Yoyo peeps! It's finally time for the plot to start kicking into gear. Yay. Well, not for Keane, at least :) I'm so mean to him, in all my stories. You have no idea how long I've waited to write this and the next chapter. Ah well, you don't want to hear me just talking about what's going to happen, you want to actually read it, I hope anyway.

Chapter 10 - Of Life and Death

The two boys stayed in Keane's room for a while longer. The sun had set by now, and they should probably both be heading to bed. Keane knew that at least he should. He had class in the morning, and had to be up extra early for it. A bit sleepily, he pushed himself up from his laying position on his bed. He could only slightly feel the small bird that Straton had given to him in the pocket of his robe. He'd put in it there a while ago.

Before Keane got the chance to tell the blonde that he was going to be heading to sleep for the night, he noticed him staring intently out of the small window in his wall. Keane couldn't see whatever it was he was looking at from his position across the room, though.

"Hey Strat, whatcha looking at?" he asked, but Straton just frowned and moved closer to the window, as if he wasn't too sure himself.

"I don't know… but there's something off in the distance," the younger boy explained, now standing by the window. A bit intrigued, Keane stood up and walked over besides him. Straton pointed off towards the west, to show him whatever it was he saw. "See, out there, that light," he said, and Keane nodded, able to make out a strange band of lights, that almost seemed to be heading towards them. They were low to the ground, and it took Keane a moment to remember the last time he'd seem anything like it.

"It looks kind of like a festival, or a parade…" the red head said, and Straton nodded in agreement. That was what it looked like, now that he really focused on it. Little pinpricks of fire, like the citizens used to light the festivities during the night.

"Is there a holiday today?" he asked, and Keane just shrugged as he turned away from the window and back towards his bed. He didn't think so… but he wasn't even entirely sure on the date, so he could be wrong.

"What's today's date?" He asked, and it didn't take the blonde very long to answer him, he was a bit more on top of things then the frantic redhead was.

"The 6th," he said, and Keane thought for a few moments. The sixth… the sixth… he couldn't think of any holidays on that date, not even for different months. Not that they tended to celebrate too many of them in the palace, and when they did, he got the feeling that it wasn't exactly like how the commoners celebrated their holidays.

"I don't think so… but I've never been very good with things like that," he said after a moment. He couldn't really think of anything else it could be, and after a few moments Straton sat back down at the desk, picking up one of the books again and started reading. Keane noticed it was his Asterian book again. He sure did study that a lot. The older boy had never actually heard him speak it, but he must be pretty good at it by now.

"It's getting late, I should head to my room. You have class in the morning?" Straton asked, and Keane nodded. He wished he didn't, with all the stress he'd been going through. It wasn't going to change though, so there really was no use in hoping, unless he was planning to ditch and get in trouble yet again, which he wasn't.

"Yeah, well goodnight," the red head said sleepily, and Straton nodded once he reached the door. Glancing quickly back towards the window, he frowned. There wasn't any reason for a festival today… was there? Shaking his head, he decided to just ignore it. It probably wasn't that important, whatever it was could be dealt with in the morning.

"Goodnight Keane," he said, before leaving the room and closing the door quietly behind him. Keane flopped down into a laying position as soon as the door was closed, quickly closing his eyes as well. He was tired; it'd been as long a day as normal, and there had been a riot right on the outskirts of town, just to add to his stress. Sighing slightly to himself, he decided to just get to sleep for now. There was no use in worrying about things he couldn't control, at least not yet anyway.

Keane groggily rubbed at his eyes as something loud struck him back into consciousness much earlier then he'd wanted to. What in the world was that? It was hurting his head… Slowly he pushed himself into a sitting position just to cover his ears. It was loud… it was the same horns from when they had the fire.

Opening his eyes, he pushed himself off his large bed and started towards his window, not even bothering with the fact that he had never changed his clothes. It was still dark out, something was wrong.

Looking down, it was hard to make anything out, the prince's floor was so high up. What he could see though, didn't make him feel any better. There was fire, the same little pinpricks that Straton and he had noticed earlier, only now close up, and people. Lots and lots of people.

Moving away from the window, Keane had no idea what to do. Should he just stay in his room? That was where the guards had taken him when the fire happened, but this seemed very different. There was a sinking feeling in his stomach. This was much worse. Those people weren't here for a peaceful chat, that was for sure.

The horns were still blaring, and he had no idea what to do. He couldn't think like this, he couldn't even hear if there was anybody outside his door.

The red head's heart nearly stopped when his door was flung open, only to calm down slightly when he saw it was Straton. A very panicked and worried looking Straton, but Straton non the less. He quickly ran over to the older boy and grabbed his arm, but Keane wasn't about to follow him until he knew what was going on.

"Strat! What's happening! ? I saw people, and fire!" Keane yelled in order to be heard above the horns, and Straton just started to pull him again, and the red head reluctantly started following as he frantically explained.

