Disclaimer: The characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to SquareEnix and Disney. The characters from Final Fantasy belong to SquareEnix alone. I own nothing but this story.

Warning: This is a dark, supernatural tale containing violence and yaoi. If you are not into this sort of thing, I advise that you click the back button and find something more suitable to your tastes.

Summary: YAOI, RikuxSora.

Hello there! Welcome to the first chapter of Divine Sins, a giftfic for Dark Ki. Once you finish with my own sorry work, you should take a look at her stories, for they are more then worth your time!

This is the tame version of Divine Sins, meaning there are no lemons here, kids. If you wish to read the full version you may do so at or Sins

Prologue: The creation, part one

The sound of tortured sobbing echoes through a dilapidated, single-roomed stone building sheltering two individuals seeking cover from the hot morning sun.

One of them, a female dressed in a diaphanous gown as dark as the midnight sky and decorated with silver stars, sits with a regal air on the once magnificent gray marble floor, and stares at the thin beams of golden sunlight that filter in through the crumbling roof.

A boy lies sprawled upon the floor, his head buried in the female's lap. She strokes her hands through his hair comfortingly, murmuring softly.

"In the beginning…" She says in a melodious voice, "…there was the Void. The Void, feeling as though something was missing, created two lovers to give it joy and named them Order and Chaos. Order loved Chaos but despised his nature, and Chaos loved Order but secretly wished her more like him. The two argued for so long that Order grew weary and fell into a deep slumber. Whilst she slumbered, Chaos came onto her and they conceived a child, their daughter, the first goddess.

This goddess was a cheerful child, she loved to dance and sing and play, but her world was empty except for her parents and the Void in which they all lived. She voiced her concerns to her parents, but they were arguing and could help her not.

The Void heard the goddess's woes and whispered to her its advice: simply make something to amuse herself with, as the Void had done with her parents. Under the tutelage of the Void, the young goddess began to create and shape matter into the form of a ball.

The ball grew in size until the young goddess could walk upon it, and as she did she began to create things that could live there and give her joy. Her breath became the air and her tears became the sea, but it was not enough for her. She did not know what else to do, and her frustration caused the world's very first storm. In the wake of that storm rose the black earth, as wild and untamed as the storm that spawned it.

Delighted with this new creation, the goddess rested her hands upon it to still it, her grace creating life for this new sphere of existence—all kinds of plants as well as creatures that could soar the skies, swim the seas, and traverse the land.

Finally, the goddess created children that would watch over all the others, children that could use her powers to protect the weaker children of this new world. They were similar to her in shape, and were wiser than their lesser brothers and sisters.

Finally, the goddess was satisfied. All was as she wished it to be.

…But that was not to last…"

Chosen

Part one

Nothing in all his eleven years of being trained to be a Journeyman Shalieon could have prepared the young apprentice Sora for the pandemonium surrounding him. No history book or simulation could possibly have equipped him to handle the sight of the small, nameless town where he and his instructor had stayed for a few days being ravaged by flames, its citizens screaming for loved ones as they raced in panic to safety..

He was not prepared to see those loved ones crushed under the heels of their own neighbors. He was not prepared to see children as they lay lifeless upon the ground.

Black smoke filled the air, making it difficult to breathe, which only added to the frenzied panic surrounding him. Clutching a set of amethyst prayer beads in his left hand, Sora tried to call out for his instructor, but he could not even hear himself over the chaos gripping the village.

The crowd forced him up against a building partially engulfed by flames, and all his attempts to escape before the flames reached him were continuously fruitless. He called for his instructor again, only to have the smoke from the fire choke off the cry, sending him coughing and gasping for air. He had no time to search for his instructor now.

Sora backed away from the approaching flames as best as he could, hastily stringing his prayer beads through his fingers. "Sweep aside the ashes of old; blow gently, oh children born of the goddess's breath."

The last word was spoken with quiet authority, and the amethyst beads glowed with a soft white light as a brisk wind picked up, becoming strong enough to lift Sora above the crowd when he jumped into the air. He glided over to the roof of a nearby building still untouched by flames and looked around for his instructor again.

"Lady Yuna…where are you?"

As he searched, the roof suddenly burst into flames, startling Sora so badly he nearly fell into the crowd below. He commanded the winds to catch him just as he began to lose his balance, and he glided away on his back, expression turning grim.

There was no way that could have happened naturally. As he gave it further thought, everything suddenly all made sense.

