Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or characters there from so no sue me.

Warning: YAOI (male/male relations) - Sora/Riku, possibly other pairings later on, HUGE AU, OC, lemons in the future too, major depart from "Bye Your Eyes" and a lot darker. Be warned.

CHAPTER ONE

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What?

The comfort of darkness retreated giving way to light.

I'm awake? Fuck I really thought the last one was the LAST. Now I have to wait again. DAMMIT! I'm tired of living like this… Disoriented, he laid in place, not moving to help focus on his surroundings. Not that it really mattered. There wasn't any energy left for him to use for any kind of movement.

This is tedious. He grumbled internally.

The 'spells', as he fondly called them, started a week before. It was a sign to his kind that death was quickly approaching. He was too young but it couldn't be helped. There was nothing one could do once they have begun. Each period between blackouts grew longer and longer until finally the body would give over to the darkness forever and died. Usually his race spent their final moments with family or someone familiar. However, Riku hadn't a choice. He was never really the sociable type and generally hated EVERYTHING, this of course was including his kind. So when his time neared he opted to spend it lying in some random clearly in some random forest by some random makeshift ruin. At least that's how this place appeared to him. He could be wrong but he rarely was. Che…I'm always right. He snorted.

Every object had an energy pulse or spirit is you would. It made a buzzing sound to one sensitive enough to hear. When an object or creature was silent then either it was flat ass dead or fucking ancient. This place was as quite as a freshly laid turd. It was one of the reasons why he chose it in the first place, no distractions. Riku unlike most was incredibly sensitive. He only wanted his ultimate memory before death to be of nothing. He didn't have anything special to latch onto and that was perfectly okay with him. Riku was content to be here alone and silently celebrating the way his life had turn out.

More time passed as Riku laid waiting. The light intensified. Must be daylight. Frowning, he vaguely noticed that the glaze over his eyes was taking longer to clear since the last time he used his vision. It must have been a lot longer since the last spell. The man sighed. This is ridiculous. If I am to die why can't my body just get on with it! Riku wanted to both laugh and cry his frustration. Patience was not one of his better virtues.

Fuck, maybe I should take a nap while I wait to die. He remained still watching the sun perched directly above…nothing. He chuckled roughly, his throat coarse and dry. Even sleep eludes me.

More time passed and Riku was about to scream in irritation of his situation when a small buzz began to sound near him. It was not quite like anything he had heard before. It was tiny and clear, like a crystal chime sounding in the wind. Riku mustered what little energy he had left to turn towards the direction it was coming from. His deep set eyes widen when a large, iridescent, pearl like egg came into his line of sight. Strange, I could swear that was not there before. I wonder who placed it there. He was puzzled. If it is an egg, why was it placed next to a dead body or a body practically dead? Why next to me? I could endanger the new born by my very presence, especially once I die. The energy released from dead bodies always attracts Chuus.

The egg pulsed. It captured the man's attention completely. For no other reason than it was beautiful and exactly what he needed to complete his death. So he stared unabashed at the object beside him. He studied the egg. Shocked, he noticed the surface wasn't as perfect as he believed from first glance. It moved. It was more correct to say that it lived. There were minute tendrils of energy licking along the surface. Fascinated, Riku continued to watch his new companion. Its very presence made him feel warm and safe. It was odd, these feelings it invoked. Riku smiled. I'm happy.

The surface changed again, the color shifted to a light blue and one of the tendrils detached itself at one end to extend out towards the man lying next to it. Riku watched it grow in length closing the distance. He wasn't scared but very curious. The tendril touched the skin of his arm making contact and that's when the sound of the egg increase tenfold. It was loud. The sound was unlike any creature Riku had ever had the pleasure of hearing. Pleasure…enrapturing…calming…soothing…warmth.

Riku was swimming in his mind to the music. He closed his eyes.

That's it when the sound morphed into a thought.

At first, he brushed it off, but, the question continued. It became insistent, curious. It desired more, shifting through his mind with the ever questing question. To amuse himself he answered back. Hello.

HELLO! Thetouched returned. Yet the question continued.Riku opened his eyes to look at the egg. Inside, his heart jumped at the picture painted before him. What was one tendril before licking along his arm was now a steady stream of thousands of small individual strings of light moving across his body. What? What's going on here? Half of the strands hesitated and started to retreat. Riku panicked further. No! Please don't leave. Don't leave me. He cried desperately in his mind, shocked by his own admission. I was just taken by surprise.

Surprised? The tendrils hesitated again. Why?...?...You hurt?

Hurt? Riku had to think on that. How should he put this? No, not hurt…lonely…

A burst of Joy surged through Riku. You like me? I like you. I like the sound you make. It sounds…crunchy…no...crisp…yes, that's it…crisp…so many colors… light… bright… shiny… edges dark. The thoughts continued streaming though his mind, each one laced with a childlike joy and delight. Riku's eyes drifted shut letting a chuckle color his feelings. Momentarily there was silence from the foreign presence then an echoing sense of amusement filled him, vibrating along his skin. It tickled.