"We have to get out of here! The people! Rioting! C'mon!" the blonde yelled, and Keane was now following without any struggle. A riot… attacking the palace… attacking them… Just like Straton had said, all those months ago…

"Where are we going?" Keane asked as they weaved in and out of other panicking children and guards. The rioters couldn't get all the way up here, right? And even if they did… they wouldn't hurt children… right? Straton just kept pulling him though, and Keane could actually see the boy struggling to keep himself calm. It was like the time he'd first really taken notice of him, when he'd pulled him from the pond. Only this time he wasn't loosing his cool because of anger, it was because of fear.

"I don't… I don't know… but we have to keep- Keane!" the red head could barely process what was happening as Straton pushed him back, managing by a hair to avoid the huge club that came down between them. All Straton could see was the huge man, covered in soot that had just nearly bashed his friend's brains in, and all Keane could see was that there was already blood covering the club.

"Run!" Keane had no idea who actually yelled that, Straton or himself, but whoever it was didn't need to say it twice, both boys running faster then they ever had before, fear tearing at their hearts like a claw.

The red head didn't look where he was going as he ran, just away from that club… from that blood. When he finally slowed down enough to look where he was, he couldn't even tell with the panic he felt, and the people all around. Some of them… they obviously weren't royalty, and they were… attacking. The queens… and the children. Something… someone, it seemed like they were blow up next to him, the way the warm, red blood sprayed across him.

He couldn't move, and he felt like he was about to throw up. He was going to be killed. He was going to be killed. Straton was right. He was right. Straton- oh no.

Panic began to grip him again, but luckily it gave him the ability to move. Where was Straton? They'd been separated when they ran away. Where was he? Keane's mind immediately went back to whoever it was that had been killed next to him, and he really did throw up this time. That couldn't of been him. It couldn't of been. He was still alive somewhere. He needed to be. He was still alive.

He had to keep moving. He couldn't die. Somehow, he'd managed to start running again, only to slip and fall in something. Blood. Someone's blood. Keane started feeling extremely lightheaded. He was going to die. He had to stand up. Without meaning to, he saw just who'd still warm blood he had fallen in, and wished he hadn't. He wished he hadn't seen any of this.

He could barely make out who it was with all the injuries, but when he did, he threw up all over again. It was Emmanuel. Keane couldn't even understand how so much blood could of fit into his skinny body. Just barely, he managed to push himself up, sticky red liquid covering his hands. He felt like his heart was about to burst. He had to leave, but he couldn't move.

Someone grabbed his wrist, and he thought he was already dead. "Keane!" The boy's head snapped up at the voice, and he started crying, although he really didn't notice. He wasn't going to die. Not yet.

"Mom!" he yelled, clinging to her as fast as he possibly could. She would protect him. She had to. Immediately the red headed woman started dragging him in the first direction she could, just as desperate as everyone else to find someplace, anyplace, that was safe. Keane wasn't even thinking anymore. He couldn't. His mind had just shut down, and all he could do was follow to wherever his mother was dragging him. All he could do was tell himself he'd be safe with her. He had to be safe with her. She was his mother. She would protect him.

"Mom!" He saw it a split second before she did, but he wasn't able to push her out of the way the same way Straton had did to save him. All he was able to do was watch as that large, tanned man with the club swung at his mother, ripping her out of his grasp. More blood. Keane could feel it dripping down his face now, but didn't pay any attention to it. It didn't matter, didn't even register in his head. He just stare helplessly at the broken form of his mother sprawled on the floor.

No… no no no no…. nonononononono! It couldn't be…oh no… Keane slowly sunk to the floor, his legs completely giving out on him. He couldn't do anything, not even think about the huge man that was probably about to kill him. This couldn't… no… it was wrong! It was all wrong! He didn't want to die! He didn't want anyone to die! He was probably sobbing by now, but he really couldn't tell. When someone yanked him back out of the way of the club, he didn't even bother to see who it was before he was up on his feet and running again, like a trapped rat.

He had no idea what was going on anymore. His mind was scattered and panicked. He felt like a caged animal ready for the slaughter. His mind just wouldn't work anymore, and Keane didn't know if it ever would again. If he would ever even get the chance to try. He knew he was running in circles. He hadn't gone up or down a single flight of stairs. He was going to die, but he didn't want to! He didn't want to die… he didn't want to…

When he tripped over something, probably the corpse of one of the queens or princes or princesses… one of his family, all he could do was sit on the floor and sob. He didn't want to die, but he couldn't do anything. He couldn't give up though, but his body wasn't reacting with his mind. He had to get out, but there was no way out.

He didn't want to die, but all he could do was sit there and wait to be killed.

I am so cruel. And with a cliffhanger too! You all probably hate me now… :) Well, if you do, then I've accomplished my mission of actually making you feel something! I'd be a terrible writer if I just completely traumatized and left the main character for dead, and you all didn't care.

Oh, this is also the second time I've killed off Dylana. Huh. This is only the second time I've killed someone in a fic that wasn't a canon death, or death was cheap and they came back. Weird. Now what does that say about how I think of her?
Well, I hope you all liked the chapter, although I'm not sure if liked would be the right word. Please review.