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. Also, if you are looking for a fast paced story, you will not be getting it here. I'm not saying that this will be the speed of a paraplegic snail but I will be taking time to develop the characters that I have in mind so no lemons anytime soon.
Thank you for all the reviews. You all have made me feel better to know someone out there is enjoying this. Yes, I am actively working on the next update for B.Y.E.. Life's a bitch and I apologize.
CHAPTER TWO
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There were no signs of the smaller, second sun yet but the temperature was already reaching beyond tolerable. Imagine how hot it would be when it did. It had rained earlier that morning. That made a difference. The humidity left behind in its wake was excruciating.
The village was bustling with life. A young man with long brown hair mostly pulled back and ice blue eyes idly watched as the individuals passed. Their shadows cast gave the young man some reprieve from the bright daylight. A normal day for the normal person. Perfect. His thoughts laced with acid. Exposed skin grated along the sharp, unfinished surface of the wall while beads of sweat raced along his face and down his jaw line. Not caring one bit if he got caught for the unannounced break, he leaned further against the sturdy structure to catch his breath. I have been doing this for a few weeks now; you'd think that I would have gotten use to it. I've grown soft.
A free hand rose to wipe chocolate, colored strands from that his hair plastered against his forehead. Che. I need to get a hair cut soon. He fingered his hair while shifting the weight he carried in his other hand. I've never let it grown this long before. Maybe it's a testament to how messed up things have become.
"Dammit Leon, get over here!"
Break's over. The brunette sighed.
If I wanted a dainty, beauty boy I would have hired a flower nymph. However, now that I think about it, maybe I should have. Then MAYBE I wouldn't have to deal with your lazy ass." The older man puffed up his chest to preparing for whatever else he desired to say. "NOW GET TO WORK!" Before Leon could respond, the man had all ready walked off to another patch of workers to exercise his empty power.
Leon frowned. Right, how awe inspiring. He mused.
"Eh, fuck 'em, Squall. You don't need this job anyways." The brunette eyed his friend and didn't bother to answer. Leon instead pushed away from the wall, holding his burden close. He hiked it up just enough to balance against one side of his body. The rocks shifted slightly but remained secure. He hated this, not the job per say, but all of this. This nameless crap he had become background noise to. Whatever.
His mood for the worse, he headed towards the construction site as a huge mound of rocks and debris, easily surpassing his weight by three folds, floated by. The heavy load would have appeared to be suspended in mid-air from its own devices if it weren't for the tiny flutter of insect wings underneath. A small, gruff, baritone voice bellowed, "What does that ogre know…calling me a beauty boy. I'll break his leg. Er, snap em' like twigs! WEAK HUMANS!…" The large bundle paused in mid-movement right in front of the young man face. "You heard the man, get back to work, Whisperer."
Leon's eyes narrowed. "Don't call me that."
The old sprite chuckled. "You think you and your family can hide forever? HAH….that's laughable." He floated up higher obstructing Leon's view. "Your kind are as good as extinct. Even though you may be smart, you are still prey and he will find you." He hissed.
The young man turned his back, ignoring his co-worker, and walked away. The tiny sprite's skin flushed with color and quickly began red on what was normally a pale green indicating his anger. "Young whelp, don't know who you're talking to." After curses and grumbling subsided, the sprite began to hover to his destination, the young man forgotten.
"Doesn't know who's talking to? CHE!...You should have hit him."
"It doesn't matter." Leon shrugged. "They're just words." His friend only seemed to get angrier at his apathetic reaction.
"Words my ass, Squall."
"Quiet Siefer, I'm thinking." No words followed Leon's command. He looked around, but his friend was no where to be seen. "Never changes." The brunette mumbled.
Leon continued his trek without further interruption; cold blue eyes swept across the buildings and the tall walls towering over them. The new additions to the town were finally approved. The delay wasn't so much the lack of money but due to the recent marriage ceremony between their Lord and his new life-mate. Tradition dictated that there shall be a dead period to celebrate and honor the royal union. That has passed and now many were excited. New housing and improvements meant new blood coming from outside. It singled growth and increased trade potential. Of course with more on the line to protect, it also meant reinforcing the walls holding back the black tides. Most land in this region fell below the level of the Night Sea. Subsequently, all city-states or remote villages in this region had to barricade themselves from the black liquid or suffer the sea swallowing their homes and lives. If anyone cared to ask the brunette's opinion, they would find that he almost wished the large stone walls would fail hopefully killing everyone. They're all empty husks walking to the beat set by our lord anyways. He truly didn't believe that but sometime it was hard for him to not misdirect his anger. It wasn't their fault but their Lord's, Lord Ansem.
