Grouped Forethoughts
Chapter 1: It's Not Like I Care

Chapter One:
It's Not Like I Care

Orange-red eyes glimmered faintly in the dim light of the castle, a tiny wisp of
black hair coming to rest over them as a brush stroked through the rest of the dark
tresses. Pale features smiled at themselves in the mirror, grin lighting up a beautiful face
as chords rang out in the hall.

"Super freak, supe, supe-er freak..."

Suri straightened up from the mirror, brushing the last errant locke of hair from
his perfect complexion. He smiled at himself in the small mirror, and looked over at a
scoff from one of his friends. Forming his crossbow lips into a pout, he stood, slumping,
and furrowed his brow.

"Oh, what's wrong, don't like my singing?" he queried sarcastically, receiving an
abhorrent glare from his elder, Grimoire. Dai, Moren, and Sunano stared at him blankly,
but Blythe sat curled up in a tiny ball in the corner, holding onto her knees and looking
down.

"No, your singing is lovely, just incredibly obnoxious," Grimoire retorted,
whipping out his pipe and putting a pinch of strange-looking tobacco in it, lips on the
stem. Suri wrinkled his nose distastefully, and waved the air with a hand.

"Yeah, well, I'm not going to be able to sing if I get lung cancer, now am I?" he
peevishly snapped, and Grimoire wheezed, laughing at the audacity of the younger boy.

"You won't, dear boy, that's one of the things you're immune to as a fire creature."
Grimoire lit the pipe with a match, first striking it gainst the stone beside him. Puffing on
it a few times, he smiled, then laughed again. "Besides. I'm sure any minute now the
others will be back to get us. We won't be trapped in here forever."

"Forever!" Moren cried, his face slack with shock. "I don't want to be here
forever!" His eyes travelled quickly from one person to the next, and as Suri went over to
comfort him, he paused, seeing Dai holding the younger.

"It's okay, Moren," Dai comforted him, one arm around his shoulders, the other
wiping away a single tear that had escaped from the little boy's eyes. "We won't be here
forever. I promise somehow we'll find a way out. Won't we, Grimoire?"

Two sets of hopeful eyes, one blue, the other yellow, raised to Grimoire, and he
stroked his long, white beard thoughtfully. Finally, deciding on an answer, he puffed on
the pipe again and clenched it between his teeth, talking around it. "Of course not."

Suri chuckled to himself. His friends were all supposedly his age, but they acted
the way they looked; they had an air of immortality, and did not age. Grimoire was an
elderly man, and Suri assumed he had been for the time he had been alive. By this point,
he suspected that the man was created not by Ryuzoku, but by another, as his age was
true. Suri could feel the prescence coming from him. He had been created, and it had
been a long while ago.

That was unlike the childen Suri was so fond of, and remained a big brother to.
They were forever young. Dai, Moren, Sunano, and Blythe were all little children, and in
that exact order were lacking more years of development; Dai was ten, Moren nine,
Sunano eight, and Blythe six. They were doomed to stay that way forever, and to never
mature past the point that they had. They would never learn anything new, or gain more
information, or keep things in their brains that all normal children did because they aged.
Their memory wasn't paticularly good, either, for the reason that they WERE that young.
They couldn't hold the information for long, and when they did, it was something that
mattered to them, and that any child their age would remember; names, sounds, colours,
and things that were otherwise everyday to them. Hopes and beliefs were few among
them, but on was commonly shared; freedom, and the thoughts thereof.

They all wanted their freedom. But it didn't seem too likely at the moment. The
girl they had sent back to the Rocket Headquarters was evidently unreliable, for she
hadn't returned, and there was no news of her planning to do so, or even news of her
being on her way here. Suri clamped down his hold on rage that had been building up
previously, but for how long, he was unsure. It had seemed decades. And by this point, it
seemed likely. The children he loved and cared for so much were surely going to stay this
way; oblivious to the world, and without knowledge of anything outside. Suri had a faint
hope that once outside the confines of the castle, they would become normal little
children, and from there, would be able to grow into adults. With a haughty snort, Suri
wondered if they ever would be able to mature, on a recent thought. If they didn't, they
would never be able to have se-

"Suri!"

Suri snapped out of his thoughts, wide-eyed and guilty-faced. "Nyeh!" he
answered, looking to Grimoire and blinking incredulously. "Wozzup?"

"Would you mind taking the children out for a walk?" Grimoire asked patiently,
his fingers cracking as he shifted his position on the pipe in his hands.

