Disclaimer 1: I don't own Kingdom Hearts…but I do borrow the boys every once in a while to do dirty things to them.

Disclaimer 2: This is (once again) yaoi…that's male/male lovin' for all of you not in the know…now you know.

Chapter Two: When Flowers Bloom…

"They knew him before he ever made it through the doorway," King Mickey said, pacing the lavish living room over and over again. Though Sora wasn't exactly certain, he could have sworn the carpeting was starting to show a small path where the King's feet continued to step. It had been nearly an hour, and this was the sixth time Sora had made him repeat the story…the king had to be getting tired of repeating himself over and over.

Well too bad.

"We fought for what seemed like hours…then we eventually came to this place," Mickey said softly, as if remembering all the battling they had gone through. His eyes were so weary, Sora noticed, as though he hadn't slept in days. If Riku was chained up somewhere then he had better damn well not be sleeping.

Sora sat quietly in the corner, brown hair falling onto the hands that were currently holding his face. Nothing King Mickey said was helping, and no amount of mulling it over in his head was easing the throbbing in his chest. It didn't seem believable…it didn't seem plausible. What the hell…

"I explained who we were," he continued, sitting down hard on the piano bench that was nearest him. "But they already knew him…they knew the darkness had once possessed him fully. I tried to help…"

Then he trailed off. Violent shaking was consuming Sora's body, but somehow he was managing to hold it back. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. He was supposed to find his friend in one piece, free of the darkness and ready to go home. Riku was supposed to give that familiar smile that Sora had grown to love and challenge him to a race on the beach…this wasn't supposed to happen.

But here he was anyway.

"They shackled him," his voice was very soft this time, as though afraid to upset Sora with what happened next. There really wasn't any point in being tactful…Sora was already about to cry as it stood. "They took him underground and I haven't seen him since. But I know he's awaiting judgment."

Head shooting up violently, Sora's blue eyes flashed with an emotion that he didn't often feel. Anger. Yes, this was seething bitter anger. How could someone treat his best friend like this? He was the Keyblade Master…he should have been able to do something. But here he was, sitting in a fucking living room, nearly crying. Life was odd like this…

"Judgment?" he cried, standing up quickly. "Judgment for what? For not being able to control the biggest baddie ever? For basically being possessed? It wasn't his fault!"

Donald made a soft scoffing noise at that statement, shifting from one webbed foot to the other. Goofy looked up at the ceiling as though something on it was very interesting, trying as hard as he could to ignore the fowls behavior and pretend he didn't really exist. He knew as well as everyone in the room did that Donald was really great at setting the young man off…but this time, apparently, he had pushed the wrong button. Without any prior warning, Sora was moving, walking over to the duck in quick strides until he was looming over Donald's feathered head.

"What was that about?" he sneered, using what small height advantage he had to lean down. "If you have something to say, you should say it!"

Donald, though a bit smaller than Sora, didn't back down. "Fine! I think he was weak! He should have fought harder…he was supposed to be the Keyblade Master to begin with!"

Suddenly, two large ears came between the pair, effectively stopping Sora from taking his Keyblade and whacking the small fowl with it over and over again. While most of him was glad that the king had stepped in, a small part was upset that he couldn't find Donald in an empty hallway and beat the living shit out of him.

"Sora! Donald!" Mickey said, putting a hand on each of them. "Enough! Donald, keep your beak shut from now on unless you've got something worthwhile to contribute. Sora…why don't you go cool down."

Flashing one more dirty look in Donald's general direction, Sora flung the front door open and walked outside. Glancing back at the small house he'd been in, he mused on how nice it must be to be a king. Mickey had been given this house as a welcoming present when they arrived…perhaps they were trying to make up for locking up his friend.

Levis Pono…the place of light. Sora walked down each street slowly, eyes scanning each house in turn, each shop when he came by. Once you got used to the never ceasing glow that the town gave off it didn't seem so impressive. Just another city…just another place for people to gather together. Then again, knowing that his best friend was chained somewhere below his feet didn't make him want to run around and hug the locals.

