A/N: Rawr! Royal Dragon here! Chapter 8 and in record time huh? It won't be to much longer and the story will be over I estimate one more or another chapter and that's it. Thank you guys so much for the favorites and reviews you guys are amazing! So here we go Chapter 8!
Disclaimer: Do I have to put this every chatper? I don't own.
Chapter 8: Blood Rose
When Cloud woke me up I tried hard not to mention what I had seen last night. Instead I focused on quickly packing Roxas' things before picking him back up in my arms. Leaning down warm breath tickled my face and I released a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. He was still breathing, just barely but it was enough to renew my hope that we would save him.
We were quiet the first hour until Sora's and Demyx's stomach started growling. It was enough to break the ice as everyone let out a small chuckle.
"I figured this would happen so I brought some snacks with me." Riku stated pulling a small backpack off his shoulders.
Opening the bag up snacks toppled out. Sora and Demyx quickly kneeled to pick them up. Digging into a bag of chips Sora munched happily while Demyx found a cookie that he refused to share with Zexion. Bouncing happily Sora and Demyx would periodically force the bag off of Riku's shoulders for more food until Riku finally relinquished it to Sora to carry.
Since Cloud and Leon were trying to get back on the Vampire's schedule of moving at night and sleeping during the day they were quiet. It was nice to have someone lively but we also had to remain as quiet as possible. We didn't know where the other couples were but they were in this maze of green foliage just as we were.
The trees were tall and created a nice canopy over the forest. Leaves rustled with wildlife and twigs snapped under our feet as we continued our journey. We offered to stop several times to let the Dhampir's rest but they always declined deeming Roxas more important.
"We'll be fine lets just concentrate on that Rose. We'll have time to rest when everything's all said in done." Demyx had piped up when we offered a third time to let everyone rest.
It had meant a lot to me that everyone thought that way. "Thanks guys..." I whispered hugging Roxas close.
"We all love Roxas, Axel he's our best friend, brother and your lover. He's kind and funny what's not to love about him?" Sora stated a smile stretching across his face. We were quiet for another long while trying hard not to bring any attention to ourselves.
We walked long grueling hours, up hills and back down. Through bushes and swamps and mud trails. Once we reached a small babbling brook Zexion informed us that we were on the right track. "We're starting to get close guys. Be on the lookout for any signs of a river in the middle of it sitting on a patch of grass will be the Blood Rose." Zexion was reading straight from the book.
Looking over to Riku I saw that he was holding tightly to Sora's hand as if he were leading him. Shaking his head Sora looked at me his mouth turned into a grim line. "They're back on the right path but there about a day behind us."
"But that'll help us right? I mean if Ariel is a Vampire that means she'll have to sleep!" Demyx chirped taking the snack bag from Sora to dig around.
"True but they could catch up to us pretty fast especially with her having the power that she does. Aurora is the one I'm worried about. I don't know if she's Dhampir or Vampire or even Human for that matter. It worries me." Sora stated shaking his head.
Demyx was quiet then his brows knitted together in concentration. "What's wrong if she was Human?" Demyx asked quietly his eyes never leaving Sora's.
"Nothing is wrong with them it just worries me that I don't what she is. Some Humans can be very powerful especially when it comes to spiritual matters such as communicating with the afterlife. Some of them can see the future better than any Dhampir or Vampire." Sora answered quietly. "I'm sure Riku could give you a few examples." He growled walking faster as Riku sighed.
"Thanks Demyx... thanks for that! Sora come here babe! I don't even like women you should know that!" Riku cried rushing after his lover.
Chuckling everyone turned to look at me. "Shortly after Riku and Sora Mated, I convinced Riku to come with me to see a psychic. It was just for fun and I wanted to see when I would find a Mate of my own. She didn't even see me, she only had eyes for Riku and read his future for free which ended up with the two of them married and having five kids."
Everyone burst into laughter. "He felt so guility that he went and told Sora. Sora's never let him live it down since."
"Poor Sora." Demyx commented while Zexion shook his head.
"More like poor Riku..." Cloud whispered to Leon who just chuckled. We had made it quiet far that night finally catching up with Sora and Riku who were rolling around on the ground kissing.
"I'm not mad anymore." Sora whispered pressing his lips against Riku's in a chaste kiss.
I looked down at the bundle in my arms and smiled, Roxas and I would be doing that again... or so I hoped. "How much longer?" Demyx asked as the morning sun was finally approaching the sky. Just because we couldn't see it didn't mean we couldn't feel it.
"Soon Demy soon." He whispered.
Snuggling under the sleeping bag I kissed Roxas lips wrapping my arms around his waist and drawing him close. "I love you Roxas." I knew he couldn't respond at the moment but my heart knew that he loved me.