Riku thought about the egg. He had never heard of something like this before. For all intents and purposes, he should be scared out of his mind but honestly, he couldn't bring himself to care. Deep down he knew that this 'newborn' was pure and he had nothing to fear from it.

I like the feel of your color.

Color? It must mean my energy. You're an entertaining little thing aren't you? He replied. Never knew I had a 'color' to feel. How does color feel…Wait, how do you know about color? Riku wondered. Would a newborn know about such things? Even if it's a weird one?

"You teach me many things. Makes this here…" Small pressure could be felt on his forehead, like a finger poking him. "…easy to understand between you and I." Riku immediately jerked his eyes open when he heard words spoken aloud. He froze instantly. There, kneeling across his chest, was a male human form with a brilliant sapphire light coursing through its skin. Breathtaking was his last thought before the world went black.

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Riku felt even weaker this time. He didn't know how long he had been out. It won't be long now. My body can't last much longer. I wonder if the egg is still here. Distant clicking could be heard off to the side. Thankfully his senses were returning. He didn't really care; he only wanted the see the egg, the illuminated form it created. He missed the comfort and pleasure of having the entity's presence within his mind. He wanted to experience mental touch one more time, to share his thoughts, to hear its playful tone, to see the form talking to him.

The noise became louder, clearer. It sounded like scratching, nails digging against an unforgiving surface. Maybe the egg was trying to hatch. He tried to turn his head to see the event but the last of his energy was gone. The first time I get interested in something, in I don't know how long, I can't fucking see it. Figures. Something's off though…I can hear the scratching but…I can't HEAR the egg. The chime like sound from before wasn't there. Actually I can't hear ANYTHING from the little tike. Riku frowned every living thing gave off a sound ESPECIALLY a newborn. It's the testimony of their existence; the force within them that gave life. Even a meager chair had a sound. Not too many people could hear it though but it was there.

Concerned, Riku strained his ears. Besides the scratching, he heard a light chatter distinctly, like a litany playing over and over. "You there, little guy?" He croaked. "My…my name is Riku."

That's when something brushed by him. It was black and too fast for him to discern its shape. "Hello?"

"Foul meat."

The blood in Riku's veins froze at the words.

"Foul meat. Foul meat. Foul meeaaatt……" More voices joined into the singular declaration.

Chuus. Why are they here? I'm not even dead yet and they are already here? Anxious soul eating bastards! Riku panicked. My presence could endanger the little guy. His heart fell with the thought of causing the newborn harm. The chant continued. Over and over they hissed and taunted. The words never changed. Riku knew all to well what 'foul meat' meant and that they were referring to him. There was an accident when he was younger; something really bad happened reducing his life to half. Since then, every time Riku ran into Chuus, which for some odd reason was fairly often, they would recite over and over about how he reeked. Like they have room to talk, nasty buggers.

Chuus were lithe creatures, entirely black and sickly in their movements and structure. They existed only to scavenge souls freshly released from the dead. No one could say why but when present, they never gave off 'sound', sound indicating they lived. It would almost seem like they were the dead animated needing the energy of others to fill what they lack. Almost as if they were void of a heart, a heartless. Riku always wondered why they waited until others died to feed. He had a theory. Maybe the force the soul housed was unattainable to their kind until the bounds of the body broke down. Like a wall that stood strong than one day suddenly crumbled giving entrance where once there was none.

Whatever. The edge of his lips titled up into a lopsided grin. He hoped he tasted like shit when the final spell took him. His grin widened until his thoughts took a dark turn. They better not mess with the egg.

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A lone form wandered closer to the clearing ahead. Relief filled its heart when the forest opened up heralding its final destination. All was quite until it spied the pearlescent egg covered by Chuus. Incredible amounts of anger quickly rose at the sight spurring it forward. A low growl escaped its powerful jaws challenging. It attacked, immediately scattering the group of Chuus like a hand casting out a fist full of rocks. Teeth sunk deeply into the exposed neck of the first scavenger. When the black form stilled, it discarded the carcass for its next target.

"Run sweet Chuus run. I have tasted your flesh and cannot rest until I have torn many chunks of meat from your soft bodies." The predator taunted endlessly as it tore apart every Chuus present. "Ah, yes. Very sweet indeed." To savor its victory it licked the last of bloodshed as slowly as possible. The creature purred contently until a faint smell snagged its attention. Surprised that any Chuus would have a scent, curious it investigated. A few paces away from the egg it discovered a male human laying flat on his back. The creature padded closer to get a better sniff of the man. Its snout brushed lightly against the human's neck. His smell was wrong. It crept closer, its movements much like thick oil sludge. When the human's eyes shot open with fright, the creature grinned.

"What are you doing?" The man barely spoke above a whisper.

Interesting. The man must have been in a deep sleep to not notice the fight I waged against the pathetic Chuus. "What does it matter human," the creature returned with a rich deep voice.