Sora's eyes moved to the castle, the main focus point of the town. If Riku was anywhere he was there. Apparently, the ruler of the city living within those walls, making certain the darkness and heartless were kept at bay. No exceptions. If you had too much darkness within you than you weren't allowed in. In Riku's case however, he wasn't being allowed out.

Sora sighed, remembering how he had asked over and over how they could possibly tell how much darkness was within someone. Each time he had asked, King Mickey had merely shrugged, mentioning something about a garden of glowing orbs within the castle. Apparently that was the key…

And he was the master? Right?

Hours later, the sun was beginning to set, sending shards of orange light over the expanse of the city. Somehow, though he didn't know how, his feet had brought him to the doors of the palace. Eyes moving skyward towards the banners flapping gently in the breeze, he raised his hand up and knocked on the door. He wasn't really expecting to be let in, but he wanted to be inside that castle. He wanted to know that he was as close to Riku as he could get for now. Minutes passed, and Sora sighed…he should have known better than to think that someone would answer the door.

Just as Sora was about to turn around and go back to the King's house, a small woman pulled the massive door open and peeked around. "Yes, may I help…you. You! The Keyblade Master! Master Phineaus knew you would come! Please…come in!"

It took a great deal of effort for her to pull the door the rest of the way open, but once she did Sora quickly walked in, letting his eyes wander over the walls and decorations. If he had thought that the inside of the castle was impressive, it was nothing compared to what lay within. Each wall, each fixture was like gazing on crystal…crystal that glowed and pulsed with its own life.

Sora walked slowly, hardly paying any attention to the nervous chatter flowing from the girl's mouth. No, his eyes were all for his surroundings. It was like being in a zoo, where each wall wasn't solid, but made of a thick sheet of glass, or in this place's case crystal. He was about to ask his guide what on earth the master of the castle needed glass walls for when he saw something that made his jaw drop and his heart race.

Behind each pane of glass, unmoving and deceivingly beautiful, was a young man. As Sora's eyes flew open wider, he placed his palm on the nearest piece of glass, pulling away quickly when it pulsed under his hand. It couldn't possibly be real, but it was too perfect to be anything but. The boy before him had been beautiful, Sora decided, his gaze wandering over the graceful body. That body was posed just so, back arched upward like a cat, eyes closed as though locked in ecstasy

Maybe he was.

Now he was frozen, or perhaps encased would be a better word, in clear glass. But how on earth would you get someone to situate their body in such a way when they knew they were about to be frozen in glass? Who would submit to such a thing? A small gasp finally escaped Sora's open mouth as he pulled his guide towards him.

"What…who is he?"

The girl gulped as though afraid to answer, glancing at the young man then back at Sora. "He was judged…and found guilty. When our master grew tired of him…well, you see what happened."

She gestured to the numerous cases, each one containing another man. Each one poised, frozen, in absolute pleasure, their faces enraptured. It was enough to make Sora wretch.

"I…this…is…oh god…," he stammered out, trying to get out of the hallway as quickly as possible. So, this was what happened to the judged. Sora's breath nearly died in his lungs as he imagined Riku naked and encased eternally in shining crystal. Usually, the thought of him naked would be a pleasure, but now, it only spurred him onward to find Riku and set him free.

"Please," the girl said, hand moving to Sora's shoulder, "try not to get upset. Your pretty friend has yet to be judged."

Head falling slightly forward, Sora's breaths were coming in more and more rapid pants. What would he do if he couldn't save Riku? Would he be able to live with himself knowing that his best friend was sealed somewhere, unable to move, to be stared at naked and alone? Probably not. He'd rather be sealed with him...maybe they'd make a nice statue together…

"Come," she said softly, leading him away from the endless hallways and glittering bodies. Sora followed numbly, each step echoing in the eerie silence of the marble staircases and alabaster walls.

Passing through a large entryway, the last lingering shards of sunset pressed onto his face, making his jaw drop open again, only this time it was in delight. The garden they had entered was magnificent, like walking into the lushest of rainforests, warm and humid. Deep purple flowers dripped from long vines, writhing up the trunks of the trees to mingle with the leaves. Equally as vibrant flowers littered the ground and floated into the fountains. As Sora leaned his head back slightly, he grinned and toed off his shoes, walking barefoot through the soft grass before sitting down on the edge of a fountain.

