Chapter 25: This isn't a Fairytale

Summary: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Day 25: Gazing into each other's eyes

Taking a small team down to Furya the fleet remains in the system but nowhere near Furya itself, after all Aereon had warned that they may end up having to stay for more than just a few days. Plus Riddick didn't want the Necromongers on his home world again. Neither did Vaako.

The squad is made up of Dame Toal, Saal, 4 of their soldiers, Aereon, Vaako, Riddick and the Hounds. Including Trouble and her pups. They were much bigger now, almost fully grown.

Vaako breathes in the air, feeling his body almost rejuvenate itself from being back on the planet's surface. He was tingling all over, it felt like he'd been unknowingly running on half battery the whole time, and landing here had begun to recharge him.

Riddick had felt something similar before, but in a much more concentrated amount than this. When he had received the eyeshine and on Crematoria. They all knew what this was for them, being back on the planet even if it was dying, a husk of what it once was, it still supported the life it had brought into the universe. Furyan energy was seeping into their very beings.

Aereon leads them over to a large building, still practically burned out from the last time Necromongers were here. "This is where we will meet Han'ir." The Soldiers settle in and set up camp whilst Dame Toal and Saal scout the building and area out. Vaako and Riddick stay close to Aereon, waiting to meet this Furyan woman of hers. "I met her on a planet you invaded as Lord Marshal, Riddick." Vaako had zoned out and missed some of the conversation, it seemed. "Otherwise I would have contacted her instead of setting the bounty on your head. However I think we can both agree that it worked out for the best, with the results being as they are."

The doors open and a woman appearing to roughly be the same age as Aereon walks in, her hair pulled back into dark braids, silver streaked through her dark hair. There was a strange power around her that even the soldiers could feel coming from her.

"Aereon, my friend. I believe you found some young men who need my help to become adults. Would these be them?" Riddick and Vaako had their backs turned to the doors and neither had turned to face her yet. When Vaako does turn around and sees the woman he feels something tug in his mind, trying to claw its way to the surface. He had seen this woman before. Evidently the woman recalled Vaako better than he did her however as her face goes pale and she stares at the First Among in shock. "S-Siberius? That... it can't be... You... You..."

"Do I know you, Woman?" Vaako didn't like being left in the dark.

Recovering slightly, Han'ir shakes her head slightly and goes to the men. "You will remember soon Siberius, my friend. And I am so sorry for what I will have to do to you." He could feel her mind brushing against his, simply having a look, so to speak, at the mental barrier that had been erected by the Quasi-Dead. She turns to Riddick and Aereon. "To be able to pass the rite and become adults, I will have to remove all mental barriers in your minds that have been erected. Siberius' will be more difficult as his were done to make him forget his true self, yours however..." Her mind presses against Riddick's. "You young man, have them to protect you. They were put up by someone like myself or Siberius. A Furyan telepath. I see some have been taken down already... Interesting."

She leads them through to one of the bedrooms and has Riddick sit down with Vaako lying on a bed beside him. After explaining that this would be because the flood of memories and abilities that would return to the men could be overwhelming. However Riddick had already recovered the majority of his so it shouldn't be too bad. Vaako on the other hand... She begins with Riddick.

It was strange letting someone other than Vaako into his mind but Riddick did as he was told, and feels a few memories return to him, fairly insignificant ones. Just filling the blanks for him, his body on the other hand, felt stronger than ever before. Then it was Vaako's turn.

Han'ir looks at him apologetically before taking his hand and closing her eyes as she begins to work systematically until all the barriers the Quasi-Dead had built fall down. It had taken hours and Riddick only had an inkling that something had happened when Vaako screamed in pure pain.

Vaako could barely keep up with all the memories flicking up to the forefront of his mind, demanding to be remembered.

Siberius laughs as his Father picks him up and tickles him, about five years old, his Mother watching with a fond smile. "Boys enough of that now it's time to eat." She was a Furyan, a beautiful proud warrior with long braids reaching her waist. His Father was from a nearby system, a telepath although admittedly not as strong as his Mother but powerful enough. Their minds all link briefly, love spreading through the three of them.

Siberius was older now, about ten years old, playing and laughing with a young girl roughly the same age. She was a Furyan too. A friend. "Si! That's not fair! Your mind is stronger than mine!"
"Tough Han'ir! That's the rules!" Siberius laughs and sticks his tongue out at her. The memory jumps forward slightly. They sit together in the grass, braiding each other's hair as they had seen the adults do. It was a sign of affection and all their telepaths wore them. "One day I'm going to be as powerful as an Alpha. I can do it Han'ir."

About half a decade later and Siberius can only scream as he watches his Parents killed in front of him, the links going silent as they die, their minds leaving their bodies permanently. "Oh you pretty boy... You're gonna make us very rich." The Merc sneers as he pulls Siberius to their ship by his braids. They were wearing pretty strong disrupts, even he couldn't get past them to kill them. This group obviously knew what they were doing and had come prepared. Tied up in the back of the ship, Siberius gleans from the conversation the Mercs have that he was being sold to some weirdo on Amora V that liked to keep people like him as pets, to show them off to his other rich weirdo friends. If he didn't have the bit in his mouth Siberius knew he'd be sick. He was Furyan, not some animal to be poked and stared at. Yet that was exactly what was going to happen.

