Chapter 4: The Assassins from Death's Head Caucus

"The deal was that I'd seal your take over power so you don't do anything stupid, I would take you to this tower island, even though I think its a terrible idea, and then I'd wait," Mystogan reminded him. "Not that you'd ruin every inch of the boat with your sea sickness."

Riku hiccuped in response while throwing his arms, head, and shoulders over the side of the rickety boat and staring at the passing water as it threw their boat about, letting his fingers dip under the cold waves and hoping this would distract his senses from the motion of the ocean below. Riku closed his eyes, trying his best to imagine he was anywhere but on the boat. He tried to picture solid land, rocky land. The more stable the better.

He was leaning against the cell wall with the sounds of restless sleep around him and distant calls for help. In their cell, Sho was crying (maybe in his sleep, maybe awake). Riku tapped his head lightly against the wall.

"Can't sleep?"

He let his tired eyes roll over to Simon, a boy around his age with dark eyes, dark hair, and tan skin. He sat next to Riku, pulling his legs tight against him.

"Not with this noise," Riku admitted.

"Yeah," Simon agreed. "My sister had nightmares, but even for me this is too noisy."

Riku gulped in some air. They didn't normally share information about themselves. He did know where Millianna came from, didn't know who Erza's parents were, and certainly couldn't even name half the kids in the cells or work yards around them. Kids tried to escape and then they disappeared. The less you knew, the better. Simon didn't seem to notice Riku's hesitation.

"I have a sister back home. I hope she's okay. I'm glad she's not here."

Riku nodded.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No."

"None at all? Weren't you lonely?"

"Never" Riku huffed indignantly looking back at the wall, suddenly very interested in the pattern. How many prisoners build this cell and were they still sitting in one near by, admiring their handiwork?

"Well, I miss her a lot," Simon muttered into his knees. Riku scratched at the dirt between two cells bricks as Simon continued. "But I'd never want her here. One day I'll find her- Kagura. What will you do when you get off this island?"

Riku looked at Simon, blinking confused, "what?"

"Uncle Rob says we should always have plans for what we'll do after this island, that way we'll survive," Simon explained.

Riku rolled his eyes. "You sound like Erza, quoting Uncle Rob. He'd not even our uncle."

"Well, he's the best Uncle we've got, Riku," scolded Simon and for some reason it made Riku smile, as if Simon were HIS older brother (and not the older brother of this Kagura), telling Riku how to behave.

Riku pushed himself away from the boat's edge and lay so his back was against the wooden deck. Well, trying to let his mind wander wasn't going to help ease his motion sickness this time, not if it just took him back to his childhood on the island. The island he was headed to now. He ran his hand across his sweaty face and groaned, "what the fuck."

"I told you I don't trust this Siegrain," Mystogan told him, but his tone was more gentle than before, clearly aware of Riku's physical agony (even if he was unaware of Riku's memories). "And the last thing I need is for you to accidentally activate your darkness's dragons secret art dark dragon take over if you get overwhelmed. Last time you looked like some kind of demonic dragon, with scales on your face and arms, with those mad eyes. You gotta learn some control! Riku," Mystogan nudged his side with his foot. "Are you listening?"

"Uuuuugggghhhhh," was the only response Riku could muster, turning on his side and curling into his stomach which was the only thing that seemed to be out of control at the moment. He squeezed his eyes shut. Anything would be better than this endless nausea paired with his partner's endless lecturing.

He was in a mine, digging or building. It was hard to tell which anymore. All around him were slaves working. Some kid with a snake in his pocket named Erik on one side of Riku and Simon on the other. The ground was rough beneath his bear feet and his eyes were so tired from staying up late. He knew Simon felt the same way. He gave the boy a sideways glance and saw that Simon's eyes were determined, even as his arms shook from the load they were pulling. A whip cracked above them. Erik whimpered and Simon flinched and Riku was just so so tired.