Suri shook his delicate head, heart-shaped face lighting up as he recognized his
opportunity. He loved these children, more than anything else, and they mattered beyond
all material possessions. It was an occasion that rarely came to be, this "walk" Grimoire
had suggested; it meant that the elderly man had felt a lapse in the barrier which kept the
six of them trapped inside the castle. It meant, too, that they would be able to go outside,
and revel in the new air and the freshness of even this barren earth for just a little while.
The sky seemed endless, when in comparison to the ceiling always so high and heavy
above their heads.

"I wouldn't mind at all," he responded promptly, then gathered the four children
around him, ushering them towards the main hall. He would have to be quick to get past
any sentry guarding the way out, lest they be caught and punished for this.

Suri scampered quickly towards the wall that imposed so greatly in front of them,
and turned to his right, moving quickly. A large, wooden door stood in their way,
impressive, a giant bronze knocker on it. He would be careful whilst moving it, he knew
he had to be. For every thing he did, there was a reprocussion, and always a bad one.

He shifted from the small mass of children to lean all his weight opposite the
door, hauling on the knocker. Once outside this door, there was a quiet little entryway
into the castle, built of stone, then grass, and a small field amidst otherwise burned and
barren land. It would be lucky if there was no one out there. He felt the door give just a
bit, and placed himself in the crack he had made, turning and shoving from the way he
had come. The door swung open to allow them to move, and Suri patted each one on the
head or back as they went, counting them mentally and making sure he had all of them,
and that they hadn't wandered off. Despite the risk of doing so, the children were
notorious for wandering.

Once outside, Suri stepped through the entryway and out into the field. It was a
lovely place. It had very little to it; no trees, or lakes. Only small puddles that formed
from the constant rainfall, and even then, some of them became large enough to
constitute for a pond. An assortment of wildflowers grew off to the left, and Suri noted
that soon it would be nightfall; over the expansive horizon of green, the sun was in the
lower half of the western sky. This would be a shorter visit to their little haven, their little
sanctuary.

Suri was about to turn when he felt a cold hand on his elbow. He looked to see
what child was playing pranks on him, but he instead turned to find the living undead,
Garag, at his elbow, grinning the same smile he must have worn thousands of years ago
when he was first killed. The children were clustered together, frightened eyes looking at
the skeleton, though they knew him to be no threat.

Suri knew, too. The skeleton wasn't a bad fellow, just rather... dead, for Suri's
taste. White bones gleamed slightly golden in the dying sunlight, and Suri breathed a sigh
of relief. "Thank goodness it's only you, Gar. You won't tell... Him, will you?"

"Urrrrhhh..." The skeleton wasn't the best conversationalist, but he made his point
clear enough by nodding slightly, helmet coming to rest over one eye. Suri knew that the
skeleton would always be protective; for an evil denizen of Hell, he wasn't all bad. He
never told on them when they were out romping in this little field, and apparently
covered for them when they were found.

The skeleton stared at Suri with empty eye sockets for a moment before turning
his body in one motion to face towards the entryway, and he moved in past them. He
would guard their backs. He was a good fellow, that way.

Suri, flustered, made shooing motions with his hands at the children. "Come on,
now!" he laughed, chasing them off. "Go play!"

Dai and Moren immediately set to running across the field, trying to see who
could make the biggest splash in the pool of water that had formed on the far side,
Sunano clung to Suri's leg, as did Blythe. He chuckled, petting the smaller ones' heads,
and ruffled Sunano's hair.

"How about we play tag, hmm?" he asked, still laughing quietly. Sunano looked
up and nodded vehemently, but Blythe just clung tighter to Suri's leg, looking dismally
out over the plains.

That was one thing that set Blythe apart from the rest of the children; she seemed
perpetually dismal, almost like she knew secrets that she kept from the others. Suri knew
her to be psychic, and he had a sinking feeling that the child was six in body and mind,
but her maturity and thought process were equal to Suri's and beyond. She always
remained sullen, even when happy, and rarely smiled. It ws always an accomplishment to
make her laugh.

Suri bent down, kissing the top of her head lightly and smiling as she looked up at
him questioningly. "Come on, Lythie. We'll play for a little bit. Just for a little bit. Then
we'll go back in, all right?"

Blythe nodded faintly, still silent. Suri picked her up, resting her against his hip,
and pointed out across the plains to where Dai and Moren were playing in the water,
splashing each other and being amused vastly by one another. "We'll go over there when
we're done. We'll play in the water too."

