Fight for Protection(kuja, yuffie)

A portal opened near the lab of castle oblivion. A deranged, bloody Talone came limping out with a struggling heartless in her hand. Once all the way in the building, she cruhed the shadow's head in her hand. It disappeared in a swirl of black mist as she started to walk. She didn't have much of a plan but knew she had to do something to save Ratchet's life. She was hoping she would find something that she could hold that Kuja would want back. She then remembered the little girl Ren Yufie didn't want her to hurt. She knew, or rather hoped, kuja would trade Ratchet for Ren's safety. She then thought to search for her before finding Kuja. She was starting to become dull to the pain in her chest but show knew not to push it away or that was the only sigh she had that Ratchet was still alive.
"I'll be there soon my angel, I just need to get our assurance."
When she heard some walking her way she began to play injured and cried out in pain. She knew it wasn't Kuja from the scent but female.
"Help...someone..."

Ren walked down the hallway as she could not find Xy for some reason. Xy always hid when something bad was about to happen and she guessed it was about now. She looked up the hall to see a woman who seemed injured. "Ma'am! Are you okay?" She asked as she ran towards the woman. She got near her and knelt down. "Om my Valentine, you look hurt." Ren was already used to saying Valentine because all she ever did was hang out with Yuffie. Her eyes showed sincerity as she looked at the woman. "My name is Ren... I know somebody who can help you." She stood and looked around vulnerable and ready to be taken.

She looked up and sure enough it was the litle girl Ren. She held the look of pain in he eyes and features as she tried her best to talk with the little girl.
"Ren?...it's talone..please...just help.."
When the girl knelt down infront of her she moved as quickly as she could and scooped up the girl. She was gentle with her as she did he best at running for the lab.
"I don't plan on hurting you little one. I just need you to help me get my friend back from master Kuja. I promised your mother you wouldn't be hurt."
She whinced some in pain as her chest was shot with it. She kept going until she burst into the lab and yelled out with anger in her voice.
"Kuja!!! Show yourself!!!"

Ren flinched when she heard her mother knew about this. "He is so not going to be happy when mommy comes home." She mumbled as she didn't struggle. She knew that this woman, or Talone, as she called herself, was weak, but who knows how strong she still was. Her eyes started to tear up, because she was scared, and then she started to sob. "I want mommy."

Kuja was watching Koutetsu rake his claws down Ratchet's back when Talone burst into the room and started to yell for him. He turned around to look at her but when he saw her condition he figured she was here to give up, till he saw that Ren was in her clutches and he sighed a bit before saying "Ren as kind as it is to help a person, it normally a bad idea to come too close to them. Next time you see someone in need of help please come and get me or another adult, it helps keep you from getting put in danger my dear little one."

Kuja's eyes locked onto Talone's and said "Hello again Talone I see you didn't take my message too well......am I to guess you wish to use Ren to make me give you Ratchet?" Kuja had Koutetsu hide Ratchet from view to ensure that Ren didn't see what the heartless looked like.

Her breathing was ragged as she held the girl closer. She could feel her own back burn in pain as she glared at Kuja. She seemed to growl out her words as anger and agony came off her body in waves.
"You are correct Master kuja. I'm fully aware of what I've done as it may seem I have betrayed you but this was a matter of blood. My brother doesn't need to be tested on again. I don't plan to hurt little lady here if you let my angel go."
Her body was shaking now as she tried her best to stay upright. She knew this was becoming a failure of a plan but she knew she had to fight back even the slightest. She could almost hear Ratchet's shreiks and cries in her head as she held her ground.

Kuja shook his head at what Talone did as he then said "Oh so you would harm an innocent child to get to Ratchet it seems......tell me.......would he still care for you if he learned you harmed a little innocent girl? Even if you did get me to trade you Ratchet how would you escape........you are far too weak to fight me off long enough to produce a portal.........you have come to me without a way out......now let Ren go and stand down. I might even heal little Ratchet and you if you promise to never betray me again......not even for your brother.......if not I will simply kill Ratchet then you and take Ren back...." Kuja glared at her as he was not going to back down for anything.

She cringed in pain as she listened to him. He was right in a god awful way. She was willin to kill innocent life just to save Ratchet but knew it would only taint her further. She finally looked down as one of her legs buckled from the pain and the sound of screams in her mind. She tried her best to look up at him with her good eye as she spat her words.
"I would never kill an innocent child even in such desperation as this. I-*stops to prevent scream of pain* I didn't betray you in the slightest. You had no idea he wasn't on my home world until your own sister told you and my brother panicked. I don't remember you saying I couldn't leave either. How was this action of stopping my sibling from destroying the lab betrayal?"
She really couldn't remember him giving orders of not leaving or anything involving her brother. She then crash to both knees and looked to be giving up when she stared into his wye showing tue suffering and guilt inside her.
"At least let me have my tags back..."

Kuja saw that she was giving in to him but when she talked about how she did not betray him he looked at her and said "I was to honestly believe you would leave your darling little brother to come back to me........If you were then good for you but that doesn't change the fact that Ratchet used the portal device without my approval. Now for the tags......oh I suppose you can have them back" Kuja tossed them to her and then said "Now move away from Ren and place these restraints on yourself." Kuja tossed her a pair of arm and leg cuffs as he waited for her to do what he said.