He remembered that the fire had started without warning, just as it had then. He and his instructor had been gathered in a small, empty storehouse along with several villagers for afternoon prayer when the first screams of panic had filled the air. Sora remembered not even having the chance to wonder what was going on before the walls of the room had exploded with a fiery burst, sending everyone to the ground from the force.

And yet, no one had suffered any burns, and the walls had remained intact. They were covered in flames, but after the explosion they should have been in ruins. Sora had been too preoccupied with the sudden chaos to properly notice what had been going on, but he realized it now.

Someone was playing a very nasty game. And unless he stopped it, the people of the village would trample themselves to death.

If there even were any villagers.

Landing on a nearby roof and ignoring the flames that engulfed it, Sora twisted his beads around his wrist before raising the hand attached high above his head.

"Though the darkness deceives my sight, what it hides the goddess's light can reveal!"

The prayer beads burst into a brilliant radiance at his command, sending waves of pure white light away from the apprentice Shalieon's body. The air shifted and Sora could see a very fine mist surrounding the town he had not been able to see before. His eyes narrowed as his suspicions were confirmed.

"I thought so." He hissed under his breath, pulling his beads from his wrist and stringing them through his fingers. "The fire and explosions are all illusions!"

Thinking more on it, the way the fire began—the very way it spread was unnatural. Someone had to have prayed for the light goddess's power in order to do it, but only a Shalieon priest trained in the ways of battle—a Journeyman—could command the spirits that control fire.

And a Shalieon could not attack innocent people; the light goddess would never allow it.

Quickly, Sora recalled his instructor's teachings of the two religions fighting for dominance over this world and the powers granted to the followers. Those who obey the goddess of light were granted powers of light, fire and wind…but those who followed the goddess of darkness, the Saegin, could command darkness, earth and water.

The mist was the cause of the illusion; so there had to be a Saegin nearby controlling the water spirits. As long as the mist remained, there was no way he would find his instructor. He had to sweep it away, and he knew exactly how to do that.

"Children born of the goddess's breath, dispel the darkness of deception that envelops this land!"

A brisk wind obeyed the young apprentice's command, swirling out to drive back the mist from the area. The flames dissolved away as it was driven back, again proving Sora's theory of the illusion.

"Well, looks like I was slightly less then perfect."

Sora turned to see another person standing on the same roof he was on, dressed in robes of the darkest ebony, his face veiled away by a deep hood. A ball of water used to create the illusion was slowly dripping through his cupped hands to the roof below, but there was a smile on his pale face despite his powers being dispelled.

"How did you notice it wasn't real? I created a mild earthquake to simulate the shock from the explosion, included shadow movement in my illusion and I even caused the mist to thicken around you to make you think that it was smoke making it hard to breathe."

Sora stared at the figure in black impassionedly, gripping his prayer beads as his mind worked on what to do to get him out of this situation. He was ill prepared to face down a Saegin, and it was also against the rules. He was to locate his instructor and use every resource at his disposal to get to her side.

However, the Saegin would not let him simply run away. Sora needed a distraction.

"Heat."

The Saegin frowned. "What?"

"The fire had no heat." Sora looked around without turning his head, trying to find his instructor. "And the fire did not move as fire should. It does not behave the way you think it does."

The figure stood there for a moment and then laughed softly. "Leave it to a Shalieon to understand the nature of a destructive power such as flame." He took a step forward, lifting a hand dripping with prayer beads of bloodstone. "Though I am curious to see how complete your control is. From the look of it, you're just an apprentice—a little Windsinger, aren't you?"

Sora did not reply, he simply strung his beads through his fingers and loosely interlaced them, readying the commands to the wind spirits that still linger near him. "Sweep aside the—"

"Dance!"

The earth began to shake and roll, roughly tossing the building from side to side and spilling Sora from the roof to the ground below. Thankfully, a few stacked crates were there to break his fall and keep his descent from causing him to break a limb or two, but he would have quite a few bruises in the morning, and he may have sprained his right arm.

"That Saegin…" Sora gasped as he struggled to his feet, "…was able to command the spirits of earth without first addressing them or his goddess?" Such a thing was unheard of!

The earth rumbled yet again, and Sora noticed the Saegin had forced the earth to rise to him as a platform so he could step upon it and lower himself safely to the ground. "Something the matter? Never got that far in your studies to know a Chosen when you encounter one?"

Chosen? One selected by a goddess to do her will? Was that what he was facing? Sora gripped his now throbbing right arm as his mind worked on a plan of escape. Whether or not this Saegin was indeed a chosen, he was clearly outmatched.

