I'm ba~ack!! Yep, it's me! The one, the only, the incredibly insane...Neko-chan!!! Mreow! And this, my friends, is the first chapter to the eagerly anticipated sequel to "Worth"! Now, I know this first chapter is a little in the short side, but I will try to do my best to make the others longer, I promise! So, without further ado, here is the first chapter of "Strength"!!!

Warning: There are some disturbing elements in this chapter, such as violence and some brief harsh language. No like, no read.

Disclaimer: Those of you who read my last fic no how much I hate this part, but I guess I have no choice...*sigh*...I do not own the bishies of Saint Beast. I just torment them for my own demented pleasure...XD

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'Hello, my pretty little bird.'

The sound of that voice made my entire body grow cold, and I jerked around to find its source. But it was so dark, I couldn't see anything, and the voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere all at once.

I turned and ran as fast as I could. I tried to fly, but no matter how hard I concentrated, my wings would not appear. So I ran. I didn't know where I was running, and I didn't care. I just had to get away from that voice. That God awful voice.

Suddenly I heard the voice laughing, and it was coming from...right in front of me! Before I could stop myself, I had run right into the hold of the man whose voice I had been fleeing from. The man whose face to haunted me every time I closed my eyes. The man whose touch I would give anything, anything to forget...

Stheno.

'Well, well. My pretty little bird wouldn't be trying to fly away so soon, now would he? The fun is just beginning.'

Stheno shoved my backwards until by back hit a hard, flat surface, effectively pinning me between it and Stheno's body. No matter how hard I shoved, fought and struggled, I couldn't get away from him. Soon he re-adjusted his grip so that both of my hands were pinned above my head with just one of his hands. Then, using his free hand, he ripped open the front of my robe with one strong jerk.

I screamed and fought even harder than before, but to no avail. Soon, that terrible hand dipped into the newly formed tear in my robe, slowly stoking and running his hands over my skin.

'Please,' I begged, tears beginning to fall from my eyes, 'Please don't do this. Please let me go!'

Stheno chuckled, 'Now why would I do that, my foolish little bird?' he said, nuzzling his face against my neck. 'Now that I've finally caught you again, I'm never going to let you go...'

'No! Stop!' I sobbed, feeling his lips press against my neck. 'Stop! Please...Ruka...Ruka help me!' I cried, calling out for the one person I knew could save me.

Then suddenly, I saw him. My angel. My other half. My love.

His back was turned to me, and he appeared to be moving away, but still, I knew it was him. I'd always know him. 'Ruka!' I cried, struggling against the weight of Stheno's body. 'Ruka, please, help me!'

But he didn't turn around. He didn't even make any indication that he'd heard me at all. He just kept walking farther and farther away, leaving me in Stheno's grasp. 'Please, Ruka! Don't leave me! Please don't..." I broke off, choking back a sob. Why couldn't he hear me? Why didn't he save me? Why?

'Because you're not worth saving,' came a voice, seeming to answer my thoughts. I recognized the voice as Pandora's, but before I could respond, he continued. 'Look at you. You're one of the Saint Beasts, supposedly the most powerful of all angels, and yet you can't hold a candle to your comrades in terms of strength or power. You're worthless.'

'No!' I sobbed, trying to block out the voice. Ruka would never think that. He'd never think I was worthless...would he?

'And not only are you worthless,' Pandora continued, 'You're disgusting as well. Letting another man touch, defile you like that, you're no better than the human whores on Earth. You're disgusting and dirty, so it's no wonder Ruka won't save you.'

'No...' I cried weakly, struggling once again against Stheno's rough, wandering hands. 'No, that can't be true...please, Ruka,' I pleaded, tears flowing freely down my face.

Suddenly Ruka stopped. My heart leaped with hope, thinking that my pleas had finally reached him. I knew that if he could just turn around and see me, he'd come to my rescue. Because my Ruka always came to my rescue. Always.

But when he finally turned all the way around to face me, my heart froze in my chest. Instead of the kind, loving expression that Ruka always wore around me, his face held...nothing. Nothing but an ice cold detachment. As if he were looking at something that had no meaning to him whatsoever.

'R-Ruka?' I said carefully, trying my hardest not to start crying again. Ruka had never looked at me that way before. Never. 'Please, Ruka. Help me.'

Ruka's impassive expression didn't change as he spoke, 'Why? Why should I help you? You are nothing to me. Just a worthless, sullied angel.' And then he turned his back on me again, and started walking away.

'No! No, Ruka, please! Help me! Don't leave me! Please don't leave me! Please, Ruka! Ruka!' But no matter how loudly I called for him, he didn't turn around. He just kept walking. He just left me. Ruka, my love, left me...

...in the hands of Stheno.

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Well, there you have it, the first chapter of "Strength"! I know it's kind of another mini cliffhanger, but what else would you expect from your friendly neighborhood sadist! XD

For those of you who didn't guess it from the chapter title, this is not really happening, it's all Rei's dream, which id why it's written in first person.

Now, since so many of you were really excited about this sequel, I would really appreciate it if you would...REVIEW!!! I need to know what ya'll think of the first chapter, so please, give me reviews!!!

Well, until next time, my friends!

~Neko-chan~