Then he felt Erik (or maybe it was Simon) slip. They all went down and there was the feeling of a whip on their backs and suddenly a rage was bubbling in Riku. He felt like a beast was trying to be released. It was as if something was trapped inside his heart and if it were released his every muscle might explode on the spot and for a moment he didn't even care. "Let it explode," he thought, and he felt waves of energy flitting through his body. But then there was yelling and a whip hitting him directly and he fell back, arms covering his face for protection. He could hear yelling and sounds of punishments being suggested, but through it all he heard Simon's voice calling, "It's okay, Riku! You'll be okay! We'll find you! Erza, Jellal, and I! We'll keep you safe!"

And he was being dragged away to a new sector with a new isolation cell and then a cold cell with new kids that Riku didn't want to get to know and that Erik kid was there, talking to his snake.

Riku rushed to the edge of the boat and emptied his stomach, releasing a string of cuss words as he wiped his hand across his mouth. He opened one eye to see a brief reflection of himself- ten years older than he had been on the island with spiky dark brown hair, blue eyes and skin that was far whiter than it normally was. He turned his cheek so it was resting on the edge of the boat, his one open eye weakly trying to focus on the world around him. He could see the outline of the island faintly ahead. He put his hand on the chest, tapping where his grey guild mark rested on his heart. He was really going back. Mystogan was right- this was a terrible idea.

"I can't not go get her," Riku told the outline of the island. "I can't just leave her to face this alone with people who don't even know what it was like."

Mystogan said nothing, deciding this private discussion, though loud, was best left unmentioned. He did, however, let out a soft chuckle as they hit a hard wave and Riku fell back on his back again, both eyes closed despite his best efforts. Maybe I should knock him out, considered Mystogan, but he made no movement towards his partner. Any inch closer was potentially a vomiting danger-zone. Riku was unaware of the violence his partner was considering. He was forcing his mind to move away from the island and onto other memories. ANY other memories or (ideally) the sweet blissful silence of darkness until they reached shore.

Just as Riku though he was about to get his wish, he felt a tug at his pants. Before knew it, he was being hauled over Mystogan's head and thrown into the ocean. He came up spluttering, his motion sickness cured.

"I can't go any closer," Mystogan explained, placing one foot on the edge of the boat and leaning on his propped up knee. "You'll have to swim closer. It'll wake you up a bit as well."

"That's just rude," Riku replied glaring at him. Mystogan shrugged.

"I told you I think this whole thing is suspicious and now there is some kind of magic energy preventing the boat from getting closer. I can push go back but not forward," Mystogan motioned to the island with the tower jutting above them. "If you're going to go, then you'll have to swim."

"Fine," Riku agreed, turning towards the shore and beginning the swim. He heard Mystogan call over the waves, "I'll be right here, so don't do anything too stupid while I'm not there."

When Riku finally made it to the shore he pulled himself over two large boulders and crushed his eyes shut. He was back. He sat up, rubbing water from his face and looking up at the tower which loomed above him like an accusatory finger at the sky. He pulled his sword off his back and place it on the rock next to him, taking off his cloak and ringing it dry. He supposed a blast of energy might dry him off entirely. Worth a try, anyway.

Before he could give it a go, he felt an impact to his jaw so hard that it sent him flying right back into the water. Under the waves, he opened and closed his mouth, making sure it was still functioning normal. He pushed himself to the top of the waves again to see two tall figures, one slender and one burly. The burly one was leaning on a huge silver hammer with a laughing skull on it.

"Didn't mean to hurt ya, plan B," called the burly one. "Come on back nice and easy and we'll have some fun!"

"Don't call him that," whined the slender one who, on closer inspection, was wearing some kind of less than fashionable leopard-printed onesie. "We want to have fuuuuunnn with him before Jellal has his way. What's this?" Leopard print leaned over and reached for something on the rocks.

Riku instinctively reached for his back, attempting to feel the sword Erza had given him. It wasn't on his back. Riku watched as the slender figure held up the sword, turning it over in their hand disinterestedly before holding it out for the burly figure with the hammer to see. "You want this?"

"I'm bored," agreed the burly one. "Might as well smash it into oblivion."

"Over my dead body," Riku snarled, starting his swim back to the shore for a second attempt.

Riku is at the Tower of Heaven but he still needs to find Erza and time is limited! Next week, we fight. Don't forget to review!