And no one was more sure of this fact then the Saegin.

"What could the Mahatma of the Shalieon be thinking, allowing a little Windsinger like you out in the open so woefully untrained?" The Saegin tsked, shaking his head. His voice sounded amused, and it grated on Sora's nerves.

"This was a peaceful village, suitable for training…until you came!" Sora hissed, twitching a little at the nickname. He twisted his beads around and draped them over his loosely interlaced fingers.

"There is no such thing as a suitable place for training outside the temples." The Saegin took a step forward, becoming impressed when the young Shalieon apprentice did not back away. "Your goddess knows this but doesn't care. Why do you serve such a deity when she obviously cares so little for the well-being of her flock?"

Sora snorted, it wouldn't do to get into an argument with a Saegin, their minds would never change. The Saegin watched him carefully for a moment, then lowered his head with an amused smile.

"Fine then, how about I prove how little you're worth to her?" He took another step closer. "Call her. Call out to your goddess. If you matter to her, even a little, she will answer." The Saegin then lifted the hand entwined with his bloodstone prayer beads. "Growth."

The ground trembled at Sora's feet and he jumped back just as several large vines shot from the ground.

Fire would be ideal in this situation, but not only did the one command he knew take too long for him to say, he also did not have permission to use it. Apprentices were not allowed to command fire spirits, it would be too easy for them to hurt themselves and others.

Yet, he had to do something. Under the direction of the dark priest, the vines shot toward Sora again who commanded the winds to aid his avoiding jump.

"What's the matter? Call your goddess!"

Sora dodged another attack, jumping over one vine and sliding under another. "I will not obey the likes of you!" He lifted his hands to command the winds again, but a vine curled around his wrists and hauled him up into the air. It carried his struggling body over to the Saegin who watched calmly from under his hood.

"Are you afraid she won't come to your aid? Are you afraid that you've been lied to all your life?"

"Shut up!" Sora hissed. "Let me go!"

"Why, so you can return to your life of lies? So you can become another pawn, living in light so bright you can't see the truth before you?"

"You're the one living a lie! The dark goddess tempts you with honeyed words of a life with no rules…but such a life with of no restraint will only cause you to destroy yourselves!"

"If I am wrong…then prove it to me. Call the light goddess to save you."

Instead of replying, Sora twisted his legs to the right, swinging them out to the left with all his might, catching the Saegin in the side of his head and knocking him to the ground. Not expecting the attack, the dark robed figure released his control over the vines and Sora dropped to the ground, running as soon as his feet hit the ground.

Infuriated, the Saegin shot a hand out with a snarl. "Dance!" The ground trembled and shook, splitting to allow sharp stalagmites to shoot up from the ground, heading in the direction Sora was running. "If you need the situation to become more serious," he snarled, "I will be more than happy to oblige you!"

"Whoa!" Sora managed to stop just as a long and thin stalagmite shot up in front of him, and he lifted a leg to kick it free from the ground, twirling it like a staff and turning to face his opponent.

"Children of the goddess's breath, shield me from evil!" With that, Sora slammed his makeshift staff onto the ground. A powerful wind kicked up, swirling around the apprentice Shalieon with a tornado's force. Sora struggled to remain in control, should his concentration falter, even for a second, the winds would level a large part of the village.

The Saegin watched with growing respect. Perhaps the little apprentice was not so woefully untrained, for this was a powerful shield indeed. But, no matter how strong the wind, there was always a mountain that could stand up to it.

Commanding the spirits as he had before, the Saegin created a thick cone of rock in the middle of Sora's shield. The young apprentice willed the winds to swirl faster, but try as he might he could not crush the stone doorway created by his enemy. He only had a few options— he could expand the shield which would cause him to lose control and destroy the part of the village he was in, drop the shield which would give the Saegin a chance to attack, or he could strengthen the shield with the help of another element.

As the Saegin stepped nearer to walk through the rock doorway, Sora decided that the last option was looking the best at the moment. He took a steadying breath and lifted the staff from the ground, holding it tightly in both hands.

"Children of the dark one take warning! All shadows scatter when faced with the goddess of light's wrath!"

Flames erupted suddenly, startling both Saegin and Shalieon apprentice as the wind shield became a massive cyclone of fire. The Saegin stumbled back, shielding his face with his sleeve. After a moment, he peered over his raised arm to stare grimly at the scene before him. He backed away again, mostly because the heat was so great, still shielding his face.

"Unbelievable…!"

