Dimmi-chan: I think Hikari scared Kiran away. *looks over*
Kiran: *desperately speeding up a hill to get away*

Freak4ever: Ahaha, it's easy to figure out how guys rape other guys.  Um, something good that happens to Kiran?  I don't know if you consider revenge on those who treated him like shit as being something good.  If you don't, then there's something else that happens that's good, but it happens quite a bit later.

zoey7:  Having Ravaa find Kiran was bad, not good.  He'd have been better off dead.

Phoenix 14:  Don't worry, you don't have to murder those guys.  They get theirs soon enough.

cowsgomoo:  And Kiran still has the process in which he gets made into a Guardian.  And it doesn't tickle.  Muwahaha!

Rosa Violetta: See!  There's always a different story to everyone.  Now you know why Kiran was the way he was.  And even more shit happens to him to make it worse.

LadyTremere:  By my author's note I was just making fun of myself, really.
And as for detail?  I would have felt massively guilty had I gone into detail of those men raping Kiran.

Chapter Three: A Change of Appearance

~*~

Bright light shone over the young boy's face as dark curtains were pulled away from windows and tied back.  The windows were then opened to let fresh air in.

The boy in the bed stirred and pulled the blankets over his face to block out the sun.  He then realized that he wasn't where he has last been and slowly lowered the covers, opening his bright eyes a little. 

Walls of a dark green surrounded him and a few candles were lit in their holders.  The ceiling was just as dark and from it hung a large chandelier.  As he pushed himself up, he looked at the bed he was in and saw that at least three people could sleep in it comfortably. 

"You're awake?"

He looked over and saw a woman near the windows.

"I'll get the lady."

Kiran watched as she walked out of the room, then blinked and rubbed his face.  Where was he and how did he get here?  The last thing he could remember were those four men in the forest.  He had asked them for help and they had thought that he was trying to steal something.  And then they had. . .

The young elf immediately slid his legs out from under the covers and jumped off the bed, his entire body screaming in pain.

His legs gave out and he crashed to the ground, wincing and gritting his teeth as it felt like a hot pole had been driven through his body.  He grabbed the carpet and then pushed himself back up and paused.

The clothing he was wearing was white and decorated with gold stitching.

Where was he?

Afraid that the men had taken him back with them, he forced himself to his feet and limped over to the door.  His thin body shook as he placed his hand on the ring and yanked it open. 

The hall was empty except for the occasional candle holders or paintings.

Ignoring the pain, he ran out of the room and started down the hall.  But soon the pain increased and his vision started to grow dark and hazy.  He stumbled and then crashed to the ground, holding his sides in agony.

"What are you doing out of bed?" a feminine voice asked in horror.

He could hear someone approaching him fast and then felt hands on his back. 

Thinking it was the men, he started screaming and covered his head.  "Please let me go!"

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you."

When two slender arms wrapped around him he tried to get away, kicking and screaming despite his wounds.

"You're making it worse!" The woman cried, hugging him to her.  "Stop!"

Kiran became still and stared at the ground, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.  He couldn't let them do it again.  He didn't want them to do it again.

"Now let me have a look at you," the woman said and grabbed his face.

She forced him to turn and look at her and when their eyes met, the boy stopped shaking instantly and gazed at her.  Her long dark hair fell over her shoulders and down her chest and her brown eyes were filled with warmth, yet there seemed to be anger there.  When she smiled at him, her eyes sparkled.

She was beautiful.

"What do you want with me?" Kiran asked in fear.

"I found you barely alive."  She got to her feet and helped the boy to his.  "I brought you back here to my castle and tended to your wounds, which I'm sure you've reopened now."

"You do not want to harm me?"  He looked up at her, taking a small step away.

The only response he got was a friendly smile as she held out her hand for him to take.  "I'm Ravaa, the ruler of the Guardian Realm.  What is your name?"

Kiran slowly took her hand and let her lead him down the hall.  "Kiran," he said in almost a whisper.

"Tell me what happened to you, Kiran."

And he proceeded to tell her without hesitation.  He told her from when his mother died up until the night before when the four men had so visciously beaten and raped him.  And the whole time he told Ravaa his story, he was in tears.

"Kiran," Ravaa said as he ended his story, "how would you like to kill those men who did this to you?"

"Kill them?"  He looked up at her as he dried his eyes.  "Why would I want to do that?"

She paused, then knelt down and grabbed his arms, pulling him closer to her.  "What they did to you was wrong and evil.  What they did was a crime.  And when someone commits a crime, they are punished for it."

"But-"

"I can help you get your revenge on them, Kiran."

"But, I do not want to-"

"Come with me."  She ignored him and stood, taking his hand and pulling him with her 

They walked in silence for some time down various halls and stairs until they reached a metal door.  The young elf didn't understand why she wanted revenge for him more than he did. Yes, what the men had done to him was brutal and wrong, but why should he be just as bad? Killing them would lower himself to their level.

"I really-" he began.

"Nonsense," Ravaa said quickly and opened the door.