He set her down again, and she immediately looked up at him again. Then,
smartly, she shambled off, Sunano following her example and heading in a diferent
direction. "You're it!" Sunano called back to Suri, and the teen grinned widely, fangs
showing as he set off at a trot after Sunano. Blythe would, predictably, circle around
again to greet the two as Sunano was caught.

Muted giggles of delighted terror echoed through the field as Sunano ran back
and forth in a zigzag, trying to get rid of his follower. Suri came closer as the boy
continued to do so, and Sunano squeaked out a single, soft yip of terror as Suri caught up
to him, and wrapped his arms around the boy, hoisting him into the air and swinging him
around. Blythe came closer, and Suri let Sunano down gently before uttering a gentle
growl and pouncing Blythe, lifting her, too, and shifting from side to side as he hugged
her. A soft giggle came from her, and Suri rumbled another growl, bouncing as he picked
up Sunano and held the little boy tightly.

Maneuvering so that both children were sitting on his shoulders, Suri shook his
head, laughing, as they goaded him to run towards the other end of the field. Giving in
slowly but surely, he nodded and began to trot over. "Go faster!" Blythe whispered,
giggling as she held onto the hand supporting her. Suri began to lope across, adjusting as
he went to hunker down, bouncing all the way. Both Sunano and Blythe laughed as Dai
and Moren looked up, their faces a paroxysm of terror before they gave way to the tackle
and let Suri splash through the shallow water.

He turned, letting the two on his shoulders slide off and then leaping, arms spread
out, in one fluid motion. He tackled the other two, who yelped with surprise, then
wrestled with him, finally moving to pin both his arms while Sunano abruptly showed up
from the side, an evil smile on his face. Suri squeaked, once, in horror, as Sunano jabbed
his side and began to tickle him.

Squirming out of their grasp and leaping to his feet, taking off at a slow jog back
to the end of the field where the castle was located, he heard the four shout with joy and
take off after him. He turned around in time to stop, and saw them crashing into each
other, stopping to look at him. He hunkered down, watching them, and made a feint to
his left. They followed, and when he dashed around them to their right, they followed,
finally tackling him again.

He fell heavily, having the wind knocked out of him, and joined in their laughter.
This should account for all the time recently that they had been cooped up inside the
castle, and he grinned, scooping the four up with massive strength as he stood, collecting
them. Blythe snuggled into the crook of his arm, Moren and Sunano on his shoulders, Dai
taking a spot at his leg. He smiled happily, proud of his brothers and sister. They would
grow up someday, he decided, to be something great.

Dai tugged on the ripped pants that Suri wore, his face flushed but happy. "Suri,
can we do this everyday?" he asked hopefully, and Suri smiled down at him, stepping up
onto the little entryway to the castle, the last light from the sun fading into an eerie,
blood-red glow behind them.

"Maybe," he answered, shaking his head slightly to remove the wisps of black
hair from his eyes. "Maybe."

He smiled once more at the little boy, then opened the door with one hand,
feeling the power that joy gave him surge through him like a great strength. The door
opened, and the slightly cool breeze of the normal temperature in the castle wafted out,
welcome, but one stench on it was not quite so welcome.

The Great Master stood before Sui and the others, and Suri let the three in his
arms slide gently to the ground. They looked up at him wide-eyed, his smile fading into a
slightly shocked frown, and then took flight into the castle, scurrying quickly around The
Lord's legs. The Dark Being looked down at them somewhat dismissively, then back up
to Suri, red eyes shining in the reflecting of the sun.

The chapless skull of Garag stared, empty, behind The Madman, then shook its
head sadly, almost as if having tried to stop this eminent fate from occuring. The Lord
sneered, and all Suri saw before collapsing into a cold darkness was a blast of white, pure
energy. It reminded him... of the sun.

***

"Do you think I am so forgiving?"

A patter of blood rained down on the cold cobblestones that made up the castle
floor, seeping in between the cracks and puddling copiously.

The snap of a whip was heard, and a quiet, choked groan of pain.

"You are my PRISONER."

Another snap, and another rain of blood fell to the floor, leaking from the
crosshatched wounds criss-crossing across Suri's pale back. The flesh was welted, and
purple, swelling to match the dark bruises surrounding the boy's eyes. All this was faint,
now. Hours ago it had been blinding pain, a torture beyond belief. It was a dull feeling
after a while.

