Thank you very much for the reviews, they made me happy that people actually like this newer version. Thanks y'all.

I'm so sorry this has taken so long to update. I've just been really lazy, and haven't been doing anything all summer but eat, sleep, and eat some more.

Disclaimer—I do not own KingdomHearts, FinalFantasy, Disney, or any related characters/places.

Warning—Shounen-ai and cussing.

CHAPTER 2

Riku was shoved into the backseat of a worn-out old carriage that had been used one-too-many times. There were no benches whatsoever in the cramped sitting area and the floor was littered with flecks of yellow, brown, and orange. In one spot there was a large, dark stain, which Riku suspected to be blood. This he carefully avoided. The wood that made the carriage was decaying and rotten, the interior smelled of old socks and spoiled milk, and the wheels the vehicle rolled on were rackety and poorly attached to the main frame. Luckily, the thief hadn't eaten, else he'd have contributed to the rancid smell and the yellow-orange tinge in the wood.

It was a long and bumpy ride to the Palace. By the end of the trip, Riku felt like throwing his guts up, but he held them in and followed the guard with the red plume in his helmet. Behind him, another guard was lightly poking him with his bayonet, urging him to move faster. Riku obeyed this guard's jabs and quickened his pace, nearly running into the guard in front of him. The one with the red feather grunted, turned abruptly to the right, and forced a rusted key into a rusted keyhole. The lock clicked open, the hinges of the door creaked as the wrought iron was opened.

Riku was pushed through the iron bars rather forcefully. He slipped and fell onto the cold stone floor. The guards snickered.

"You stay put 'til your sentence comes 'round, you hear?" the one with the feather said, closing and locking the iron door. Riku merely snorted, picked himself up, and dusted himself off. The two guards left, laughing their metal heads off at something.

The cell they had placed Riku in was no better than the carriage. The stone walls were covered in grime and green moss. The floor had mushrooms sprouting from the cracks, and it, too, was splattered with interesting shades of yellow and brown. The cell contained a dirty sink with which to wash one's hands after using the chamber pot in the corner, a small ragged cot, and a moth-eaten, threadbare blanket. The thief sighed and, dragging a hand through his silver hair, collapsed on the cot. Its hinges creaked and its legs sagged as soon as Riku's weight fell on top of it. Ignoring the bed's protests, Riku folded his arms beneath his head and fell asleep.

When he awoke, he saw a pair of sapphire eyes staring at him through the iron bars of the cell. He glanced nervously at them from time to time, but they kept staring at him, as if assessing him, summing him up. They stared at him, unblinking, through the bars, watching his every move, noting his every twitch and flinch, every blink and breath he took. Sighing, Riku turned over on his "bed" and glowered at the man with the blue eyes. Riku took in his appearance. Blue eyes, spiky blonde hair, and an earring in his left ear. He wore the shining metal armor all the Royal soldiers had on, although his was different. He only wore shoulder-armor and chest-armor. Riku raised an eyebrow at this. The guy thought he was so good, he didn't need much protection. Now the question was: what was he doing here? As if to answer his unspoken question, another guard appeared, holding a cup of steaming coffee.

"Oi, Cloud, your shift is over." The soldier who had been watching the thief shifted, eyes still locked on Riku. "Clouddd," the new soldier whined, nudging Cloud with the toe of his boot.

"Alright, alright." Cloud muttered, waving his hand at the newcomer. The blonde got up, patted his rear free of dirt, and moved so the replacement could take a seat. "Don't fall asleep this time, Tidus." Cloud warned.

"Yeah, I know, I won't." Tidus reassured. Sipping at his piping-hot coffee, Tidus took his time finding a comfortable spot on the stool Cloud had previously occupied. Riku glared at him, his aqua eyes narrowing into slits. Tidus just smiled uncertainly back. Cloud trudged out of the dungeon, leaving Tidus to deal with the fuming thief. The thief watched the new guard sip his coffee, watched him squirm a little bit, and finally watched him fall into a light slumber. Quietly, Riku tiptoed to the iron bars, careful to sidestep the oddly colored stain on the stone floor. Making sure the guard was indeed asleep, Riku reached through the strips of cold metal, trying his hardest to snag the set of keys on the wall nearest the door.