I dreamed that night of Roxas smiling face. We were back in our room and he was lying there under the covers exposing his bare chest. He made a sweeping gesture towards the bed and smiled at me showing me blinding white teeth. He was the most magnificent thing to have ever graced this Earth.
Crawling on the bed I grabbed his face in my hands before pressing my lips against his. Pulling back I looked at my Mate only to see his face gone and instead just a skeleton. I screamed as a bony finger reached out to grab my arm. "Roxas! Roxas!" I screamed trying hard to wake myself out of this nightmare.
I felt his hands wrap around my arms and I screamed even louder. "Roxas!" I kept shouting his name like a mantra. Maybe just maybe I could get through to him. He would come back to me, my Roxas not this skeleton! "Please!" I shouted over and over before he pressed bony lips to mine.
I screamed loudly before my eyes closed and I passed out in my dream. "Axel! Axel wake up!" I felt arms shaking me before my eyes finally opened.
Cloud was shaking me a worried look on his face. "Axel are you ok?" He asked his face impossibly close. I could feel his warm breath tickling my cheeks. Reaching up I cupped his face in my hands, flesh it was flesh. He leaned in for a moment closing his eyes before Leon cleared his throat.
Snapping up Cloud's face was a dark red as everyone else pretended they didn't see what they just had. Leon gathered their things and started off without a word to me or Cloud. Reaching a hand out Cloud dropped it to his side in favor of walking beside me. "Won't your Mate be jealous?" I asked cradling Roxas close to my chest.
"He'll be fine." Cloud reasoned giving me a small smile. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm better now... I keep dreaming of Roxas that his skin just melts off and that he becomes a skeleton." I didn't have to tell Cloud how Roxas was my everything because he already knew. He felt the same way about Leon as I did about Roxas. "He loves you, you know that right?"
"Hmm? Oh yes I know and I love him to. He's afraid to lose me just like I'm afraid to lose him. But at the same time he doesn't like when I hang around you." Cloud said his eyes straying to look back at Leon who hadn't even once turned to us.
"Does he think were just going to start Mating all of a sudden?" I asked. Cloud's face turned even redder at that. At that moment Leon turned around and bared his teeth at me. I smiled back exposing my fangs.
"I don't know he's just afraid I think." Cloud whispered.
"Then why aren't you with him?" I asked.
"Just wanted to make sure you were ok." With a pat on my shoulder he jogged over to catch up with Leon. Crossing his arms Leon turned his head until Cloud leaned over and kissed his cheek. His arms uncrossed and he slowly lowered his hand until they intertwined.
Leon couldn't stay mad at Cloud. The day passed without much incident. It was the beginning of the third day and everyone was extremely tense we were waiting to see if the couple that had been behind us was close.
Sora responded that he had been completely blocked out by the girl Aurora. He couldn't see anything he didn't know where they were. They could have been following behind us this whole time putting Sora on loop if that were even possible. Roxas needed that Rose, and I was determined that I was going to give it to him! Even if it came down to fighting for that Rose I was ready to do it.
I hadn't shed blood in a long time and my body was itching to summon my Chakrams. On the beginning of the fourth day Zexion told everyone to be on the look out because we were close. This is where it was all going to go down we were so close to saving my Mate that I could taste it.
We were so close that we forgot the meaning of quiet and that was our downfall.
"FREEZE!" A voice screamed causing everyone to stop in their tracks. Only my eyes were able to move. A girl in a sapphire blue dress walked out of the nearby bushes her blond hair swept back in a long pony tail that touched her waist.
Another girl this time with long flowing red hair that went just past her shoulders emerged her bright green eyes surveying the scene as she flicked her finger and brought through the bushes a man with black hair wrapped tightly in a blanket.
"Thank you for leading us so close to the Blood Rose. We'll take it from here." The blond girl, Aurora said her blue eyes shining.
"You can't do this!" Sora shouted. I wasn't even aware that we could even move our lips. "Please Roxas needs this Rose!"
"And so does my Mate!" Ariel the red head cried baring her fangs at the Dhampir.
But Sora wouldn't back down. "You bitch! Let us go! We've been looking for this Rose! We need this let us go!"
"Excuse me?" Aurora's face turned red with rage.
"My Mate was brutally stabbed and then poisoned! I didn't come all this way for nothing!" I screamed willing my body to move. I had to move I just had to, we needed that Rose!
"Ariel and I have been friends since she was Turned! Her Mate, Eric needs this Rose just as bad as yours if not more! I'm sorry but your Mate will just have to die because your frozen and we're not." Turning on her heel they started off. Ariel snapped her fingers and the Dhampir and Vampire and whatever the hell Aurora was disappeared.
"What are you exactly?" Zexion's voice floated out just as the trio had started to get out of sight.
