(Picture is not mine) All credits to the artist who is AMAZING... I found it on google.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. There was a steady beat formed. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound of liquid falling from a great height, with heaviness.

The streets of Anex were quiet. It was a seldom heard fantasy. There were no women screaming, there were no men yelling, there were no sounds apart from the whistling wind. Stone pathways were dirtier than usual, and the cracks were filled with dark fluid.

The streets were running with blood, and like a living organism, it craved. The streets craved more blood.

From a dungeon cell deep in the heart of the kingdom, there came a soft moan of pain, followed by grunts of someone suffering slowly. They woke Ranako up.

He opened his eyes to see a grey surrounding, he had been moved in the past week from stall to stall, and what had happened to him was too emotionally numbing to actualize. He closed his eyes and reasoned with himself; he didn't have the worst of the torture, no, that went to the girls.

Apparently their captors had kept to their words when they said they would "breed" them. And it was worse than anything Ranako could have fathomed. He mentally shook himself as he was too weak to do so physically, it was enough. He would not think of it.

Ranako again opened his eyes and forced his body to sit. He saw that his ankles were chained to the stone walls with links of steel. They were cold and sharp to his sensitive skin. He glanced around him to see his friends still asleep in fitful worlds of their own. Blitz was crying in his sleep, it was normal at this point, Ranako needn't to wake up his friend. Blitz was revisiting his mother's execution and his father's murder, over and over they played for him, a consistent theme to his nights. Ranako glanced at Spirit, his name no longer fitting the boy.

The lad lay in the corner close to his chain, his body was thinner than the other boys, as he threw up often what he was fed, it wasn't his fault, not at all. The men Ryon and Justine, they knew his greatest fear was fire, and made a daily torture for him of it as punishment for whatever they deemed was his sin that day. The torture had left him burnt and terrified. His eyes were glued open, even as he slept.

Ranako then looked to Seto. He was still so beautiful, and so small, he slept curled in a protective ball near Ranako, huddling his arms for warmth, his horn had been savagely broken off when Ryon grabbed the boy by it and flung him to the wall. All that now remained was a small stub that was hollow and circular.

The boy's skin was purple with his injured body, and pink with fever. The broken horn was infected and he didn't have very long to live with how the illness spread in his body.

Seto stirred and opened his beautiful blue eyes, they glanced around before focusing on Ranako.

"Ranako? Are you ok?" The boy choked out, the voice raspy and pained. Ranako felt his heart twist with unexplainable emotions, the poor boy was asking him if he was ok when he was on the verge of death from his fever.

"Yeah, I'm ok." Ranako said smiling softly at the concern. Seto's face released and he visibly relaxed, "I really worry about you Ranako."

"Why?" Ranako asked, his emotions feeling like steel and thread, he was both comforted by Seto's words but very worried as well of their implications.

"Ranako? I - I'm scared, I think I'm going to die soon." Seto mumbled. The pale boy locked eyes with Ranako and suddenly Ranako felt as though he understood.

Seto was dying, and he feared the darkness that was coming, he feared the loneliness that was death. The uncertainty of what was to come.

Ranako pushed back his dreadlocked, black braids, he wiped the sweat from his face, but it did nothing to stop the tears that now began to spill. "Seto, it's ok. I'll stay with you. You won't go alone." He whispered. He didn't know now what he was doing, and just lifted the frail boy to his lap.

"Ranako? Can I ask you something?" Seto asked after a moment of deathly silence. Ranako nodded without a word. Seto then lifted his hand and touched Ranako's hand, "When I was young, I was able to bring people into my dreams. I want to share a dream with you, in it you will be awake and healthy, we will be safe there, and we will stay there until I die in the real world. When I do, you will wake up and I won't. But until I do, I will be able to run, laugh and live, even if it is for five minutes more. Will you join me?" His last request was like he was begging for Ranako to let him live for a while more. He was pleading with his eyes, and soul for what could be a minute more of life.

"Of course." Ranko replied simply, with that Seto's hand rested on Ranako's and with a warm tingle, the boy fell asleep. Ranako did too, careful to keep contact as he lay down.

He awoke feeling strangely light, and strong. He felt as though everything was right. He felt as though he were in his tribe and safe, and everyone he loved was safe. He looked about himself in curiosity and noticed that the ground was made of soft, green grass, that billowed in a warm wind. The sky held no sun, but there was a brightness from the air itself, and a warmth that came with it. Colors of pink, purple, blue and yellow formed the colors that were the heavens and horizons.

"So you like it?" Said a happy, chirpy and beautiful voice. Ranako wheeled around feeling his hair whip around his head in the ways he remembered it as a child. Seto stood not five feet away, his skin was radiant white, glowing like snow, with colors and sparkles as though he himself reflected the light. His smile was so enchanting that Ranako smiled at him without want or need! What was more was Seto's hair, straight, white, and soft, the sparkles on his skin dimmed to that in his hair, and the glint of happiness in his eyes told Ranako that Seto felt as good as he looked.