Leon reached the area where they were paid to offload rocks and boulders of various sizes. There were other tasks assigned. Leon was part of the gathering and depositing necessary basic materials to be used. His youth and strong physique determined what he would be paid for. Not that he really cared. He only needed the money and this was an acceptable way to get it.
When Leon thought the day couldn't get any more unbearable, it did. The current sun's twin started to peak above the horizon line changing the color of the sky from a light grey to a strong bright white. It was very small compared to its brother but it still was another source of heat. His swiped across his brow wiping away stray locks from his face yet again.
"Maybe you should get those things cut, princess." The small sprite moved from around one of he medium sized rocks and sat on top to face the young man. His grin widen once he saw the annoyed look directed at him. "So what's the word on your tribe?"
Leon remained silent.
"Yeah, you know….parents….siblings?...AHHH, FINE! Be the silent butt type. That has always been your problem."
The old sprite groaned on and on. Leon was half listening when he heard a small hum emit somewhere behind the annoying earth bound fey. He initially brushed it off as noise he heard everyday. It was apart of the usual music every object and living form gave off. However, the tone was somehow off. All forms sang a tune of its existence. Each one together formed in harmony. The more Leon tried to ignore it the more distracting became. The young man tried to feign indifference. Something was wrong. The tone persisted.
LeonHe thought to himself. You know you shouldn't care. Dammit, this could expose myself. There are very few places left for me to live without persecution. The tone broke further, the dissonance grew in desperation.
I don't care. Idon'tcare Idon'tcare Idon'tcare Idon'tcare Idon'tCARE IDON'TCARE!
"You ok boy?" Uncertainty laced his voice as the earth sprite watched the brunette's state. The young man's face was screwed shut. Fists trembled at his side. "Look, boy, I was only jerking you around, no harm right?"
Leon began to whisper over and over the litany in his head hoping to drown the sound away.
"Joke, boy, joke! You need to calm down." The sprite moved to touch Leon's arm but was instantly swept to the side. "What the…." He sputtered. The small sprite brushed some dirt from its wings and looked up to glare at the retarded youth but he was nowhere to be found. The brunette was gone. "Next time I see that young sprig I'm going shove a BIG PILE OF DUNG DOWN HIS THROAT!"
"SHUT UP OVER THERE AND GET BACK TO WORK!"
"Right, boss!" The sprite growled. Wiry wings fluttered in small spurts shaking most of the dust and dirt before launching the old sprite into motion. He about he assigned job of gathering more rocks, the brunette from earlier, forgotten.
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Leon quietly followed the path of the walls, his stride determined and swift.
I could be imagining it.
No. His fingers traced the cracks and crevices searching. There's no doubt; the sound, resonates too closely to death, somewhere deep within this massive structure.
Just when he was honing in on the source, the tone changed. In the barrage of other sounds that came from all the local buildings and inhabitants was swallowed and fell silent. Leon strained his ears but to no avail. He couldn't distinguish the troublesome sound from everything else anymore. The brunette pressed his bottom lip against his teeth in frustration. Nothing. He hesitated for a moment, not sure what to do. It was just another sound, nothing different, right? No. There was something wrong, something desperate in the tone, something about to break, something big. He rings one of his hands through his bangs falling free from the piece hold the rest of his hair back.
Think, think, think, think. Do I really care enough to expose myself? I know what father would say. 'Shit yeah, son. We were born for this. We have a duty we must hold to.'
"Duty..." Leon snorted.
Someone could get hurt, his mind supplied.
But I….I don't…I…Dammit! His head turned to the left and then to the right. A rush of air escaped his mouth, decision made. Purpose returned and drove his actions. The young man leaned into the wall close enough for his lips to chastely kiss the gritty surface. Cold, blue eyes slowly closed as he reached deep within himself. Everything within the world made a sound, a tone, a vibration, a life force in a way. However this phenomenon did not only occur in living forms but also in inanimate objects.
Sweat started to collect and bead along his face down to his chest. Each sound fell together in a mesh. He strained to separate and feel each one as if it were a thread. His powers were not as strong as his little brother's but still considered formidable by his tribe's standards. Leon could almost see them. Everything was there yet he couldn't find the strand he wanted. It's been too long since the last time I did this. He mused. Understandable since the threat against my life forfeit is very real if I am to be discovered.
There is one other way. He frowned, eyes still shut. This better be good. Silence filled the air until a faint whisper could be heard. A strings of syllables coated Leon's tongue, barely audible to the normal ear, beautiful and clear.
"What are you doing, Squall?" Another's voice growled.
Leon whispered once more in the form of a question then waited to hear the response.
"Squall."
The young man sighed, refusing to acknowledge his friend's presence. "What does it look like I'm doing, genius?" He hissed.
"Well, puberty boy…" Then there was a hand placed against the wall next to Leon's face. The brunette glared at his friend. "…looks like you have a death wish."