"Not Human, not Dhampir and most certainly not Vampire! I don't really know what I am to be honest. I was kidnapped by Hunters and experimented on, but when I broke free I killed those bastards! I killed them off one by one and I realized that I had extraordinary powers! I had power over everything! Ice, wind, fire! It was glorious! I don't need to drink blood but the sunlight does bother me as if I were a Vampire..."
While she prattled on and on I used all my concentration on raising my body temperature up. The higher it got it felt like the more I would be able to move. After a while I was able to move one of my fingers. Until finally I was able to shake off the rest of the invisible ice. The first thing I did was cradle Roxas in one arm so that I could summon one of my Chakrams.
Aurora was the first to notice. "Freeze!" She cried a grin spreading across her face. Walking over slowly her face turned into rage, "Freeze! Freeze! Damn it I said freeze! Why aren't you freezing?"
"Ice will never beat fire sorry babe." I said sauntering over planning on stabbing the stupid bitch with my Chakrams.
What I didn't plan on was her malicious grin, "Darkness bind him!" She cried and this time I landed flat on my ass. Between her summoning the darkness and me falling I lost Roxas in the process.
Her face had been contorted in rage and she was no longer the sweet looking Aurora she had first painted herself to be. Apparently when she had been kidnapped they had also helped release the darkness inside of her to.
Roxas fell to the ground and rolled a few feet away from me his blanket coming off in the process. Shivering his eyes were still closed and I could see blood dribbling out of his lips to run down his cheek. Thankfully it was just blood and not the poison. I fought with my binds until I saw Aurora walk over and wrap him back up.
Easily picking him up in her arms she looked down at me all trace of hate and malice gone. "I know it's not going to be easy for you so allow us to dispose of him for you. We'll plant flowers around his grave and make sure he has a nice funeral."
Those words stabbed my heart and I felt tears prick my eyes. "You fucking bitch! Let him go now! I will fucking rip your throat out with my bare hands! He is my Mate you whore!" I kept shouting profanities hoping she would drop him.
He wasn't going to have a funeral because he wasn't going to die. Everything was quiet for a few moments and I heard Roxas moan. It was pain filled and he coughed blood which continued to dribble out of his mouth and choke him.
"I'm sorry but he's as good as dead. Come Ariel, we're close and they've led us to the Blood Rose." Aurora said turning on her heel and walking off.
"Axel?" Sora was the first to talk once the girls had left the clearing.
"He can't die! We haven't come all this way for nothing!" Demyx shouted I could hear how he was trying to hold back the sobs.
But all I could see was red. Red clouded my vision, how dare she be the one to try and bury my Mate! He belonged to me! I promised him that I was going to save him and I was going to fucking save him! I let out a breath I didn't even know that I was holding, being a Vampire I didn't need to breathe but it was uncomfortable to stop now.
I concentrated all my anger and fury on the one who stole my Mate away from me. I thought about him dying and then burying him to help fuel the anger. By the time I was done I couldn't see or hear anything except Roxas. I was no longer in control of myself, like the time I had been drugged and attacked Roxas ripping out his throat. Except this time I was going to murder that blond haired bitch and all of her companions!
By the time I realized what I had done we were all engulfed in a massive amount of flames. They were everywhere burning a trail right to the ones who stole him. I could control my flames and I begged them not to hurt my friends, I could feel them carressing their faces before burning off only the restraints.
I was the last one they touched and it took a while before I was finally free. I sent them on their way to Aurora, Ariel and the sick Dhampir in hopes that my fire would reach them. It wasn't long before it hissed and writhed in pain. Water! It crackled before finally dying out.
Summoning my Chakrams I ran leaving behind everyone, if they wanted to follow me then they would but at the moment I could only think of Roxas.
He clouded my vision, and I continued to see him over and over with blood leaking out of his mouth, skin tearing off his body into pieces until nothing but a skeleton remained. This wasn't going to happen we had worked to hard to let this happen! No way! When I finally caught with them I remember trying to stab that blond bitch with my Chakrams. She dodged still holding onto my Mate protectively.
"Let him go! Give him to me now!" I roared throwing one of the Chakrams. She dodged it easily and as it came back to me she put a shield up to stop it. . That meant we couldn't get past her to the Rose and I couldn't fucking cut her head off. They were becoming more irritating by the second.
"If you keep doing this you'll only hurt your Mate!" She cried as my second Chakram was deflected off of the shield. It was a translucent color before it shimmered and dropped back to the ground between us.
It wasn't until I felt a hand on my shoulder did I stop what I was doing my eyes though were still trained on Roxas.
His cheeks were red and I could see his breathing was labored. "Please let me save him." I whispered finally coming down from the high I had been riding. A shake of red hair this time and I dropped to my knees. "I've come this far to just let him die then is that it?" I asked only to see the regret replaced by determination in Aurora's and Ariel's eyes.