The fact that the spirits would create something so powerfully destructive for this boy was simply astonishing. His goddess was indeed with him, there was no mistake. If allowed, there was no doubt that this child could one day become the next Mahatma of the Shalieon.

If he was allowed…which he would not be. The light goddess did not deserve this talented little Windsinger.

And she would have nothing to do with one who had been tainted by the darkness…

"Tears."

A massive crack appeared in the ground at the Saegin's feet and the earth trembled. All fell silent for a moment and then a mighty ball of groundwater erupted from the crack in the earth and shot toward the fire shield, effectively dousing it.

Sora managed a cry of surprise before the water closed around him, the attack happened too fast for him to be able to do anything else. He tried to fight his way out of the water bubble surrounding him, but the Saegin calmly controlled the currents inside, pushing him back the more he struggled.

"Come now, it's only a matter of time…"

The Saegin watched, feeling a little nervous. Surely the apprentice's instructor heard the battle as it took place, and even if she hadn't, she had to have seen the light of the fire shield. He had to leave here quickly, dealing with a full-fledged Journeyman was much more difficult to deal with then an apprentice.

Soon the boy's struggles slowed to nothing, and he slumped over, passing out from lack of oxygen. The Saegin dispelled the water bubble, catching the sopping wet boy before he fell to the ground. He lifted him easily in his arms and made sure he was breathing fine before turning to escape the scene before the apprentice's instructor decided to show herself.

Sora stirred, feeling chilled and uncomfortable. His body felt heavy and unresponsive as he groggily opened his eyes to look around.

He coughed a few times and groaned, wanting to roll over and find a more comfortable position on the flat, glassy surface he was lying on, but was unable to get his body to move. Opening his eyes weakly, he wondered where he was and why he felt this way.

The room was dark and the air smelled spicy and sweet, but he could not place the fragrance. There was a light on his right side and he forced his sluggish muscles to turn his head toward it.

Seated on a wooden base, no more than a foot away, sat a statue of a woman dressed in a gown with voluminous folds. Her arms were held straight out from her body, with her hands cupped as if she were offering something. Her hair was long and was carved in soft waves all the way to the wooden base it sat upon.

Sora noticed a large silver dish filled with a burning incense in her cupped hands—the source of the mysterious aroma filling the room.

The sight froze Sora's blood—the statue was of the dark goddess.

The Saegin had taken him captive instead of killing him, but for what? He had not given his opponent any cause to think he was dissatisfied with his goddess as far as he could tell. So why hadn't he been killed?

A loud scraping noise caused Sora to struggle and turn his head the opposite way, where a large set of doors were opening to let a robed figure carrying a bottle filled with a gold liquid into the room. Sora strained to see through the smoke; was it the one who had taken him captive, or was it someone else?

The doors closed behind the figure, and it moved toward Sora slowly, its movements so smooth it seemed to glide across the floor.

"So have you called out to her yet?"

There was no mistaking the voice. It was indeed the Saegin Sora had fought in the village. "Unng…" He was all he was able to manage, he still felt too enervated to do anything else.

"I'm sorry, I forgot. The incense saps your will to move." The Saegin lowers his hood, the soft material sliding over hair the color of a full, midnight moon. His aqua-green eyes glittered with something dark and wicked, and Sora was suddenly very, very afraid. There was something behind his gaze, some hidden knowledge that only he knew, something that could destroy the world as he knew it…

The Saegin placed the bottle he had been carrying down by Sora's head, and lowered his other hand to sift through Sora's hair, smiling when smaller boy managed a slight shudder.

"It keeps you nice and quiet, relaxes the muscles, and helps make you more… amenable." The hand lowered to cup Sora's face. "Though, I'm sure you must be terrified and very curious as to what is going to happen to you."

Sora would have pulled away from the Saegin's touch had he been able. He wanted to ask questions, but settled on running one of the many prayers he had to memorize through his mind, trying to comfort himself and calm himself down. If they killed him he would only go on to his goddess in peace…

But that was not what was planned for him, no. In fact, death may have been preferable.

The hand caressing Sora's cheek began to slowly slide down the boy's body to his hips, and Sora realized for the first time that he was nude. His bottom lip trembled a little. The Saegin could not possibly mean to—

There was a shuffling of cloth as Sora's captor removed the cloak covering his shoulders, pulling it away to reveal a pale, naked body that was so flawless, it could have been carved from alabaster. It was clear that the Saegin did mean exactly what Sora had feared he did.

He was going to be defiled. He was going to be horribly and terrifyingly defiled.