It creaked and swung to the side to reveal a long descending staircase that went into darkness. Without a moment's hesitation she pulled him along with her, their footsteps making barely any sound on the stone stairwell.

Kiran could hear water dripping somewhere below. A terrified feeling started knotting in his stomach and got tighter with each step down. Why was this woman taking him somewhere dark? If she wanted to help him, which he supposed was kind of her, then shouldn't she be taking him somewhere where they could talk? Somewhere light?

The darkness would have been completely black had it not been for a single flame every now and then on one side of the walls of the stairs. Were it not for those candles, Kiran was sure that he would have tripped.

His entire body still ached, though he supposed it was his fault since he had so stupidly gotten out of bed and tried to escape. So he said nothing of the pain to Ravaa.

After what seemed to be ages, they finally reached the ground and there were no more stairs to go down. Though it was still dark and this time there were no candles for Kiran to see.

His legs burned and started to shake, forcing him to grab Ravaa's arm.

"You're still weak, you poor thing," she cooed as she looked down at him. "Don't worry, all will be well soon."

He looked up at her with confused eyes and then she snapped her fingers.

A large pit of fire in the center of the room roared to life, light washing over the walls, ceiling, and floor. Now the room could be seen.

There were a few metal tables that had been piled with vials of different colored liquids. Some large tubes had been filled with the same. Potions were bubbling and frothing at the top and almost spilling over. In a corner was an extremely large vat; so tall that whatever was inside it couldn't be seen. But steam was rising from it, caused by a large fire burning underneath it.

A stair case made from metal climbed up to the top of the vat where a board went out, looking as though it were made for walking out on.

Kiran was immediately afraid and started walking back. But a pair of hands on his arms stopped him and he looked up to see Ravaa beaming down at him. "And where were you going?" she asked him. "I've things to do with you."

"With me?" He started to tremble. "Are we going to talk?"

A larger smile crossed her face. "You could say that."

Before he could turn to run, she picked him up with incredible strength and began carrying him over to a table. Despite his cries and desperate attempts to get away, he could do nothing to stop her.

Once at the table she held him up with one hand and grabbed an empty syringe with the other. Kiran's eyes widened when he saw it and he kicked out at Ravaa.

His foot met with her stomach and she hissed, almost dropping the needle. "Stay still, you brat."

She then tossed him to the ground, making him cry out in pain. Before he could get away she swooped down on him and jammed the sharp tip into his arm, drawing his dark blood into it.

Then she let him go and he immediately crawled to the other side of the room, whimpering in pain.

Ravaa let him be for the moment as she turned to her things. She grabbed a vial full of yellow liquid and then pushed the blood out of the syringe and into the potion. It swirled together and created a golden color that sparkled in the fire light.

"A unicorn," she muttered and then glanced at him. "But not just any unicorn."

Kiran huddled against the wall as he stared at her, watching as she poured a red liquid into the gold to make it into a golden red. Then she looked at him with a grin, dipping the needle into the potion and filling the syringe with it.

He pushed himself against the wall, his eyes wide in fear. "Please let me go."

"You want your revenge, don't you?"

"No!"

"Well, I want mine." She went over to him and knelt down, grabbing the back of his neck. "And it's only fair that you get yours."

Try as he might, he couldn't get away.

With a wicked grin, she slammed the needle into his neck and pushed the contents in his veins.

He whimpered in pain when she released him and then crashed to the ground. The young elf clasped his neck as he stared up at her, hurt in his eyes. She had led him to believe that she was going to help him.

Suddenly a burning sensation rose in his throat and traveled to his chest, then all throughout his body. He immediately wrapped his arms around his sides and rested his forehead on the cool stone floor, shaking in pain. What had he done to deserve this?

It felt like a fire was burning inside him and he cried out, holding himself tighter. Something was wrong, something had to be wrong. It wasn't supposed to hurt this bad, was it?

There was a prickling sensation in his fingertips and he raised his right hand to his face. His fingers were shaking uncontrollably and ached as though he had carried something heavy for miles. They then curled and he watched his hand with wide eyes as his fingers seemed to be growing. No, not his fingers.

His nails.

When claws ripped through his skin, he gasped in horror, not caring about the pain. What had been in that solution Ravaa had injected him with?

Pain then invaded his entire body again, causing him to fall over and tremble. He could feel the bones in his feet twitching, as though they were going to rip apart. With terrified eyes he looked down at his bare feet and watched as they slowly transformed into hooves.

He looked up at Ravaa in horror, who grinned evilly. "How have you liked your life as a child?"

Kiran only stared at her, not knowing what to say or if he could even speak at that moment. A sharp pain in his head made him wince and he rested his hands over his ears to try and squeeze the agony away. But when he felt his ears he froze.

They were growing.

He reached up and touched them, whimpering in pain.

Ravaa then kneeled down and brought him into her arms, standing with a smile. "Say good-bye to your childhood, Kiran, and welcome your new life as a Guardian."

She carried him up the stairs and then walked onto the board over the vat.

When Kiran looked down he saw that the clear liquid was bubbling and heat was rising from it.

And then she let him go.

~*~

Poor Kiran. . .