resting right now, not up and making things."

Sephiroth didn't reply immediately, but he did point one fine boned finger at a tiny jar of crushed herbs that looked like tea, and said. "Give that to Kairi when you see her next."

Riku picked up the jar and inspected it. "What is this?"

"Tea to help cure pre menstrual syndrome. It also helps relax the body and calm the mind. She seemed a bit uptight today." Sephiroth's voice was carefully monotonous, but Riku got the impression he was secretly amused.

Riku couldn't help it. He laughed. "As far as jokes go, Seph, this one is just mean. She's only uptight because you weren't listening to her. Honestly, for someone who makes it a point to know a lot about illnesses, you sure are stubborn when it comes to your own health." Remembering the pills that he had gotten from Zack, Riku pulled the bottle out of his pocket and set it on the workbench, next to Sephiroth's hand. "That should help reverse the muscle loss and stop the infection from spreading."

Sephiroth cast a quick glance at the bottle, before halting his work and turning to regard Riku with cool eyes and a blank expression. "Did you?"

He didn't even need to finish the sentence for Riku to know what he was asking. Riku shook his head. "No. I got them from Guardsman Fair, and he's as notoriously picky as usual."

"Even you can't make everyone fall in love with you." Satisfied, the longhaired man turned back to his work, ignoring the pills to Riku's annoyance.

Riku rolled his eyes. "Thank Ramuh for small favors." He muttered, somewhat bitterly. He turned and walked away, pausing in the doorway to look back. "I forgot to tell you earlier, but… I'm being sold."

Sephiroth's hands stopped moving, the only sign that he'd heard. For a long while there was silence, before the older man said calmly, "I figured as much."

Riku turned away. "I'm sorry." He replied, and left.

Unsteady, withheld, fragile
Meanwhile I'll be searching
For validation

Again, Kairi was crying. Riku watched helplessly, fighting back his own urge to cry, as she buried her face in her arms and tried to stop the tears. Behind her, Axel had his arms wrapped around her waist in an uncharacteristic show of kindness and affection, comforting her.

Riku wished he could think of something comforting to say to her, but even "It'll be all right," felt weirdly inappropriate in this situation. Probably because he had no way of knowing if it would be all right.

"We knew this day would come." Axel said softly, refusing to meet Riku's eyes.

Riku nodded. "Yeah. We just didn't think it would come so soon."

Axel didn't say anything, just stared intently downward at the top of Kairi's head. For a long while, they were silent. "I don't want to say goodbye." Axel finally whispered.

Before Riku knew what he was doing, he had his arms wrapped around both Axel and Kairi, sandwiching the girl between her two paramours. She wasted no time burying her face in Riku's t-shirt, clinging to him with no desire to ever let go. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Kairi replied. "We know, we know."

Riku pulled away slightly so he could see the girl's face, tear streaked and dirty. He cupped her face between his hands and kissed her slowly, softly, before pulling away to do the same to Axel. "I love you both. So much more than I can say. I'm sorry it has to end this way."

Sephiroth had remained behind the group, standing under the lean-to beside their home, his arms folded across his chest. His elusive paramour, Genesis, was seated beside him, vibrant red against Sephiroth's pale white. Riku went to see them.

"So it is that the time should come for you to leave, has it?" Genesis asked. Riku was used to the older man's overly flowery language, and the way he always seemed to be quoting something; a book, a poem, a song.

Riku nodded. "They're waiting for me right now." He glanced over at Sephiroth, the older man unmoved and unchanging. "I just wanted to say goodbye."

Genesis nodded graciously to him, looking like a regal cat. There was a reason very few people liked the flamboyant redhead; that he had a very obvious superiority complex was one of them. "'Even if the morrow…'" he began, only to be cut off by twin warnings of "Genesis!" from both Riku and Sephiroth. He quoted that line often enough that even the ever-patient Sephiroth had gotten tired of it. The redhead shrugged it off, unaffected.

"Remember to write." Sephiroth told him, and Riku nodded, knowing that that was the most he could hope to get out of his aloof brother.

"I will."

It was better that than a goodbye, Riku reflected later, as he allowed Guardsman Fair to chain his arms behind his back before a blond haired man who'd introduced himself as Ingus Altney, a man who worked for Riku's new master, took him away. Riku allowed himself to be ushered onto the ferry to the mainland, and refused to look back at the tiny island where he was born and raised. He refused to look back and see the people he was leaving behind.

He couldn't. Not when he had so much to gain… and so much more to lose.

Meanwhile
I won't let my journey
End like this

I'm stealing Scribbler's format and putting unknown characters and obscure references at the end (only really obscure ones, otherwise this list is way too long). This makes the top look less daunting, doesn't it? Let me know which you all prefer!

It was the tell-tale sign that he had the life threatening genetic condition, Lunasis.

Lunasis is a reference to the Lunites from Final Fantasy IV. The Lunites themselves had varied appearances but the main character of FF4, Cecil, is a half Lunite with white hair and blue eyes (his brother Golbez, to clear up some confusion for the Dissidia fans, was brown haired and violet eyed). The condition itself, however, is more along the lines of Geostigma from Final Fantasy VII.

Zackary Fair, the young black-haired guard who was, in Riku's opinion, the only decent guard in the world

Zack is a minor character from Final Fantasy VII, appearing only in Cloud's flashbacks. He is shown as a cheerful and friendly guy who was close to Sephiroth and Cloud both before his rather tragic end. He gave up his life for Cloud's and as a result Cloud spends most of FF7 believing he is Zack. Zack's a shameless flirt (no, really, Crisis Core proves it) and has a very short attention span at times. Some fans believe Zack is a nickname, and I've seen fanon name him everything from Zachary to Isaac.

Genesis, nicknamed Gen, was Sephiroth's young and very lazy paramour, who could be relied on for exactly two things: jealous possessiveness and memorized poetry.

Genesis is a character only appearing in the Final Fantasy VII complication... er compilation. His quote sums up his personality. He's kind of irritating, actually. "Even if the morrow is barren of promise, nothing shall forestall my return" is perhaps Genesis's most famous line, and is known as The End of Loveless, which is the name of the play that Genesis is always reading in Crisis Core.

"Thank Ramuh for small favors."

A recurring character in the Final Fantasy series, Ramuh is most often a summon of some sort (Esper, Eidolon, etc.), so he occupies a place similar to a deity. He usually has the appearance of an old man.

a blond haired man who'd introduced himself as Ingus Altney

Ingus (sometimes called Ignus) is one of the named main characters of the Final Fantasy III remake. He is a knight in love with Princess Sara Altney, and though the love is requited, they are both aware of the difference in rank between them. Ingus is rational, polite, and likes to think things through rather than rush right in.

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