Straining to open his swollen, puffy eyes, he opened his mouth, only to have it hit
with a metal gauntlet. "I do NOT make mistakes." The end of a whip pushed up Suri's
chin to stare into the eyes of The Dark One. "And I do not leave the guilty unpunished."

Studs scraped across Suri's face, bringing about a fresh wave of pain. Hanging by
his wrists was enough; to arch his back in pain only gave The Lord more pleasure.
Closing his eyes once more to preent his fear from showing through, he barely managed
to part cut lips.

"Y-ou... can't stop me..." He inhaled sharply as the next smack of the studs hit his
face, and he heard, faintly, boots clacking out of the room. A voice followed, petulant
and supercilious.

"Make sure he recieves no help. Let him return to his folk on his own."

Suri suddenly swung by one wrist, then crumpled to a heap on the floor, being let
out of the shackles binding him. He winced outwardly, and emotionally, hoping that the
children he had taken with him were unharmed. As if hearing his thoughts, a soft voice
next to him whispered in his ear, "The children are fine... just worried for you."

Suri opened one eye painfully, trying to ignore the shallow cuts welling blood on
his face to look at whomever was talking to him, and found himself face to face with
Columbine. The girl smiled nervously, and raised a hand to carress his cheek lightly,
wiping away the blood. "He said not to help, you know," she stated in a hushed tone, but
dabbed his face lightly with a damp cloth. Suri knew better than to ask questions, and
simply let his face be cleaned by the helpful girl.

Columbine wasn't all bad, considering she had helped him in the past as well,
when he had gotten himself punished for the stupid risks he took. He could distinctly
remember her helping him like this when he had been beaten before, raising him up in
the same way, one arm over her shoulder, staggering under his weight so she could bring
him back to his family. He shuffled beside her now, each step a torturous length of time.
He didn't say anything to her, knowing quite well she wouldn't accept the thanks he
offered her, and simply took the time he was shuffling mindlessly to admire his ripped
clothing. The fishnets were broken in several places, and his pants were sagging down
further than before, his belt cut up.

Mourning over his broken clothing, he was propped up against the wall nearest to
the corner he knew his family would find him, and gve a weak smile to Columbine, who
simply smiled back and hugged him tightly. "I may not be a part of your family, but
living here so long with you makes me feel like it," she said, then hastily turned on her
buisness heel and clacked out of sight.

Indeed, Columbine had lived here with Suri all his life. He couldn't remember any
day where she had been out and not come back in without acknowledgement for him or
one of his kin. She was a gentle girl, but she was on the side of evil, and if anything could
be worse for her gentle temperment, Suri would never know. He simply took this time to
thank whatever holy being watched over him, and painstakingly got to his feet, wobbling
a moment before he let a booted toe turn the corner.

Immediately the four children were on him, clinging to him through tears and
helping him to walk. Questions flew at him while admiring eyes peered over his many
cuts, welts, and bruises, faithful and loyal hands guiding him directly over to the wooden
bench on which Grimoire perched so often. Grimoire, instead, was standing by the bench,
worried eyes scanning the boy as he sighed and shook his head.

"This is my fault," he admitted weakly, deeply set eyes closing for a moment
before opening to settle on the form that was being laid out before him. Suri was
admiring of the man as he took up a stance, taking out on of his pipes and lighting it.
This must have been a slightly soothing formula, for when the smoke reached him, his
muscles, albeit painfully, relaxed under the abused skin.

Dai took a spot near Suri's shoulder, and sat, one leg on the bench, the other
propping him up there. He smiled at his elder brother, and took out a panpipe, one of the
few possessions he had created for himself.

All the children had a possession or so; Grimoire had let them have their pick of
materials to create themselves a toy each, and just as Dai had his panpipes and flute,
Moren had his little wooden sword, Sunano his scripture, and Blythe her little stuffed
companion.

Dai began to play, music washing in melodious sound over Suri as he lay there,
Moren and Sunano dabbing at his wounds with chemicals to take away the hurt. Blythe
crept up next to her eldest brother, and placed her stuffed toy in his arms, looking sadly
down on his face. "I'm sorry, Suri. I promise I'll be a good girl from now on," she
promised him.

Suri longed to take them all up in his embrace, to console and cherish them, to
hold Blythe and tell her what a good little girl she really was. They all meant the world to
him. As long as he was hurt or otherwise, they would tend to him. And as long as he
lived, he knew that never once throughout his existence would he find himself alone.

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