Panic gripped Riku. He wasn't able to focus very well anymore. He assumed that the large creature was one of the Chuus from earlier. They never moved him one way or another. He was always apathetic towards the black clad bastards, safe in the knowledge that he would never have a heartless feasting on his soul when he died. Yet, this one was different. Riku felt weak and prone; it scared him. The feeling was horrible, shameful. Reduced him to a shivering child, a sniveling brat frantically waiting for its mother to appear; this Chuus evoked fear.

The strange creature shifted. "Your smell reeks."

"Thanks for the information. I'll be sure to bathe next time I am in your company." He laughed weakly, masking his dread with sarcasm.

The creature oozed across the man's body to crouch upon his chest. Riku could barely feel its weight. "No human, not that smell." Its voice dipped lower in tone, taunting, playing. "This one is different." A sharp claw traced and lightly tugged at the skin held tight around Riku's neck but never breaking. An audible gulp sounded as Riku choked back his unease. It inhaled deeply. "Yessss." It hissed. "You smell rotten…tainted …contaminated…smeared…like foul meat." It chuckled low and heavy as if it told a joke, a joke at the man's expense, echoing previously the Chuus that hackled the dying man.

Riku closed his eyes. It didn't matter. He knew any moment the next breath would be his last, nothing lost. Let the filthy demon talk garbage to its heart's content. Riku dredged the bottom of his remaining strength to turn his head to the side as before. He wanted the image of the fair colored egg and the illuminated entity inside to be his final memory, the gentle warmth that chose to touch him without regret or retreat, Riku's last love.

The creature was intrigued by the man's abrupt change in mood. It followed the man's line of sight until it rested on the egg. Surprised, it turned its massive head around to witness the content smile on the human's face. It was then the huge form made a decision.

Riku felt the Chuus' weight shift and before his sight blacked out for the final time. The creature slipped its claws with little resistance through the skin covering the man's chest. One moment the man's lungs sagged from lack of air, the next he was hyperventilating to desperately battle the blaze coursing through and searing every nerve. He cried aloud from the intensity. His body instantly responded by digging into the stone laid beneath him. Every fingernail cracked from the pressure allowing blood to seep out. The creature roughly grabbed the man's chin making him look directly into its glaze, dismissing the groan the abuse caused the human.

Beads of sweat mixed with stray tears streaked along Riku's face. "Please…" He begged. The pain increased.

"Awwww…foul meat. That's what they called you wasn't it?" The creature cooed. Riku whimpered. It smiled impossibly wide to reveal a mouth full of teeth. "Attention…I have your attention, foul meat?" It plunged its hand further into the man's body making his back arch up from the torture.

Please stop! Riku shrieked internally

"You are fond of the egg." Not a question but a statement. It made his blood boil despite the onslaught.

"Don't touch it." Riku rasped. "Leave it alone or I'll…"

"What, foul meat….whhhhaaattt…..what would you do?" It drew out the last of its words reminisce of a terrible nightmare. "Do not fear. I will not harm my child. My child…this is MY child, foul meat."

"What? How?" Confused. He racked his brain searching. Has there ever been a time when a Chuus gave birth to such a thing? "A mother?"

"Ahhhhh….yes indeed, this one comes from my flesh…But different from me…not me…not other…the child is pure and dangerous. That's why HE wanted it. Wanted to beget it." A low rumble escaped the creature's powerful jaws.

The pain finally abated. For many minutes, Riku did nothing but breathe heavily from exhaustion. When he calmed, the man dared to open his eyes to look at his tormentor. His eyes widened for the second time that day. He had expected to see a Chuus but instead found something completely unexpected and extremely rare. The creature was nothing like the black soul scavengers. It was canine in form with extremely long silver tuffs of hair on down its frame waving to and fro from the wind's attention. Three tails trailed from behind. One paw still deep within Riku, the other showing claws as long as his forearms. "Ektrus…demon." slipped from Riku's lips. Brilliant green/blue eyes locked onto the human with a hard stare. Awwww, yes you like my child of blue light….yes. The demon was now in Riku's mind. Where the newborn's touch was comforting the Ektrus' was terrifying. Revolted, he wanted so much to vomit but strongly swallowed the urge in fear that he might drown in his own bile. The demon rummaged further through his mind not caring if it hurt the human.

You love my child?

Riku was surprised by the question. He thought of the newborn and the form it took before the Chuus appeared. I know it's strange and surreal but I couldn't deny its claim. He nodded his head once.

Yes….I can tell. Strange, foul meat…you are strange. You lie dying but still desire MY child...HE…He desires my child. He wants but HE will not have. The child does not want…but…you… look of a lover lay in your dark eyes… The creature's thoughts tickled as if chuckling from its own personal joke. Dark brown eyes….you have dark eyes…that color will not last long human…not long after my gift. Baffled, Riku wondered what the Ektrus meant about his eye color before his world turned upside again. The pain returned and this time it was worse then before. His vision turned white. Riku was silent, every muscle in his body pulled tight. Voice in his mind continued. Yes…my gift…my gift to you…you shall be my child's protector… my child's…Riku never heard the rest. An overwhelming darkness enveloped him effectively cutting him off from the world.