"Not if no one knows."
"Squaalll……"
"Doesn't matter."
"What do you mean?" Outright anger laced the other's voice. "This whisperer crap doesn't matter? Your life doesn't matter? The danger doesn't matter? You not having a life to speak of DOESN'T matter? The fact that you smell like a freshly laid turd doesn't matter? I beg to differ."
"………"
"Help me out here, Squall… This hero bullshit is not your style if I remember correctly."
"………"
"Fine! You always had more brains in your dick then in your head. I'll be waiting for your ass on the other side."
Leon opened his eyes briefly. Gone. "Figures."
The wait stretched further. The brunette was beginning to think that it was a false alarm, his senses playing tricks on him. Suddenly there was an answer. Excitement spurred him forward. He leaned closer yet, barely making out faint thoughts. It confused him. It was almost as the tone was talking about two separate entities. The first and strongest was definitely coming from the stone structure and the second was harder to read. It was almost like hearing opposing tones, a dissonance of a sort.
/Feel wrong… crack too big… running around… not aware of weight….weak…. heavy…. want to pull apart…. will pull apart….take small one too…./
Leon whispered once more. /Positive?
/Yes…soon…black liquid under them…it waits…attack solid one...black liquid wants small one…./
Black liquid? Wants?
The last part of the message raised the hairs on the back of his neck spreading a chill throughout his body. Deep seated fear hit him hard. Without thought he broke into a full run. His whispered again. /Where/
/Follow./
The low solid tone rose into a song that only the man could hear. It was the power of his blood. The wall wove feelings of stability and concrete directions to the area desired. Leon followed without question, his solid legs taking long strides as he ran down the winding corridors randomly passing bewildered people. He didn't care. Whatever was happening was happening now and he had to stop it. He made a few turns until the music shrilled signaling he had arrived. Leon scanned the area and found a little girl playing happily on the ground with a few of her toys scattered about. Confused, the brunette looked for signs of danger. The wall's tone was slow and defining. It couldn't tell him anything specific. Leon was about to chalk it up as a wild goose chase until he saw hairline cracks appear under the girl.
Frozen in place by curiosity, he watched the lines grow and collect in number under the oblivious child. Then the cracks became fissures. The little girl whimpered when the floor began to groan and shift beneath her. Leon broke out of his reverie and ran towards her hoping to reach before the…before…
Oh shit.
His eyes widen as he observed the floor shatter into several puzzle like pieces. Each one clung to steadiness and connection until finally giving way to the inevitably fall below. The collapse started from the center then fanned out into a pattern tracing the mortar lines of every stone laid along the surface of the road. The girl, scared and confused, cried helplessly as she sat paralyzed on a large part of the ground that broke off and began to dip under the remaining stone covered ground. The girl fell into the hole. Leon, not knowing what else to do, threw caution into the wind at the last moment and dove after her. One hand successfully caught her from her rapid descent while the other blindly scrambled for a hold across of the edge of the floor. A sharp protrusion snagged and punctured Leon's hand halting their fall. The pain shot throughout his body searing ever muscle in his hand and down his arm. It felt like a wet rag being rung taught and twisted. A throat curdling cry escaped his lips.
Without thought he gripped the sharp edge tighter securing his hold. He tried to will the torture to a minimum, his hand still punctured. What to do? So far the floor had seemed to stabilize for the moment. No one seemed to be around. Leon looked to check on the girl. She was fine, sobbing and terrified but fine. She clutched his side as if he were a big favorite teddy bear. He smiled at the thought until he his eyes landed on what laid beneath them. Bile rose and coated the inside of his mouth.
Leon never thought about the base of the village before. He always assumed that it was an island of sound dirt slowly sinking in the Night Sea. When in fact, it was best described it as a very large egg with the village that sat on the outside. The cobbled street that he was desperately holding onto for both their lives was simply a shell. There was not a single sign any kind of foundation, dirt, structure, nothing. However, as interesting as this new development was, that was not the issue that currently captured his attention. Even though it was very dark down below, the light coming from the hole made it possible to see the surface of the Night Sea and something else. Something that was alive and moving towards them. He couldn't make out clearly what it, no they, were but he could hear the fearful tones coming off all of the surrounding. They were scared. Now, he was too.
Shit…shit…shit……SHIT! Think Squall, think! There was nothing he could do in his present situation. No one to call for help. No one to…to call…call…
YES! Call, not someone, something.