"Do you like the garden?" the girl asked softly, still standing in the doorway. It was as though she had noticed Sora's change in behavior and didn't want to disturb him. That was fine with him.

Not bothering to respond to such a dumbass question, Sora reached out one finger to a particularly lovely yellow flower floating in the water. When the tip of his finger pressed against a petal, the center of the bloom began to glow, sending waving shadows into the water and onto Sora's surprised face. As the glow intensified it began to meld together until a floating orb the size of a golf ball hovered above the surface of the water.

"It's like a garden…a garden of light and glowing orbs…"

Smiling gently, Sora moved his fingertip to the surface of the sphere. At first it was only a warm thing under his skin, until without warning a tingling began at the base of his spine, moving upwards through his body with a familiarity that was at once frightening and comforting. The smell of the ocean was all around him, the soft sea breezes were blowing against his face…it felt like home. Destiny Islands. In fact, touching the sphere made him feel like he was embracing a friend…the same friend he was so desperate to find.

"Riku…I feel Riku…" he said, his voice rising with each syllable as a smile began to split his face. When he closed his eyes it was almost as though he was in Riku's arms, could nearly feel the older youth's body next to him.

So this was what it was like to feel inside someone's heart…

Change in Perspective

"If you'd only give up, this wouldn't have to be so bothersome," Phineaus said, shaking his head in disappointment.

A few feet away from him, chained to the wall and shivering, was a very disturbed Riku. This torment had been going on for hours, and with each piece of clothing ripped away had gone another piece of his soul, until he felt as though he were lifeless hanging from these steel shackles wearing only a tattered pair of pants.

"I told you," he said, his voice soft, but still proud. "You can tempt me all you want, but I'm not going to just give in…and I'm fucking cold, could I have the rest of my clothes back?"

Riku grinned at his own cheekiness, still not looking up at the man in front of him. He knew what Phineaus looked like anyway. It was always the same dark blond hair over deep blue eyes that looked at him as though he were an object…something to be taken and swallowed whole. It was the same face that had fallen in shock when he'd first seen Riku walk into the dungeon with five men holding him still. That one look had told him more about this disgusting man than any false words that ever flowed from him.

A strong hand was place on his chin, forcing Riku to look up at his captor. "You'll eventually learn your place…The Judge will surely find you guilty. Then you'll have no choice but to submit. But you could save yourself a lot of trouble if you'd just give in now…why, I'd be prepared to offer you the world if you'd only give in."

Riku was about to throw up, the feel of the man's hands on him nauseating, when he suddenly felt warm. It was as though someone's hand was reaching dead into his body and caressing his heart…like being wrapped in heat, like being with Sora. Riku's eyes shot open wide, staring straight through the man in front of him to feel the presence within him.

"Sora?" he whispered, voice shaking with excitement. "Sora? Are you there?"

Suddenly both hands, both physical and spiritual, were gone. "What are you babbling on about boy? Thinking about someone else? I'm heartbroken."

So with a parting backhand to Riku's face (which he barely felt due to his racing thoughts) Phineaus was gone, leaving Riku alone again. Only now there was a rushing in his body that could only be described as pure happiness and a smile on his face that hadn't been there in weeks. Sora was here…Sora had come. He knew it, he could feel it. Now if there were only some way to let Sora know where he was…

Well…one thing at a time…

Change in Perspective

Deep within the castle, in a room with no windows, stood a large machine. A machine that could easily look inside the heart of a human being and see the darkness and the light within. Phineaus stood and stared at said machine, grinning slightly as it beeped and whirred to life, knowing that its master had arrived once again.

"Master-all-is-prepared-for-the-silver-one's-trial. Any-new-orders?"

Phineaus smiled. He loved his job…but he loved power and control more. "No, Judge…just as long as the results are as we discussed…"

"All-is-prepared."