Sighing contentedly, Riku nuzzled his captive's shoulder as he waited for a measure of strength to return so he could move them both somewhere more comfortable. Sora was crying silently, most likely from the mystical star-shaped mark Riku had carved into his back that bound them together. The Saegin ignored his Windsinger's tears…he still had to plan his next move.

Riku would allow Sora to rest here in the shrine for the night, then they would go travel to the temple he had lived most of his life so Riku could present his prize to the Mahatma of the Saegin. This unplanned act was sure to get him named next in line, especially if the boy renounced the light goddess before they reached their destination.

Mindful of the fact that Sora still couldn't move, Riku moved off of him and wrapped him securely in the thick cloak.

"Will you tell me your name?" he asked gently. The boy only squeezed his eyes shut and cried harder, forcing his head to look away. Riku's eyes softened in understanding. "Some other time, then."

Sora felt Riku gather him into his arms and pull him from the alter he could then see was cut from obsidian. Riku was murmuring to him again, his breath warm as it tickled Sora's scalp, sounding as if the Saegin was trying to soothe a frightened child.

Which was exactly what Sora was…

"I've just robbed you of your will, your innocence… I've even marked you as mine and your goddess did nothing." Riku's voice was gentle, but Sora shuddered, wanting to push out of his captive's arms, but he was still unable to move.

He had not been abandoned. The light goddess never abandoned anyone who trusted and believed in her. The mark cut into his back meant nothing. He still belonged to the light goddess and the light goddess alone. This was just a test.

Yes… That was what it was, a test. A test of his faith, and one he would be sure not to fail.

"Abandoned as you are, will you still call upon her? Will you pray to her still? Will you continue to worship her?"

Yes. I will.

"Shh…" Riku soothed, and Sora realized he had begun to tremble noticeably. "It's okay. You'll be fine… It's always a shock at first…"

The fool thought his words had reached him. He thought Sora's mind was changing. How wrong he was.

"Goddess…goddess please…"

…Very well…

Riku's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What?"

The building gave a sudden sharp shake, causing Riku to turn his head to the door in alarm. He wrapped Sora more securely in his cloak and tossed him over a shoulder to free up an arm for use in case of an attack.

It was a wise precaution, for as soon as he had Sora over his shoulder and his arm raised, the door shook once then exploded off its hinges, sending bits of sharp stone flying into the room.

"Rise!"

The stone floor shifted and buckled, creating a crude slab of stone to block the flying debris. Fresh air flowed into the room, dispersing the incense sapping Sora's will and helping to clear his mind. A hesitant voice called out into the room, causing hope to bloom in Sora's heart.

"Sora!"

His instructor had found him! "L-Lady Yuna, I'm here!" He began to squirm in Riku's grasp, letting his captor know that he was recovering. He felt Riku's hands tighten around him with bruising force, but he did not stop his attempts to free himself.

"Be quiet and hold still," Riku hissed. The Saegin then pressed a thumb into the wound on his captive's back and with a quiet squeak, Sora stilled. "Use your head! You've been 'defiled'. Do you really think they'll take you back? Let you become a Shalieon?"

The older boy had a point, and Sora fell limp in thought. Believing Sora had finally surrendered, Riku stood up to command the earth so they could escape.

As soon as he did, Sora pulled his hands free of the cloak, placing them flat against the Saegin's back and pushing against it as he pulled his hips back, sliding his body off of Riku's shoulder. He swung his legs back and landed on his feet, facing an astonished Riku.

"You little fool! They'll—"

"I will never surrender to the dark goddess!" Sora hissed, mind feeling refreshingly clear of the incense.

Riku lunged for him, and Sora jumped back, tripping over the cloak wrapped around him. Desperate to escape, he held a hand forward to call the wind spirits, forgetting he was without his prayer beads.

"Sweep aside the ashes of old; blow gently, oh children of Dona's breath."

The spirits obeyed him nonetheless. Riku was propelled backwards and he slammed against the slab he had created as a shield, knocking the breath from him.

Behind them, a pretty woman with shoulder-length brown hair held a rod in her hands, parallel to the floor, murmuring softly. Fire spirits scorched the air around Riku and the Saegin knew he had no choice but to flee without Sora.

For now.

"Melt!"

Riku commanded the earth to suck him down into it, right before the air around him exploded into a fiery inferno. Sora shielded his face from the heat, not daring to breathe until his instructor raced across the ruined floor of the shrine and began to check him over.