"I love it." Ranako whispered, Seto smiled again ducking his head blushing. "I tried to make it like the place I was born in." He said.

"You were born in a land without sun?" Ranako teased. Seto frowned and looked about the sky in a vain search for the star. "Oops. I guess I didn't see the sun where I was born. Maybe in a tent or something."

"I wish we could escape through here." Ranako whispered longingly, he felt the itch to run and jump, he knew it was impossible, but had he felt like this in real life he would have tackled the men, he would have fought back. "I hate Anex. I hate the men that did this to us." He heard himself whisper. Seto heard Ranako's whispered vengeance and gasped, "No, do not harbor hate! My mother told me to never hate! To always love and forgive, because otherwise we become like them!" He had clung onto Ranako's arm then, terrified and pleading.

"I won't be like them!" Ranako seethed, his anger disappeared as soon as it came though, Seto placed his hands on Ranako's face, his soft palms cupping Ranako. Their warm touch shushed him, "I know, I know you are a million times better than them, I wish I could take away everything they ever did to you, I know that you don't know me, but... Ranako, I know you, I've known you since the day you were born."

Ranako was confused, and slightly scared, "I don't remember you though?" Seto smiled kindly, but with the sadness that only he knew why, "No, you would not know me, I've known you in dreams. I can visit people in their dreams and watch them from across the world, your dreams have always fascinated me." And then Ranako felt a warm embarrassment flood his face, "You've seen all my dreams?" He asked, his worry was deflated though, "No, only some that pained you and some that gladdened you."

Ranako gazed into the pools of blue in Seto's eyes and at once he felt his body lighten, as though he were afloat. "You really can see people's dreams?" He asked, not that he didn't believe Seto, rather he wanted to hear more.

Seto smiled, his pink lips drawn upwards as he blushed, "I can see dreams from all over the world, and visit places far and wide, in my dreams I see millions of stars, each of these stars is a dream of someone's, the night I chose your star, it was glowing brighter than any sun in the heavens."

Ranako smiled at the boy, " It appears I have had a secret stalker all my life..." Seto turned his face away in obvious shame, "I- I'm sorry Ranako, but I... I couldn't stop myself." Suddenly there was a rumble from the dreamy heavens, the skies darkened, and the grass dried. "I'm going to die soon. Ranako I just want to tell you one last thing before I go." Seto whispered quickly, his face shone in the darkness and his eyes filled with fear and anticipation. His hands trembled as they groped for Ranako's hands. "Ranako, I know you won't feel this way, but, I love you." Barely were the sacred words out before Ranako felt soft lips on his own. Seto was kissing him just as the heavens darkened again and the rumbles began.

Ranako felt the seconds tick by as he saw the skies darken to black. The clouds turned to stone and fell, black slates into the nothingness, the earth fell away, and fire and smoke fumed up from what appeared as hell's gateway. Seto's hands let go.

"Seto wait!" Ranako gasped, it was so fast there was no time, he had to talk more with this boy. Why even as the thoughts and desperation clung to him Ranako saw the boy rise and explode into a million stars. And the ground formed again, solid stone as the skies grew alight with the fragments of Seto's heavenly light. No more was the boy. All that remained was the starry heavens. And two that glowed with fierce intensity in blue.

Ranako woke, it was dark and cold. The body beside him was still, and cold. That was one of the scariest things, the stillness, suddenness of death. There was no warning as the body paled, no alarm as the warmth drained from the source, the cold came now within. The limpness of Seto's limbs startled Ranako as he let go of the hand.

"You ok?" Blitz's voice came as a warm comfort. Ranako turned to his friend and grasped him around the neck in a needy embrace. "No! NO! He died! HE'S GONE!" His wails woke up Spirit who, despite his weakness, crawled over to Ranako and held him, "It's ok. He's better off now." Spirit's broken voice sounded like sandpaper. A sudden clang sounded outside the prison walls.

"Enek maa-mut shekni." The door opened revealing three men. They were not Anex's guards. They were the soldiers. The man that had spoken walked out of the shadows and the boys saw with horror a grizzly sight. The man was seven feet tall, he had five foot long dreadlocks that were wrapped in human hide. His arms, legs, chest, and girth were so large and well built he looked as though he were made of stone and shaped like a giant. His skin was tanned and marred with thousands of scars, the weather had worn it to the texture of rhino skin, his nails were more like claws as he came closer he removed his hood. "They don't leave much these days for rewards do they?" His voice sounded like the quiet snarl of a leopard and the threatening whisper of a snake. His face came into light and the boy's eyes widened in their shock. His face, though perhaps once handsome, was marked by years of scars, and his mouth opened to reveal sharp teeth, like those of a river crocodile. His smile widened and did not stop, the parting line of his lips drew ever far back until they stretched past his eyes. His mouth line came to his scalp and stopped. There he stood, in terrible existence, in horrific reality and took out a knife.