Now a fit, strapping young man at 20 years old, Siberius found himself getting unwanted attention from his Master's guests. His body was covered in lean muscle, his braids kept neat and long down his back. However there was nothing he could do, not with the disrupt buried deep inside the top of his spine that filled his body with various drugs too, keeping him pliant.
Then one morning it was gone and the planet was being attacked by strong warriors dressed in intimidating armour. But Siberius was free now and instantly lashes out as one of the Soldiers grabs him by his hair, cutting most of it off. With his telepathy back he manages to kill two of them by severing their minds from their bodies and proceeds to kill a third with his bare hands before he finds himself surrounded, guns pointed at him. He frowns as one of these Soldiers informs him that he was to 'keep what he had killed' and he would be taken before something called the 'Quasi-Dead'.

Pain. All Siberius knew was pain. These Quasi-Dead were relentless is tearing his mind apart, scouring every part of him. Then when their Lord Marshal orders, they begin to seal everything that makes him Siberius Vaako away into the deepest parts of his minds. He would be a blank canvas for the Necromongers to make into whatever they wanted.

Tears streaming down his face, Vaako sits upright suddenly, arms wrapped around himself as it all settles in. He had had a happy childhood. Here on Furya. Then he had come back and had enjoyed ransacking his home planet. The challenge of fighting these incredibly strong warriors had been thrilling. Yet he had been killing Men and Women he had known.

Riddick strokes his cheek to take away the tears, frowning slightly. "This ain't a fairytale beautiful. You ended up with those half-dead bastards somehow. It was never gonna be a happy story."

Nodding, Vaako looks at his childhood friend who was now old and withered. Of course he hadn't aged, not since the Necromongers had taken him. The Purifications stopped the aging process. No wonder she had been so shocked to see him. "We were childhood friends." Vaako informs Aereon and Riddick. "Han'ir and I. That is why she was so shocked to see me."

"Wait, childhood friends? How old are you beautiful?" Riddick looks at the two of them in shock.

"I was here on Furya when Zhylaw attacked it, when you were still a babe Riddick. Add twenty years to that and that is how old I am." Vaako rolls his eyes slightly. Really, of all the things to focus on right now, that seemed the least significant.

Han'ir just smiles slightly and stands. "Now that you two have no more mental barriers, we will begin the rite to allow you to become adults. In a few days we will be able to bond you two as Mates, joined for eternity. In life and death."

Aereon waits outside with Saal and Dame Toal as the rites are performed, not allowed to witness such a private and sacred moment amongst Furyans. All they can do is sit and wait to see what the difference would be once they emerged.

~timeskip~

Several days had passed since Vaako and Riddick had become adults and really, it was shocking how much Vaako had changed and how little Riddick had. Abilities and memories returned, Vaako was no longer so stiff and formal all the time. He was smiling more, much more relaxed and playful. The only thing that had seemed to change with Riddick was that he was no longer as incredibly possessive of Vaako. He hadn't felt the need to drag him off somewhere and mark him as much as he had used to. They were significantly more at ease with one another, that much was clear.

Now that they had settled with that however, it was time for the two of them to be bonded and properly recharge with Furyan energy. Han'ir had been teaching and guiding Vaako in preparation for what he would need to do since his abilities had been returned to him. Ability wise, as adults the two men were incomprehensively powerful. It oozed from their very pores, alerting to all around them that they were not to be messed with. Although the Soldiers had been aware of it before, it was because they had proven themselves. But now, now their very core instincts told them to run as far away from these terrifying animals as fast as they could.

Han'ir leads them to the practically destroyed temple where they would perform the bonding and proceeds to start the process. Vaako and Riddick's minds hadn't be unlinked since either, so the whole thing get's kicked off pretty quickly. They turn to each other and gaze directly into the other's eyes. Vaako's once hazel eyes now burned a beautiful deep green that lock onto and hold Riddick's shined eyes which now could handle any lighting, not just the dark.

As their gazes meet, something ignites inside them, their already linked minds joining together to become one. They move forward to meet, their movements synced perfectly, biting down to break the skin on the others neck. With that simple process, they are bonded physically and mentally forever.

"Mine." Riddick growls against his neck, lapping at the wound gently.

"Yours." Vaako agrees with a smile, sending contentment through his bond to Riddick. Go on my Alpha, go prepare everyone to return to the fleet. I wish to speak with Han'ir before we leave.

The Alpha nods and leaves his Mate as requested. Turning to his old friend, Vaako watches Han'ir contemplatively. "Take care of yourself my friend." she says softly and pulls him into a hug. "You've got yourself a very worthy Alpha there Si. Make sure he behaves."

"That's all I have been doing since I met Riddick, regardless of the fact that we weren't even together for most of that time." Vaako smiles and hugs her back. "Take care of yourself too Han'ir. And the rest of our race that have survived... changes are coming and I don't honestly know what is going to happen when they arrive."

They say their last farewells before going their separate ways, Vaako returning to his Mate whom had been sending various amusing thoughts and images to him the whole time. "You know Saal, if you like the Dame that much that you think about her to this extent, you should just court her already." Vaako smirks as Saal turns pink and looks at him in shock. He loved being a telepath.

"Respectfully, First Among, go fuck yourself." Saal laughs and tries to urge his blush to go away.

AN: woo even more back story for Vaako! So that's what happened to him and now he and Riddick are all grown up and ready to return to the Basilica.

Please let me know what you think! Can't believe I only have 5 chapters left after this! D: where did the time go?