"Sora, are you okay? I tried to reach you after you broke the illusion, but the people were in such a panic…I couldn't get to you in time. I'm so sorry…did he hurt you?" Yuna pulled Sora into a hug. "Goddess save me, I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you!"

"I…I'm…"

But with the danger over, the stress and pain finally overtook Sora and he fell unconscious in Yuna's arms.

There was a sun-kissed, grassy plain that stretched as far as the eye could see. The grass stood as tall as a grown man's waist, and held a soft subtle fragrance that reminded anyone who smelled it of happy times and fond memories. White clusters tiny of bell-shaped flowers sparsely dotted the area, swaying gently in the wind.

Sora stood on the mighty plain, casting no shadow, nothing of his swaying with the wind. It was as if he wasn't even there, like he was a phantom watching from outside of time.

He stood there, unmoving, as a great shadow began to sweep across the plain. At first it seemed to only be a cloud, but when he looked up he saw a massive mechanized construct of some sort sailing gracefully through the skies, the bottom covered by what looked like hundreds of gray banners each curling and dancing on the wind to an unheard melody.

"The City of a Thousand Shrouds…" a young, child-like voice said from behind the small brunet. "Don't you remember it, Sora?"

Sora turned, but no one was there. The voice sounded familiar but he could not place it. "Who—?"

"The place where everything began. You've seen it before. Do you remember?"

"Who are you?"

"Try to remember, Sora…"

"Sora?"

Sora awakened to someone calling his name and shaking him gently. "Mmm…?" He mumbled sleepily, stretching. Wincing almost immediately, he felt pain over every part of his body; the past events came flooding back and he shuddered, feeling filthy as well.

"Sora, I've brought us to a small temple several miles east of the town we were attacked. I will ask the Shalieon presiding for shelter for a few days so you can rest."

"Is there a Communion Spring here?" Sora asked, referring to the hip deep pool of water blessed by a priest where one could purify themselves and commune with their goddess. Yuna placed a gentle hand upon Sora's head.

"I will ask."

Something was definitely wrong.

Yuna sat by the window of the tiny guestroom she had been shown to by the Shalieon priest that ran the temple, waiting for Sora to return.

Her student was a happy, curious and energetic boy, confident in his skills, but knowing his limits. He was dependable in times of trouble, and wanted only to help others. Sora was everything Yuna could want in an apprentice.

He was, however, naïve about the ways of the world, and the fact that he was an incredibly fast learner made him act a little reckless at times.

Breaking the illusion was what made Sora catch the Saegin's attention in the first place, and Yuna would have preferred to have left it alone. An illusion of that caliber required much concentration, and the Saegin would have had to remain in one spot to direct the spirits and the energy emanating from him would have led Yuna to him eventually.

Sora though, had broke the illusion, something an apprentice of his rank should not have been ready to do yet. The Saegin surely had seen Sora as a threat, but why had he carried Sora away? Any Saegin would have killed Sora on the spot. Did Sora do something else to show how gifted he was? If so, it may have been intended for Sora to be a sacrifice. Yuna closed her eyes.

"Lady Journeyman!"

Yuna jerked out of her chair as a young boy ran through the door, his expression hurried and urgent. She reached for her rod, immediately expecting trouble.

"What is wrong!"

"Please come with me!" the boy said, tugging her sleeve. "It's your apprentice!"

Yuna's heart fell and she followed the boy through the temple, hearing a thin, otherworldly wail echo through the halls. She paused for a second, listening in complete awe.

The spirits…they're…crying? Yuna hurried on, wondering what this could mean. Spirits would very rarely try to communicate, and they were never bothered much by things that did not directly effect them.

So why…?

As Yuna continued through the temple, she soon heard a muffled screaming coming from behind a thick wooden door. Yuna pushed past the young boy, not bothering to apologize, and threw open the door to race into the room. She took a sharp breath at the scene before her, frozen momentarily in shock.

Sora was kneeled on the floor covered in blood. Holding a scrubbing brush in his hand, he rubbed furiously at his skin and sobbed, scouring his skin so hard that he caused himself to bleed. Yuna could not see any skin for all the blood, yet he only continued to scrub harder, causing himself more injury.

Yuna turned, pushed the acolyte out of the room, and firmly shut the door. She then ran over to Sora, nearly tripping over her robes in haste.

"Sora! Sora, what are you doing? Stop this!"

"I can't…." Sora sobbed, shrinking in on himself, scrubbing ever more vigorously. "I can't get him off me! I…I-I can't get him…I can't…get him…."

