AN- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! I'm SOO sorry I haven't updated in so long!! I've just been so busy with my Zoids fics, that I sorta forgot about this little fic. I'm so sorry, I feel so bad!! Anyway, I'm going to rearrange the plot a little bit. I'm going to focus more on the canon storyline than my made-up one, because if I don't, this story will go on forever!! But, you don't need to worry about that now, you just need to read and review this chapter! XP lol. Again, I may start winding down on my use of 1st person, because it is confusing some people and is rather difficult to write. I'll still use it, but I will also use 3rd person for Okari. Well, here is chapter 6- Tough Decisions!

Here is a new, updated speaking guide…
"hello"- normal human-to-human/Heartless-to-Heartless speech
/hello/- Heartless-to-human verbal speech (only Rabe to Riku)
/hello/- Heartless-to-human mental speech (later Okari to Riku after Riku gains power to control Heartless)
'hello'- Heartless/human thoughts

Oh, and I have redesigned my older Wyverns. Here are their updated appearances…

Okari- ice blue scales, gray underbelly, dark blue top, deep sapphire patch on the muzzle, emerald eyes, steel gray talons, metallic blue horns, dark gray wings.
Suruko- silver-white scales, dark gray horns, light gray talons, small black diamond-shaped patterns all over body, light gray/tan wings, yellow eyes, light gray underbelly.
Shuriken- silver scales, black speckles all over body, black horns, black wings, black claws, black shuriken/x-like mark on muzzle, dark blue eyes, black underbelly.
Leiden- purple scales, yellow/orange arrow-like patterns down back/legs/tail, green horns and spines, yellow arrowhead-like mark on muzzle, bright yellow claws with orange tips, dark blue tail-tip, gray underbelly, yellow eyes, extra green horns on muzzle, blood red wings.
Raserei- normal Wyvern colored scales, black bands like tiger strips down back/arms/legs, yellow spots on muzzle/wings, red splash across muzzle like blood, light tan underbelly, deep blue eyes, tan wings with violet tint, long fangs, rust horns, light gray claws, black tail-tip.

.:Chapter 6- Fading Hope:.

Riku groaned as he slowly regained consciousness, his side still throbbing in pain from the Wyvern's claws. Oddly, the strange invasive pain had eased; now he only felt the soreness from the gashes. He subconsciously rubbed at the wounds, gritting his teeth against the burning the contact caused. 'At least the gashes aren't bleeding anymore… but what about that strange pain? It's gone… that worries me…' he thought, finding its absence strange and worrying.

"Ugh…" he groaned, cringing slightly as he tried to move. His body was sore and painful from the strange Wyvern's claws, refusing any movement. He felt horribly weak, and he knew he wouldn't be able to defend himself if the silver Wyvern returned for him. He was having a hard time remembering what had happened; everything after he collapsed in front of the sapphire Wyvern was a blur. He did know that he was sitting up and leaning against a wall, in a room of some sort he concluded, for he couldn't feel the wind or sun on his skin.

Soft growls in front of him made Riku freeze, suddenly afraid he was in danger. He blinked his eyes open slowly, his vision blurry and foggy, unable to make anything out of the grey haze that seemed to surround him. Blinking again, the fog cleared slightly, and he recognized the sapphire Wyvern, hovering over him. Her eyes seemed to glow in the dimness of the space around him, looking like emerald flames in the darkened air. She made a rumbling noise and leaned down towards him, nosing his shoulder lightly, her eyes locked on his.

"H-hey…" Riku said quietly, smiling weakly and reaching up towards her. His shaky hand found her muzzle, the glass-like scales cold through his gloves, but the feeling reassuring him, nonetheless. The Wyvern made a noise strikingly similar to a purr and gently buried her snout into the crook of his neck like a cat, closing her glittering eyes. Riku took a ragged breath, tensing slightly due to the Heartless's powerful jaws being so close to his unprotected throat, but he relaxed in the knowing she wasn't going to harm him. The Wyvern growled softly and lifted her head, looking into his eyes, an odd, comforting warmth in her emerald orbs.

"Wh… w-where…?" Riku began to ask, but was hushed by the Wyvern, the soft end of her wing lightly pressing against his lips, telling him to keep quiet. The effort of talking was painful in his weakened state, so he had no objections.