On his first attempt, he failed, missing the keys by mere inches. His second attempt jangled the keys a little. Just a little more, and he'd be out of that nasty cell in minutes. Third try, he missed the key chain entirely, catching instead the disgusting grime on the stone wall. Grimacing, Riku wiped the green-brown filth on his ragged pant leg. On his fourth attempt, he successfully hooked his finger around the metal key ring, pulling it up off the hook and over to where he stood behind the iron bars. Flipping through the many keys, Riku found one whose ridges matched those of the keyhole in the cell door. With little difficulty, he pushed the key in, turned it once to the right, and waited for the click that told him the door was now open. As expected, the rusty metal gears clicked and the iron door swung open a little squeakily. Glancing at the slumbering guard, Riku padded past him and inched open the wooden door leading to freedom, to debauchery, to his life.

Suddenly, the guard ceased his light snoring. Stopping in his tracks, Riku peered over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of his captor. The guard was scratching his blonde head; his eyes were half-open, but apparently unseeing. So, he was still asleep. Riku gave a sigh of relief, letting out his breath in a long, deep huff. Squeezing through the crack between the door and hard stone, Riku finally escaped from the stone cell, only to find himself lost in the maze of stairs and walls. He chose a random staircase to climb. It was a long, winding one. Torches perched on the walls illuminated his path, sending his shadows in front of him, making him jump every time a new shadow came into view.

Eventually, Riku made it to the top of the stairs, panting slightly from the exercise. In front of him was another wooden door. Turning the knob, Riku pushed this door open. Sunlight flooded in, blinding him momentarily. He brought his arm up to shield him from the sun's warm, blinding rays. Eyes adjusting to the change in atmosphere, Riku glanced around, checking to see if there were any guards about. Of course, unfortunately for him, there were. In that one room, there were about four or five guards preventing civilians from entering the dungeons. Thankfully, none were watching the door for escapees. Pots of plants were placed neatly on either side of the room, giving Riku places to hide while he avoided the soldiers. The windows in the room were barred, making the only exit the door at the other end.

Breathing in, Riku dropped to the floor and crawled his way over to the first and nearest potted plant. The plant had huge, green leaves, perfect for hiding in if you didn't have shining, silver hair. So, Riku resorted to crouching behind the big clay pot the plant had made a home in. He observed the soldiers. There was no pattern to their movement; they randomly pivoted on their feet to face the other way. Growling, Riku tried to time this just right. Most of the guards pivoted at the same time, so, while they were turning, all they would see is a blur of color for a moment, and nothing else, not even a silver-haired thief crawling on the floor. In this way, Riku scampered from one pot to the next, crouched near each ceramic container. After several minutes, he finally made it to the pot closest to the door. (1)

Suddenly, someone burst through the door, his cape flying as he stomped towards the dungeons. His red, tattered cloak, and shiny, silver armor made him easily recognizable. It was Cloud, the guard from before. He threw the wooden door leading to the cellsopen, crossed the threshold, and disappeared from sight. All eyes were on the open dungeon door, even Riku's. He should've taken this chance to escape from the castle, but, no, he had to watch the empty door. He should've slipped out, scaled the walls, and he would've been done with it, left to lead a normal life. But, if he had done that, we wouldn't have a story, now would we?

"TIDUS! YOU IDIOT!" Cloud bellowed, his voice reaching the ears of the guards, Riku, the King and Queen, and even those locked up in the highest room in the tallest tower. "HOW COULD YOU LET HIM ESCAPE! HOW COULD YOU FALL ASLEEP!" Cloud continued scolding the other blonde in the dungeon. There was a clatter, and many hurried steps up the stairs. Jerking out of his reverie, Riku quickly made his way to the exit.

"WHERE IS HE!" Cloud roared. He had reached the top of the staircase. His blue eyes, which were burning with fury, scanned the room. They stopped abruptly, spotting Riku's silver hair. "There." he said quietly, taking a step forward. Glancing behind him, Riku saw Cloud come charging at him. He fumbled with the knob, finally getting the blasted thing open. Yanking the door open, Riku stumbled and fell to the floor when Cloud collided with his backside.

