A/N: This story is based on Rule of Rose, a PS2 game. x3; Unfortunately for me, I'm WAY out of practice, so forgive me if this sucks majorly. IT MAY IMPROVE!

Cloud Strife had not wanted to return to the hollow world of the Radiant Garden Orphanage. So much treatment, so much agony and irritation through just needing to recover a child-hood of lost memories. How it had happened was beyond his comprehension, his desire to know had diminished when hunting up old files had proved that his adopted family was now very much dead...

But, here he was.

The bus bumped along the worn out old road. The single blond passenger sitting at the far back had dozed off, his head resting against the filthy window... The age-old memories of ancient times danced along the back of his mind, hidden from his almost longing thoughts. The start to most fairy-tales had started off as "once upon a time", but this one seemed to have no beginning and no end. That beginning was gone, wiped completely from the face of the earth.

"W-when the... l-lonely b-boy... b..." From somewhere up ahead, a small voice stumbled to comprehend the scrawled, smudged handwriting. "Cloudy!" A child with soft, straight brown hair spun about and crawled off of her seat. The yellowing pages of an old story were clutched to her self, she skipped ahead and made her way back. Wide brown eyes stared at the sweet, sleeping blond. She held out the book, smiling as one glowing blue eye cracked open. "Cloudy, can you finish the story for me?"

"Story...?" Cautiously, the blond sat up straight. One gloved hand gently picked the worn pages up from the child, opening the cover and turning to gaze at her. "How did you...?"

"Cloudy, we're here!" The child abruptly spun about, not rocking as the bus skidded to a halt. She raced forward, her hair kicking out behind her. Her flip-flops clicked, her pretty pink dress torn and bloody on one side. "Come on, Cloudy! They're waiting for us!"

The bleary eyed driver didn't blind as the child raced past him, only turning to Cloud and shaking his head. "Hang on, I think I took a wrong turn," he grumbled, "Everybody does i-...HEY, where the hell're you going?!" He reached out to grab the blonde's jacket, missing by mere inches as the man rushed out into the rain.

"H-hey, kid?!" Hardly even a moment later and he was completely drenched with the downpour. "H-hang on, you can't get off here, not in this weather!" He spun about, turning to look at the bus. His mouth opened, clearing his throat. "H-hey, I'll be back in a mo--!"

No good. The doors slammed shut. The bus shuddered, and then suddenly lurched forward and disappeared off into the darkness of the night.

/This very lonely boy had a very awful fate./

"...Oh God."

And that was how twenty-one year old Cloud Strife found himself stranded in the middle of no where.

/You see, the very lonely boy had a very good friend... This very good friend was a beautiful Prince, a beautiful Prince who was madly in love with him. They called this Prince the True Rose Prince, who adored and admired all of his subjects./

A violent sneeze escaped him, feathery blond hair plastered against the back of his head and neck. With careful steps, hands stretched out in front of him to feel for trees and rocks. Thorny bushes tore at his hands, a weak sigh escaping him as he continued to stepped along to the side...

"AH!"

A large cry escaped him as he toppled forward. Mud sloshing along his already tattered shirt and pants. His head slammed into something hard, both hands leaped up to clutch at the sudden ache. Carefully, he lifted his hands to run along the frame... DOOR!

Moments later, he was safely inside the muggy warmth of the room. His hands wrapped around his knees, those infernal glowing eyes allowing him to faintly make out the outlines of several odd objects.

/And because of this relationship... Our dear lonely boy would find himself isolated from the rest of the world. The Red Crayon would be sure to break him./

"...Goodnight, then."

----

"My Lord," a fourteen year old raven haired male purred softly. His slim, delicate body was stretched out across another male's body. Pale fingers toyed with chocolate coloured locks, long legs wrapping around the older boy's naked waist. "My dear Lionheart... He's arrived." Beautiful ruby eyes started into cobalt blue, his head tipping to the side to kiss the other softly.

A chuckle escaped an older looking boy's throat. One hand tipping back to stroke his lover's back, licking along the sharp bite marks that marred the pale skin of his lover's neck. "Cold-Hearted Prince, it's an awful thing to talk about work during sex, you know."

"This is sex during work, is it not?" Vincent Valentine, the Cold-Hearted Prince, murmured with a soft growl, nails gently crawling along the other's back. "It's obviously something that must be done... Otherwise, you realize that our dear Wise-Looking will have our heads.. He hates it when we lose track of time... and papers."

Squall Leonhart, the Lion-Hearted Prince, raised a brow. "Sephiroth won't do a thing... He knows that we're stronger, you know." He nipped the 'almost-vampre's ear, purring softly. "Now hush, my Princess. I'm not quite through with you just yet... The Aristocrats can wait a bit, I'm sure of that. And we'd best allow our new member a night to himself. The Prince hates it when new members break right away..."

"True," Vincent muttered, nuzzling the other and rolling off of him. One hand groped blindly for the Bird Cage that he was never too far without, though Squall reached out and pulled his lover to him. Griever jingled loudly as it banged against his chest, moving to drag the other on his lap again.

"Not now, Vincent... Once we finish, I promise I'll do all your chores for you. I'm sure that Mr. Hojo won't even notice that you're missing, my darling," he chuckled. Moments later, the blinds around the bed were slid shut, and the two teen boys commenced their previous behavior.

---

Outside the door, two fifteen year olds glanced at each other through half-lowered lids, grins splitting their faces in twisted mirth. Demyx the Mer-Prince and Zexion the Adviser lifted two brows, before they both quickly turned and rushed off.

"Oh, somebody's to get 'tattled' on," chuckled the Mirror Prince Roxas as he watched them dart by his room... Naturally, the order would reward whoever happened to get the news out first. No punishment if they failed to get the gifts, at least. And from the opposite corner of the room, Sephiroth the Wise-Looking prince growled. Cat-like green eyes narrowing.

There was more important business to attend to... And that business was currently having the most peaceful sleep he'd have for a long, long time.