His vision was slowly beginning to improve, and it was then that he realized that Wyverns surrounded him and that he was back in the sapphire Wyvern's cathedral. A spark of fear and anger flared within him, but a gentle nudge and a soft purr from the sapphire female eased his tension. One was the white Wyvern that had healed him before, and the other was a black one that he had never seen before. Its piercing amethyst eyes held a fierce glow to them, and its strongly muscled body showed it was more than capable of killing him in a moment if it willed. Riku watched as it leaned down to him, thankful that the blue Wyvern was between him and the other Heartless. To his horror, the female growled and stepped aside, letting the black Wyvern walk right up to him, leaving him vulnerable and completely exposed. He didn't like the way this Wyvern moved or looked, it just seemed too… human.

/You know, the more you panic, the faster the poison is going to spread…/ the Wyvern spoke in a voice far too human for Riku's liking, snorting and brandishing a cocky smirk, /… and stop looking at me like that, I'm not going to hurt you…/ the Wyvern added in a smooth voice, sighing rather loudly.

"Y-you… t-alk?" Riku stuttered, shocked the Wyvern could speak. The Wyvern rolled his eyes and shot him a look that basically read 'what kind of idiot are you?!' and flicked his bladed tail in annoyance.

/Yes I can talk Riku…/ the Wyvern growled, /… and I have a name, you know. Its Rabe, not 'Heartless' or 'Wyvern', got it human?/ he added, narrowing his gleaming eyes and ruffling his scales slightly. The sapphire Wyvern growled at Rabe threateningly, baring her razor-like teeth and snapping at him with an agitated hiss. Riku nodded slightly, his crystal eyes focused on the growling female standing over him.

/I see Okari has taken an odd fondness to you…/ Rabe stated flatly, looking at the sapphire Wyvern, /… strange… she normally hates humans. Last time I saw her with a human, she was eating him. But I guess you healing her has made her like you, to a point. Gotta watch out with her, though- one moment she could be purring like a kitten and be curled up with you and letting you pet her, but the moment the sun goes down she'll have your throat in her jaws quicker than you can blink. Believe me, she even got her mouth on my neck once for coming to see her too late, so there's no telling what she would do to a human like you…/ he said, smirking in dark humor as he spoke. Okari, the sapphire Wyvern, roared at him and smacked his neck with her tail, hissing angrily, obviously upset.

/She says she wouldn't hurt you… and that you are safe from harm from her because you healed her. You should respect that, human, earning a Wyvern's word, especially Okari's, is a difficult thing to do…/ he said, narrowing his violet eyes slightly as he spoke. Okari growled something to Rabe, blinking her emerald eyes and weakly fanning her blue wings.

/Oh… right, the poison…/ Rabe said, scratching the top of his head with his wing and smiling sheepishly, /… Riku, you were poisoned by Leiden during the fight between Shuriken's pack and Okari and Suruko. Leiden is the large purple Wyvern with the strange patterns down his back, the one that pounced on you during the skirmish, so I'm told. His claws are poisoned, so that little scratch you have could kill you…/ he said seriously, narrowing his eyes. Riku's eyes widened in shock and he grasped at his chest, feeling a sudden fear race through him. /… the poison has already taken hold and spread throughout your body; already it is in the second stage. The first stage has passed, that was when you were having problems breathing and in the overwhelming pain. The second stage is right now, you won't be in any pain, but the poison is still in you. It'll last about a day or two, and you should be able to function normally, though be weakened. And last, the third stage, which is horribly painful and irreversible. Make it to the third stage and well… there's nothing that could save you…/

"I-s… is th-there any-thing we c-can… do?" Riku asked, the fact he was poisoned weighing heavy on his thoughts.

/Yes, there is an antidote but…/ Rabe said with a hint of disappointment and hesitance, /… we don't know if the antidote still exists anymore. The cure is a rare lily that grows in the old caves, and it only blooms at night and you have to pick it when it's open in order for it to work. There are powerful Heartless in the caves, and finding the flower isn't easy, but Okari has convinced Suruko and I to try and find it for you…/ he said with an odd tone, which made Riku slightly nervous. Okari growled something loudly and gnashed her teeth, clearly not happy with the black Wyvern.

/Okari says she will stay behind to watch you, since Leiden and Raserei, the Wyvern you wounded, aren't ones to sit back when their enemies are weak. I wouldn't be surprised if they return to finish you off, especially with Raserei as wounded as he is… he'll need blood in order to quickly heal himself, and I'm sure you're high on the list of possible victims…/ Rabe said, flicking the tip of his tail in agitation as he mentioned Leiden and Raserei.

"A va-vampire… Heartless?" Riku asked, narrowing his eyes slightly in confusion.