"Dammit," Riku muttered, squirming underneath the older man, trying his best to wriggle free. Cloud's grip was like a dead man's, vice-like and unmoving. He couldn't get out. Cloud clamped a pair of handcuffs onto Riku's wrists, preventing him from struggling as much and from attacking anyone important.

Cursing once again, Riku was lifted off the floor to his feet. He was pushed through the nearest open door, up more stairs, and through five other doors. He was shoved onto a couch situated near an open window, the wind blowing the curtains away from their proper place.

"Stay." Cloud ordered, then left through another door to an adjacent room. Riku sat on the leather couch, fidgeting just slightly. He wanted to jump through the open window, but considering the height of the staircase he was forced to climb, Riku assumed the window was about three stories high. If he jumped with these cuffs on, he'd never make it out alive. But, then again, if he sat there and waited, he might not make it out alive either way.

Cloud came back into the room where Riku sat, jerked him up, and guided him to the door he had just exited.

"Be polite. The King and Queen are in there." Cloud warned, "One wrong move, and it'll be off with your head." He made a gesture of some sort of blade running across his neck. Riku nodded. He understood. Be polite, otherwise be killed. Fair enough. Pursing his lips, Riku walked through the open door to the Throne Room.

The room was dimly lit, candles dripped wax from their posts on the walls. There were no windows in this room, just the honey-scented sticks. On the far wall was the King's Crest, a giant, black heart outlined in red, with crimson, rose-like, thorn-abundant stems inside it, spikes at the bottom of it, and tendrils of black waves weaving in and out of the brambles. Before the crest, raised on a dais, sat the King and Queen's thrones and the King and Queen themselves. Standing on either side of the two thrones were the princes, the younger on the Queen's side, the elder on the King's. Riku kneeled before them, his hands cuffed behind his back, his head bowed down.

The King and his eldest son each quirked a delicate silver eyebrow. The Queen and her youngest son watched the thief with mild interest. The captive rogue kept his head bowed, his silver hair hiding his face, which was trying to keep itself from twisting into a look of disgust at how "polite" he was supposed to be. Finally, the King spoke, his deep, baritone echoing through the dark, empty chamber.

"I've decided upon your sentence, thief," the King told him. Riku nodded, eager to hear what would happen to him. Would he die? Would he live, forced to do the King's bidding? "After careful consultation with each family member, and each member of my council, I have decided you shall remain amongst the living." Riku perked up at this. He would live, but there had to be a catch. Surely the King wouldn't just let him off like that after stealing from a prince?

"However," the King continued, ignoring Riku's jump when he heard he would be left alive, "You will be serving one of my sons until I deem you worthy of freedom." One of the sons? But, which one? Hopefully, he would be serving under the younger one, for he seemed nice and kind, and he seemed to remember Riku from three years ago. The other prince, however, seemed cruel, and unjust. He seemed devoid of sympathy, and harbored only malice and sadistic feelings inside his muscular, tanned body. Riku's face moved as he thought quickly, changing from a soft expression to a hard one as he imagined serving one prince, then the other.

"Would you like me to choose your new master, thief?" the King sneered.

"If that pleases you, my King," Riku replied wisely. He kept his head down, so the King could not see the hope in his shining green-blue eyes. The King snorted.

"Father..?" the youngest prince murmured, his voice barely audible.

"What?" the King snapped, turning his head to face his youngest son.

"Father, m-may I have him serve me?" he asked meekly. His father stared at him incredulously for a few moments, then nodded once. The older prince twitched when he saw his father agree to his younger brother's request. Riku smiled. "Oh, thank you, Father! Thank you!" the young prince exclaimed. He was practically jumping up and down.

"Settle down, my boy," the King laughed, patting the brown-haired prince on his spiky head. The boy immediately calmed down, however, his face was still shining with delight. "Stand, thief." Riku stood as soon as the word "stand" was out of the King's mouth. "My son, Sora, will be your new master as of today. You will obey his every order, and do whatever he wishes. If I find you are not, I shall have your head. Understood?"