Yuna yanked the brush from her apprentice's hands, but he only lunged for it again, the spirits in the room shrieking so loudly that it hurt Yuna's ears. Something had to be done. Sora was too hysterical for her to try and reason with him, and the spirits were more then loud enough to be distracting.

Wasting no more time, Yuna pulled her citrine prayer beads off of her belt. "Spirits born of the goddess's breath, fall silent and obey!" The wailing silenced, and Yuna took a breath of relief. Holding a struggling Sora at bay, she laid a hand upon his face. "Press this one into a sweet slumber, to heal his mind, let him rest."

Sora had no time to be surprised or even take another breath—he slipped into sleep as soon as the command was said, and Yuna caught him as he fell to the floor, lowering him gently. She grabbed a nearby bowl used for rinsing off and turned to the pool of water nearby, filling it and returning to Sora to wash the blood away so she could heal him.

When she had done she called upon the light goddess herself to heal her apprentice, then found the simple white robe that had been provided to Sora for him to wear until he had his old clothing replaced.

As she tugged the soft garment over Sora's head, she noticed that a wound on his back hadn't healed properly, and it left a strange, star-shaped scar.

"Goddess, no…"

Yuna recognized that symbol. The Saegin had not been trying to sacrifice Sora. The Saegin had been trying to convert him. Her cheerful, energetic, promising young apprentice had had his innocence stolen from him and had been marked as belonging to the dark ones.

She had not reached him in time. She had been too late.

"Sora…" She sobbed softly, knowing what this meant. By the holy laws of the Shalieon, Sora had to be put to death, released from this torment and sent to the light goddess in peace.

But…

Sora did not deserve that. He was still loyal to the light goddess, he attacked the Saegin who had abducted him, came with her, and wanted to purify himself. He remained still in the service of the light goddess.

And the spirits had cried for Sora, as if he was one of their own.

"Oh, Sora…"

No.

Sora would not be put to death. Yuna looked at the door, thinking. She was the only one who had seen the mark, the only ones who knew of its existence besides herself was Sora and the Saegin. Sora could be spared and Yuna would complete his training, and then her apprentice could protect himself and live in peace.

But the problem was that mark. It would allow the Saegin to find Sora, and Sora would feel him when he was nearby. It linked Sora to the darkness, and judging by how Sora acted just now in trying to clean himself, Sora could not handle that burden.

Yuna tugged the simple robe down, turning Sora to lie on his stomach. She silently lifted her rod from the floor and strung her prayer beads around her left hand. The mark was a powerful Saegin symbol, but dark powers could be sealed away. No one had ever attempted to seal a mark, but Yuna was going to try. Sora's life depended on it.

Standing, Yuna held her rod up vertically, over the mark on Sora's back. She concentrated for a second, her beads glowing a soft white.

"I evoke the rite of the sacred circle! Spirits of wind, fire, light and life hear me!"

The light coming from Yuna's beads grew brighter, and tiny white, red, gold and violet spirits began to glow, responding to the Journeyman's call. The spot on Sora's back beneath the staff began to glow a bright blue, and a few water and earth spirits appeared as if to stop her. Yuna ignored them—she had expected resistance.

"Servants of the light goddess, combine thy might! Bury the darkness that lingers here, seal away that which should not be!"

The blue light coming from Sora's back grew brighter, but the spirits that had responded to Yuna's call were too great in number and it slowly dimmed, being replaced by glowing white symbols joined together in a small circle. The spirits gathered by Sora after a while as if to look upon him, and then they shot from the room and vanished from sight.

Everything was perfectly still after a few seconds. Yuna's beads stopped glowing, as did the seal on Sora's back. Yuna took a relieved breath. It had worked, and Sora would not have to die. She turned wearily to the door and opened it, calling for an acolyte to come and assist her in bringing Sora to the guest room to rest.

Riku stood before the Mahatma of the Saegin, head high, eyes expressionless as he explained why the acolytes in the shrine he was responsible for were all killed. If he was lucky, his reasons of why he was too distracted to notice the Journeyman Shalieon would be found acceptable and he would not be punished.

He finished his story and stood silently, waiting for the judgment of the Mahatma, his expression giving nothing away. It was tragic what happened to the acolytes under his care, but he had already gone back to the shrine and gave them all proper burials, commending their souls to the dark goddess. He had already grieved and done what he could for them. Now, he wanted to make sure their lives were not lost for nothing.

"So you were in the midst of converting a Shalieon apprentice." The Mahatma's rich and commanding voice carried through the large room. "Did you complete the conversion?"