/Vampires don't exist, Riku…/ Rabe replied somewhat harshly, /… blood is full of energy, and Raserei can use the energy to heal that nasty gash you gave him. I guess you could call it vampirism… he does use his fangs and he has a tendency to do it often so… I don't see what's wrong in calling him a vampire…/ Rabe said, shrugging slightly.

/That doesn't matter now; right now you just need to stay still and lay low while Suruko and I leave to collect the lily. Okari will watch over you, though I must warn you she does have a very short temper and is quick to use her teeth and claws if mad… or hungry. Also, she's drained blood from a human before, so I suggest not bleeding in front of her. And don't bleed or anything after the sun goes down, she's more likely to attack after dark…/ Rabe said, warning him about the dangers. Riku nodded, though he still felt strangely safe with the sapphire female.

/Alright, we're going…/ Rabe said, standing to his full height and turning away, /… we only have tonight to collect the lily. Suruko and I will likely be gone all night, and Okari will watch over you. She can't talk to you like I can, but that doesn't mean she doesn't understand you, so watch what you say. The sun will set in about half an hour, just so you know. Okari tends to get a little… irritable after sundown, so watch for that. Also, she has teeth, not just the sharp teeth-like juts all Wyverns have. That means if she bites you, it'll hurt and bleed like all Hearts. And her scales are like little blades, so watch your fingers. And if Leiden, Shuriken and Raserei come after you, I highly doubt you'd survive another injury, so stick close to Okari and you should be just fine…/ he warned, unfurling his wings before he turned and growled to Suruko. The white Wyvern growled something in reply and unfolded his own grayish-tan wings, flying up into the air. Rabe soon followed suit, beating his dark grey wings and flying up, both Wyverns exiting through a collapse in the aging walls.

Okari followed them with her eyes, but turned back to him as soon as they were out of sight. She cocked her head and growled quietly, almost as if asking a question. Riku blinked and looked at her oddly, not understanding what the Heartless was trying to say. She sighed and hung her head slightly, as if realizing the same thing. The Wyvern lifted her head again and seemed to smile weakly, her hidden white fangs showing slightly, but not as a threat. Riku couldn't help but laugh at the Wyvern, who seemed silly and not threatening in the least.

"I-I have… a h-hard time… un-derstanding growls… … y-you know…" Riku joked, smirking slightly at the Wyvern. Okari made a growl that sounded eerily similar to a laugh and nodded, her smile broadening and fully showing her deadly teeth. 'I never thought Heartless had a sense of humor… or could understand me… I'll have to watch what I say around the Shadows and Soldiers now…' he thought, smirking half-heartedly. The Wyvern growled lightly and nosed his arm, an odd look in her emerald eyes.

"W-what?" Riku asked, narrowing his eyes slightly in confusion at the Wyvern, not understanding what she wanted. Okari growled quietly and blinked, wagging her tail slightly like a puppy, looking almost harmless. Riku couldn't help it, he started snickering at the Wyvern, unable to get past her seemingly childish attitude. Okari started to 'laugh' as well, her staggered growl not at all threatening.

'After seeing the Islands destroyed, I thought all Heartless were evil… I guess I was wrong…' Riku thought, smirking slightly and reaching towards the Wyvern. Okari made a noise like a purr as his gloved hand touched the top of her muzzle, tracing the deep patch of sapphire scales. She growled softly and pushed lightly back against his hand, closing her glowing pupil-less emerald eyes, her body visibly relaxing under his touch. Riku smiled slightly, running his hand over her smooth muzzle, feeling each scale through his thin gloves. The Wyvern's scales were as cold as ice, glittering like crystal in the bloody light of the setting sun. Rabe's warnings about Okari were still fresh in his mind, though he paid them no heed as he looked at the 'harmless' Wyvern purring and wagging in front of him.

Okari snorted and pulled her head away, turning away from him and looking down at the stone, at something he couldn't see. Riku tried to get a glimpse of what she was looking at, but her body prevented him from seeing. Okari growled and picked something up in her jaws, turning and looking at him again. Riku blinked when he saw it was his sword, the blade delicately clutched in the Wyvern's jaws. Her growl was muffled by the sword being stuffed in her mouth, but Riku understood what she wanted as she leaned down to his level, holding the sword out to him hilt-first. He carefully grasped the handle and slowly pulled it from the Wyvern's jaws, holding it in his hand for a moment, inspecting the blade for any sort of damages. Seeing nothing of concern, he set the blade down on the stone beside him tip-first, before leaning back against the stone and sighing loudly. Okari growled and cocked her head, as if asking what was the matter with him.