Riku nodded. He would oblige to Sora's every whim, but only because he'd lose his head otherwise.

"Good. Sora, why don't you take him to your room now? Show him around?" Sora jumped and skipped over to Riku, uncuffed the thief's hands, and took the ex-thief's forearm in his small fingers. The brunette dragged his newly acquired servant out the door and into the brightly lit waiting room. Squinting, Riku obediently followed his new master, walked faster when he felt the prince tug on his arm.

Suddenly, Sora stopped, making Riku bump into him. The young brunette giggled.

"Look, Riku! That's the garden!" Sora pointed to his left, out the window. Glancing out into the bright light, Riku flinched. As his eyes adjusted, Riku spotted a rainbow of color. Green leaves and grass were speckled with vibrant reds and oranges, mellow blues and violets, and luxurious pinks and peaches. Butterflies and hummingbirds hovered near the colorful flowers, collecting the sweet nectar from the heart of the succulent blooms. Birds chirped their cheerful songs and bees hummed as they worked. The blue sky held fluffy white clouds, floating high above everything else, slowly moving across the landscape at a leisurely pace. In the middle of it all, sat a giant fountain, liquid spewing from the top, splashing everything within a four-foot diameter with crystal clear water.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sora said quietly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful scene before them. Absent-mindedly, Riku nodded. Never before had he seen such serene surroundings. He didn't know the castle held such beauteous flowers, nor did he know there could be such harmony in one place. It was as if he had stumbled upon a secret paradise that was meant for the eyes of those chosen by God himself.

Riku felt a slight tug on his forearm, which meant Sora wanted him to follow the prince. Reluctant to tear his eyes from the gorgeous scene in front of him, Riku slowly let Sora guide him away from the garden. The two walked down several passageways, each as richly decorated as the last. Windows covered every wall, plush carpets covered the floors, and plants were placed in every available corner. And though each room was adorned with pretty much the same ornaments, none of them looked the same. All of the rooms were different in some way, whether it was the way the windows were designed or the way the flowers were arranged, they were different. The prince and his slave walked briskly through these similar rooms, ignoring the liveried servants who stared at them suspiciously.

"Where are we going?" Riku asked after passing room after room of drapes, carpets, and statues.

"My room," Sora answered, panting slightly from walking so quickly. "C'mon, there's just a little bit left." He guided Riku through a few more rooms and quite a lot of hallways before he stopped in front of a huge wooden door. Turning the handle, Sora pushed the door open, the hinges squeaking slightly as the prince applied pressure to them. The prince skipped into his room and jumped onto his enormous bed. He bounced once, and then sat down on the edge. The prince patted a spot on the luxurious mattress, gesturing for Riku to come sit with him. Hesitating, Riku slowly walked over to Sora's side and sat down, fiddling with the hem of his dirty shirt while he moved. He watched Sora lean closer to him and sniff the surrounding air, and saw his cute little nose wrinkle in disgust.

"Eww, you stink, Riku," he commented and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, making his voice sound nasally and odd. Riku snorted. He breathed in deeply, trying to smell himself without Sora noticing to no avail. He was so used to his smelly, grimy scent, he couldn't detect a hint of any foul odors in his vicinity.

"I don't smell anything," the thief said quietly after sniffing himself several times. Sora giggled, covering his mouth with the hand he used to pinch his nose.

"You smell like dog doodie and week-old trash. That's gross." He screwed up his face like before. "So, now, as your master, I order you to take a bath."

Smirking, Riku lifted his arms above his head in a long, bone-popping stretch. Sora gasped and his face fell when he smelled the disgusting, filthy smell wafting itself away from Riku's armpits.

"Make that a really long bath, with about twenty bath beads and lots and lots of soap."

END CHAPTER 2

(1) Picture these guards like the ones in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. If you haven't played LoZ:OoT, then they're like robots that don't see anything and move around randomly.

Again, I'm truly very sorry for the long wait. Procrastinating is part of my nature, and that's what I did with this, I suppose. Anyways, school is starting soon, which means I won't be writing as much (like I was writing much anyways). I hope you like this chapter! Stay safe, and keep reading other wonderful stories!

Reviews are greatly appreciated. :D