They were going to save Eric and I was going to have to bury the only person in life I truly cared about. It was obvious that if I even tried to attack they would block it every time a shield had been raised ensuring that I couldn't hurt them. I promised him that Rose, I promised and look what was happening I was going to break it and let him die. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes before a weak voice one that was unfamiliar spoke.
"Let them have the Rose." Looking over to the sound of the voice I saw it was the black haired man speaking. Eric.
"What?" This time Ariel spoke. "But... but Eric." She whispered.
"Ariel, I've lived for over a thousand years." He responded reaching out from the blanket to cup her face.
This was the first time I had ever heard of a Dhampir living over a thousand years. It was obvious that they normally lived for a few hundred years but I had never heard of them living above a thousand!
"How old is he?" Eric asked pointing to Roxas who was still in Aurora's arms.
"Nineteen." I whispered we had just celebrated his birthday before he had been poisoned.
"One hundred and nineteen?" He questioned and I shook my head. "Just nineteen?"
By this time Aurora had sensed that we were going to get the flower and had handed me Roxas. I nodded and pulled Roxas close to my chest kissing the crown of his head. "Yes just nineteen."
"Ariel I've lived my life and this child has yet to even live his. Let me die I want him to have that Rose!" His voice was more commanding this time and Ariel flinched.
I could feel Roxas coughing until it got louder and louder. Blood welled up before slipping out of his mouth and running down his cheek. It hissed on contact and I quickly rubbed the poison off.
"But I don't want you to die!" She whimpered dropping down and taking his hand in hers.
"I don't mean to interrupt but if you'll please take that shield down I'd like to save my Mate he's puking up poison." I stated training my gaze on Aurora who had the shield in tact.
With a nod of his head Aurora took the shield back allowing us to go forward. A two minute walk showed us the flower. It was in a small river sitting on a patch of grass just like Zexion said it would be.
"Here I'll hold him long enough so you can get in the water and crush the Rose up." Zexion stated holding his arms out. Shaking my head he quirked his eyebrows up before a small smile graced his features. "Good choice." I couldn't be sure if Aurora had another trick up her sleeve that consisted of shifting into other people.
Wading out into the small river I hurriedly plucked the flower just as Roxas let out another violent body wracking cough. "It won't be long Roxas just hang in there for me."
It was a beautiful flower blood red just like the name implied. Blood was dripping off slowly in small droplets. I licked my lips and tried hard not to just try and eat the damn thing. The blood smelled wonderful, it wasn't like Leon's blood but instead it smelled closer to Roxas'. I tried hard not to concentrate on it too much before I finally grabbed it and crushed it in my hands.
I wasn't aware of the thorns but I continued crushing it anyway. The pain was bearable compared to what living without my Mate would be like. Scattering the crushed up pieces in the water they glowed red on contact. The Blood Rose was bleeding into the water making it light up a bright red. With a deep breath I stripped Roxas blanket away, kissing his forehead and dipping him in the river.
White surrounded us, pure white light. I had to cover my eyes for a moment before a set of hands tugged them down. Looking down I saw Roxas and smiled grabbing him in my arms and swinging him around. "Angel!"
"Axel!" He cried his arms winding around my neck. "I missed you! Oh gods I missed you. I love you so much!"
"I love you to Angel! I love you to, its ok now everythings going to be ok." I whispered pressing my lips against his. Wrapping his legs around my waist I wanted to find the nearest wall to just press him against and ravish him. He was beautiful and his skin pallor was back to normal. "Beautiful," it was the only word I could think of describe him but he was so much more.
His eyes were shining with laughter just like they used to before he got sick. "I don't mean to interrupt but I wanted to tell you congratulations." Turning around I saw Luxord holding the hand of another blond that looked exactly like Roxas.
"He'll sleep for three days and then he will awaken fully recovered. Nothing you can do will awaken him until three days have passed, and it will look like he is in a coma. But just remember he is alive and well." Luxord said.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" I whispered squeezing Roxas tighter. The white light dissipated and was gone within a matter of minutes leaving us standing back in the river the Blood Rose gone along with the floating patch of grass. Roxas eyes were closed and his breathing had returned to normal.
His pallor was still a sickly white but he already seemed to look healthier. I cradled him close and made my way out of the water where everyone was waiting.
"He's going to be ok. I saw Luxord... and he said that he would sleep for three days. But he's going to be fine."
Everyone wanted to cheer but the wails and cries of Ariel losing her Mate prevented us from doing so. It was a bittersweet moment but at the same time the Hunters had claimed another life. Kissing Roxas forehead I sank down in the grass and thanked the gods that my Mate was going to be ok.
A/N: Chapter 8 is done! I hope you guys enjoyed it leave me a review and let me know what you think! I've enjoyed writing this so much. It won't be much longer though and the story will come to an end but I have another one waiting for and it comes with a contest this time so don't be sad! Leave me a review and let me know what ya think and I'll see everyone in chapter 9!
xoxo Royal