"I'm tired…" Riku muttered, slowly blinking his crystal-blue eyes. Okari growled again and snorted, almost as if to say 'but you just woke up!', but she curled up next to him and nosed his arm, as if to check on him. "I'm f-fine…" he breathed, lifting his hand and laying it on her snout, rubbing the top of her head roughly, like one would with a hyper dog. Okari growled loudly and shook her head, knocking his hand away, narrowing her eyes playfully and barking. Riku smirked and swatted at her nose, his hand just brushing her. Okari sneezed and nipped at his hand, the sharp tooth-like protrusions on her jaws just grabbing him. She didn't bite down or tug, she just held him for a moment, as if to tell him 'I can rip your hand off, so don't mess with me!' before she opened her jaws and let him go. Riku pulled his hand back and looked at the white marks caused by the Wyvern's hold, but she hadn't even broken the skin, let alone draw blood or hurt him.

"Okay… I g-get it…" Riku said, smirking slightly putting his hand up, a show of 'surrender'. Okari closed her eyes and smiled broadly, bobbing her head slightly, making a noise like a laugh. Riku couldn't help but smile, finding the Wyvern much more funny than dangerous. She looked like she couldn't hurt a fly, but he knew she could kill him in a flash with just a half-hearted swipe of her claws, and there wouldn't be a thing he could do to protect himself. He was basically defenseless against her, and he knew she knew it.

Okari growled happily and opened her eyes, but turned around and gazed out of a collapsed section of the wall, looking at the crimson sun as it sank below the horizon…

Leiden and Raserei were perched on a golden pipe outside the cathedral, Shuriken standing beside them. Raserei was bent over at an odd and uncomfortable angle, the slash on his back just barely beginning to heal. The rusty Wyvern wore an infuriated scowl, the blood-like splash across his muzzle giving him the appearance he had just maimed something. His burning sapphire eyes were narrowed with hate, the yellow cat-like slits giving him a demonic appearance. His long silver fangs shone in the crimson light, eager to tear into the young human's throat.

"I'll kill him… I'll make him suffer…" he hissed, lashing his tail behind him as dark thoughts filled his head.

"Yeah… and I'll be right there with you…" Leiden added, an evil smirk crossing his violet muzzle and his yellow eyes flashing. Raserei looked at him and smirked, showing more of his long fangs. He ruffled his scales and flexed his long, dark talons, digging furrows into the hard metal.

"I can already tell he will become a nuisance…" Shuriken growled deeply, ruffling his dark wings, "… so why not eliminate the problem while it's weak and helpless?" he suggested, looking over at his charges, a wicked smirk crossing his silver muzzle. Leiden and Raserei began to laugh cruelly, finding pleasure in thoughts of how to torture the young human.

"I can't wait to rip him apart…" Leiden growled in dark humor, flexing his green and yellow talons.

"He will pay for doing this to me…" Raserei rumbled angrily, his dark sapphire eyes narrowing with hatred and fury, "… I'll make him pay… I'll drink his blood to heal myself, and then, oh then I'll rip him apart… tear him apart piece by piece and listen to him scream… … …oh what fun we'll have…" he hissed as his twisted smirk broadened, the yellow slits in his eyes narrowing as animalistic impulses surged through the irate Wyvern. His body began to shake as the instincts gained influence, his eyes flashing with a pale blue light.

"Don't worry Raserei, you'll get your chance to have your fun…" Shuriken calmed him, a vicious grin spreading across his muzzle, "… but we will wait until after dark to strike, when he is asleep. We should be able to sneak right past that traitorous female, and Raserei will have the perfect opportunity to bite his throat and drink his blood, even before the female knows we're there. By the time Riku is awake to feel your fangs, it'll be too late…" he explained his twisted plan, his smirk widening with every word. Raserei's eyes brightened at the proposition, the rusty Wyvern licking his fangs and the beast-like slits of his eyes constricted in excitement, a string of saliva dripping from the side of his jaws.

"You will have your fun Raserei, just be patient, the sun has set and Riku will be asleep and helpless very soon, then you can kill him…"

.:End of Chapter 6:.

AN- So… how did you like this fic's triumphant return? XD lol. I tried to make this chapter long, and I tried to make it better than the previous chapters. I am going to start to get into the canon storyline soon, so we'll run into Sora and co. soon enough. But what's gonna happen to poor Riku? He's badly poisoned by a psychotic Wyvern, staying with Okari who could turn on him, and wanted dead by a crazed, slightly vampiric Wyvern!! The situations Riku gets himself in to… XP Anyway, thanks for reading!! ^o^

Thanks for reading the new chappy and please leave a nice review, they make my day and feed my lazy muses!! ;P

~Ibeyla ^^