"I suppose though, a reward is a reward, and won't be wasted." His voice spoke again. It sounded as though he spoke by drawing air in, rather than letting it out.

As though he was tasting their fear his smile widened and his eyes revealed their whites. He looked like a horrible grinning demon. Looking down on the boys he came to grasp Ranako by an arm. With a tug as simple as though pulling a thread, he grasped the chain at Ranako's ankle and pulled it from the wall.

"What do you want with us?"

"We want nothing with you, just with your bodies." Laughed another of the men as he too took Spirit.

The next minute all three men took the three remaining boys out of the prison and threw them into a wagon as they began to drive out.

"We will all die tonight won't we." Spirit whispered. The wagon lurched to the left and the boys shifted to the right.

"Yes. I think so." Blitz sobbed quietly. The wagon went over a pothole in the ground and the boys jumped.

"You have been precious friends Blitz, Spirit. I hope we can meet in the world after this."

"I'll see my mother and father again." Blitz sounded dreamy. "We all will." Spirit mumbled. The boys held hands as the wagon turned again.

The ride was long and painful. But the fear was what truly numbed the boys. They could hear the men in the front of the wagon, discussing.

"You'll rip him Magnegot. The boy barely has a hole as it is."

"Do I care? I'll push through his ribs as long as it feels good Irvain." The snake man laughed. The third man whipped the horses, " I'm going to use that bitch boy like a fuck toy even when he's dead, or at least until they give us new ones."

"Ignis is generous, he'll give you one as soon as you promote Rakh."

"Ahaha. I'll need a new fuck before then, I killed my wife on our bed night. I thought women always bleed from there."

"I know the boys can hear us. Tell us Magnegot, what will you do to the Friesian whore?"

The snake man's eyes glinted, "The same I do to all of them - 

WARNING. GRAPHIC! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION 

(I will chain him to a table by his wrists and slam him on the wall. Then I'll strip him slowly with a dagger, I'll slice his clothes and play with his parts with my knife until he cries out of fear. Then I will force the handle of my blade up his ass, and force him to get hard. I'll fucking rip off his dick with my hand and then I'll force him to eat it! I will piss on him until he reeks of me, then I'll use him as my fuck toy until he throws up what I stuff him with. I will force him to clean himself like a fucking cat, and then I'll cut his tongue and make him swallow it. I will push him into a pot of boiling water and scald him. I want to watch his skin turn that delicious red. I'll whip him within an inch of his life. When I'm ready to have him dead, I'll force him to swallow me, and I'll stay in his mouth until I release and he suffocates from my load. Then I'll use his body until it rots in my hands.) 

END OF THE GRAPHICNESS. eeew. that was not fun. *shivers*

-don't worry, he'll have fun."

Ranako felt sick with fear, if there was a way to kill himself now he would do it. Clearly Blitz and Spirit were thinking the same, both looking for someway to end the misery before it began.

Suddenly. "Pist. Pist!" A girl's voice came from the wagon's lock.

" I can get you out. Come here and be quiet." Ranako looked through the bars and saw a girl around his own age, her hair messy and black, her eyes glinting in the moonlight. She took a blade and twisted the chains. With inhuman strength she broke them. She let the wagon doors swing open and she hopped nimbly out of the way, she gestured quickly for the boys to follow. Numbly, they did. Ranako felt the wind and smelled cleanness. He smelled hope as he jumped from the wagon and raced after the girl. Suddenly it was as if he had grown wings, as though he was once more in Seto's dream. He was weightless as his legs carried him, he felt naught the sting of his feet as they ran on rocks, nor the pain of his muscles as he lept and ran in the night air.

All Ranako could feel was the sweet freedom from fear.

Yeah I know pretty soon for a new update, but like, WHY THE HOOTLES NOT?

So . About that one graphic part... *nudges audience* didn't think I could be damn ugly ehhh???

*Shivers* It was weird to write that, I hope you won't judge me, as you know the Anex are supposed to be the worst villains like, to ever exist. I tried to make them as disgusting and vile and cruel as possible, I realized that it is impossible to avoid the sexual abuse that they would have done and it would appear like I was purposely avoiding it. So I manned up and wrote it.

Aside from that though, I know the Seto/Ranako thing was a little sudden, but I just was going to see how it would turn out if I wrote something like that, obviously, I am all for fluff, not so much the other smutt stuff, it's not up my alley. 

*grins* THey are free now, and rest assured they should remain so until .... well until I change my mind right *evil laugh* No but like really. 

Next chapter (which I have been postponing because I am unsure how to go about writing it) will have Ignis, and whatever he's been up to these past few months. So expect some non-sense next time around. 

Welp. Time to make like a banana, and SPLIT!

*dashes off into the distance*