Immediately the brunette concentrated on his power deep within and projected outwards. At first, it began to manifest externally as a gentle whisper then it slowly rose in pitch and intensity until it became an eerie haunted melody. He gave all of his strength over to the song, desperately asking for help. Not long afterwards, his throat began to hurt from the strain. There was no reply but he refused to give up. The child had long since passed out from fear. As dead weight, it was getting harder to hold onto to her. Leon looked to his other hand. Blood flowed freely painting all of his hand and over half his arm in a rich crimson red. No feeling. The flesh around the wound had deadened in turn weakening his grip. They were slipping and there wasn't anything he could do about it except accept the inevitable.
Images of Seifer appeared in his mind. "I guess I'll be seeing you, sooner after all."
"OY! Anyone there?"
Leon's head shot up. "HERE! WE'RE HERE IN THE HOLE! HELP US, PLEASE! The brunette shouted. Hopes of their rescue struck him full force. That was until they slipped further. A faint buzz itched the back of his mind but, resigned to their fate, disregarded it. He knew judging by the distance of the shout moments before that help would not arrive in time. Morbidly he watched his fingers release.
Three
Two
One
The two bodies were instantly plucked and thrown into freefall. Chocolate bangs whipped across the face obscuring his vision. Leon brows furrowed while his lips curled at the edges, of all the times to be annoyed at the length on his hair.
Insane. Stupid. Yeah…real stupid….all of this… this job…the girl…talking to the wall. Risking my life…my entire life so far….STUPID!
The increased speed of their decent brought the deep dark water closer, faster. Leon wasn't sure what would kill them first the, the impacted of the sea, or the ominous horror like things crawling just above the surface. The young man closed his eyes and pressed the unconscious child closer to his chest in a futile attempt to break her fall with his body. He knew it wouldn't help. At least this time I tried. Which was a lot more than I could say for my brother or Seifer…Fitting end for me…Whatever.
The buzz, from before, suddenly blared within Leon's head. The abrupt intrusion startled him from his quite reprieve. He felt a swift gentle brush of feathers and opened to his eyes wide. The rest happened so fast. Both the girl and his bodies lightly struck up against a soft but firm plane breaking their fall, large multi-colored wings extended out wide from both sides with a wingspan large enough for two houses. Leon was confused for a moment until he shifted the child's weight off the side enough so that he was able to turn around. The full image of their rescuer filled his range of sight. Golden feathers were everywhere slowly changing color and intensity; Leon recognized him instantly. /Jerad'ay/
/In the flesh. You should take better care of yourself./ Words filled his mind. The bird titled his head a bit, a large red eye looked towards his injured hand.
/Whatever./ Leon sneered. /It wasn't a planned venture./
The bird clapped his beak a few times in amusement. /You and your brother are too much alike./ The brunette refused to rise to the bait and instead buried in face into cascade of down like cushion covering his friend's back. Leon felt the muscles ripple and move as both wings beat against the air. He inhaled deeply; they were safe now. Briefly he looked to his care. The girl was still unconscious, probably for the best. She was no older then 5 seasons or so, innocent and new to the world just as his little brother had once been. He knew it wasn't his fault but there should have been something he could have done to spare, Riku. His brother never blamed him for the accident but Leon just couldn't forgive himself.
The brunette momentarily forgot what he was thinking when he heard a weak sound. Very much like the one he heard from before all this happened, in the background when the wall first spoke to him. He didn't think much about at the time until now. It was dark and flowed wrong, like running your skin against the grain of wood. He reached out with his power hoping to make out the source.
/What is it, Whisperer/
/I don't know. It's coming from the water below us./ The young man listened again then shook his head in defeat. /Like a poisoned body or something decomposing, I can't make it out. Whatever it is it's not normal./
/You both should hold on./ With that, the bird angled his body up and changed their flight to a steep climb to the underside of the road. Powerful wings pulsed against the air racing them quickly the source of all their misadventures. The image of a large bird and two human astride broke free from the confines of the hole in the ground and soared high into the sky above the village for all present to see. Leon sighed, happy that they were alive.
Some time later, the little girl was safely deposited onto a small crate near the area in which he had found from before the incident.
/I hear voices, Whisperer. We should go or you faced being discovered./ A crowd of frantic shouting could now be heard in the distance and was growing in volume.
Leon only nodded. He mounted his friend's back and they were off again.
Red eyes observed his young friend's mangled hand. The blood had slowed but was still seeping pretty bad. /Will you be ok/
/Yeah, Jared'ay. I'll be ok, once I'm home. Uncle will know what to do./
The bird continued forward, carrying them over the large expanse of the Night Sea towards the place that Leon's hid from their Lord's eyes. Jared'ay never understood the Lord's need to kill his brethren. They were not food. A red eye looked again to where his nesting friend laid atop his back. Leon had passed out from blood loss and exhaustion. He will be ok. The older Whisperer always knew what to do. The bird blinked a few times then resumed their flight towards the direction of the twin suns. The light reflected of the large wings creating the vision of two beating flames along the horizon.