"No." Riku answered honestly, "I took him and marked him, but he still remains loyal to the light goddess."

"And why did you feel you should waste time converting this child?"

Riku paused, thinking of a good way to answer. "The way the spirits acted for him…he was unusually skilled for him to only be an apprentice. If left alone, he may have been chosen as the Mahatma of the Shalieon."

"All the more reason to kill him."

Riku clenched his jaw in frustration. "The water spirits themselves tried to protect him. If converted, he would be a skilled Saegin." Riku did not discover this until he was just about to take the little Windsinger, but the Mahatma did not need to know that.

The room was silent for a long time, the leader of the Saegin staring at Riku from under his deep hood.

"If you've marked him, they will not hesitate to kill him when they discover it. You had better hurry if you intend to convert him."

Riku took a breath and lowered his head, recognizing that his actions met with the Mahatma's approval and being grateful for it.

"By your leave then, Your Holiness…" He turned quickly and raced from the room, determined not to waste this chance. He did not have much time to try and save his Windsinger's life.

Night had fallen over the Shalieon temple where Sora and Yuna were staying. Sora was sleeping deeply in one of the narrow beds of the guest room, but Yuna was kneeled by the window, eyes closed in prayer. All was silent and still, nothing interrupting the serenity of the room.

A gentle breeze drifted into the room and Sora curled into a ball, murmuring a little in his sleep, but not interrupting Yuna's prayer. The moonlight pooled into a single glowing spot on the floor, pulsing gently as words were spoken.

Thy teacher prays for thy deliverance, as does my first born children.

Sora shivered slightly, curling up tighter. Yuna remained at prayer, unable to hear the words.

Both believe thy faith is pure, but I am not yet convinced.

The light began to glow steadily, as if in thought for a moment, then began to pulse gently again.

…I shall test thy faith one more time…

…To see if you can make me believe…

The light then went back to normal, and all was quiet again, but it did not last. Yuna paused in her prayer, her senses on alert and she stood, moving to poke her head out of the window, slowly winding her prayer beads around her left hand in preparation of an attack.

"What…what is this!" Yuna cried, looking out of the window. The entire building was covered in thick green vines that were still growing—they looked as if they were trying to seal the building so no one could get in or out. Yuna backed away, turning to the narrow bed where her apprentice lay, immediately understanding what was happening.

"Oh no…" She whispered softly, moving to shake the boy awake. "So—!"

Eight leafy vines shot into the room, winding around Yuna's nose and mouth before pulling her out of the window as it wrapped tightly around her body to keep her from struggling. Yuna managed a muffled cry, but it was not enough to awaken Sora's spirit-induced sleep. She was dragged through the window and hauled up the outer walls of the temple, then hung from the highest roof in her cocoon-like prison, unable to wiggle free.

Though Yuna was in very real danger of suffocation, her prayers were for the boy still lying asleep in the room below. Goddess, don't let this happen to him again! Please, protect him!

Back in the temple's guest chambers, Sora's sleep was dreamless, and he was free of pain, safely tucked into merciful oblivion. Wind spirits still lingered near the slumbering apprentice, floating around his head to maintain his untroubled sleep as they had been called upon to do. Under normal circumstances they would have continued until the sleeper was well rested, but this time, however…

The wind spirits scattered suddenly, and Sora stirred shortly after they had left, eyebrows knitting together as he began to wake. He reached up to rub at his eyes, and a low chuckle caused him to pause, suddenly too afraid to move. He lowered his hand slowly, his wide and frightened blue eyes immediately meeting the amused gaze of Riku. The older male was hovering over Sora, his hands by both sides of the boy's head.

Sora began to tremble slightly, and when Riku lowered himself to lie flush atop the younger boy's body, he began to struggle wildly, desperate to escape. Riku grabbed the smaller boy's wrists and pinned them to the bed, forcing his legs in between Sora's and grinding his hips down, earning himself a terrified squeak from the boy beneath him.

Riku grinned at him, amused by the fear and struggling, then lowered his lips to Sora's ear.

"Hello, Windsinger."

High above the temple, lightning crackled with the absence of clouds, gathering into a ball which burst into a golden flame. The ball burned in place for a few seconds before a powerful downdraft propelled it downward with a frightening speed. It crashed through the roof and down to the lower floor.

And all was silent for a few seconds, and then the entire temple, illuminated with a golden light, exploded.

Author's Nonsense:

The author's note is at the end of the second part. You can review both parts if you wish, I won't mind.