She nodded her head in defeat and gently put the girl down. She then scurried her tags around her neck and felt some ease return to her with her I.D. Tags safely around her neck. She then followed to put the restraints on as a really sharp pain hit her heart, making her fall over and cough up blood. She did her best to pull herself up onto her knees as she looked up to him with sorrow.
"Please let him go now. I did as you asked...it hurts..."
She curled over again and coughed more blood the cries in her mind becoming louder.
"Damn this all..."

Kuja watched as she bound herself up and now asked him to heal Rathet but Kuja first moved to Ren and checked her over for wounds before saying "Run along now Ren, daddy has to fix up the hurt bird woman." He had Koutetsu come up and pick the girl up and placed her on his back before walking out with her riding atop his feathery form.

When Ren was out of sight Kuja let his trance state activate and soon his body was pouring out energy and his body became covered in red fur and his clothing changed. He stared down at Talone before he aimed his hand at the injured Ratchet before firing a beam of light at the thing and healing him up with a Curaja spell that healed up Ratchet where he only had some scars on him.

Kuja's spell had also made the bonds on Ratchet turn off as the heartless laid on the ground sleeping soundly at last while Kuja used Curaja on Talone and healing her mostly as well leaving only her original scar and blind eye behind as her damage wasn't as bad as Ratchet's. Kuja stared at Talone for a moment before saying "This would of been the last thing you ever seen if you had crossed me.....now I hope you have learned your place."

MP used 50

MP left 10

Pain left her body instantly when Ratchet was healed. She would have looked up to kuja in thanks but he was the one that made them suffer the pain. She wanted to go over to Ratchet laying on the ground but the restraints wouldn't allow her to move well, making her laugh. She was trapped yet again in Kuja's hold and seen as "broken". She knew better than that though she still had enough in her to go against the planet killer. A crazed smile almost crept across her features before she looked up to him.
"It won't happen again Master. May I see him?"
She was staring at Ratchet with a blank look on her features. She then went to reach out for him in desperate need for his comfort.

Kuja heard Talone call him master and that pleased him as he then move over to Ratchet's sleeping form and picked the Heartless up by his shirt not harming the guy but it wasn't the nicest way to move anyone really. Kuja put Ratchet down right next to Talone as the bonds on her arms and legs separated into wrist and ankle bands, Kuja spoke up and said "Those bands are to never come off of you Talone, you will have to live with them as a reminder of your place. If at any moment I find you to be acting up a simple snap of my fingers is all that it will take for the bands to come together and reform into those bonds again. Remember that.......oh and if you do act u.......try not to have anything get caught between the bands when I force them together.......they tend to crush anything between them into a bloody pulp." With that Kuja walked off still in trance as he was going to go and rest up as he was tired and if the girl acted up he would send Ryoko in to finish the job.

Ratchet was in deep sleep due to the large amount of energy lost he suffered due to his torture and he would need a real wake up to snap out of it sooner rather than later.

She bit back a snarl as the man left her with his form of a leash for her. Once he was gone she went and daintily petted Ratchet's head. She was afraid to pick him up considering the agony he had to suffer on her behalf. A single tear fell down her face as she let out a scream full of rage. She slammed he free hand on the ground hard enough to put a few cracks in the ground around her fist. Self loathing and anger came off her body in waves but the alarming part of this all was that her face was completely blank of any emotion.
"I love you with all my heart and try my best to protect you but only put you through hell. Now I live the life of a leashed dog damned to serving that monster. I've ruined you..."
She was looking down to the slumbering heartless all the while she made her confession. She hated herself for what she has done to such innocence.

Talone's screaming and fist slamming was indeed enough to wake up Ratchet a bit as his eyes slowly opened and the normal yellow glow of them could be seen, when he saw Talone though he quickly jerked awake and hugged her close to him tightly as he said "Y-you're safe! T-thank goodness.....I-I thought he was going to kill you." Ratchet cried a bit as he was more worried about Talone's safety than his own. He always going to worry more about her safety than his own really....

She was as still as stone when Ratchet awoke and hugged her. One would think she would wrap her arms around him and hug back but she only set a hand atop his head as she spoke in a dull voice.
"you should worry more out yourself, nut I'm glad to see you safe my angel..."
Tears were dripping down her face as her expression stayed blank. She couldn't stand herself anymore. The only thing keeping her alive was the instinct to protect Lyle and Ratchet.

Ratchet shook his head at her comment and he just held onto her tighter and said "I-I worry about you more than myself......w-when you are around I feel warm inside.......i-it like you are my heart and I will do anything to k-keep you safe Talone." He looked up at her and then with a hint of braveness he gave her a kiss right on the lips though it was a small innocent one.

He then saw her tears and quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe them away as he was going to be stuck to Talone for a while as he had only lived through that torture because he wanted to see her so badly. He wasn't going to die till he could see Talone again.

She blinked a few times in shock but other than that tried not to react. She never expected a kiss on the lips from such an innocent being. She finally gave in to her desires and held him close as she could. She kept placing kisses atop his head and cheeks as she cried like a river. She choked out her words as she looked him in the eye.
"And you're my heart, twinned into my soul. I'll always come to you when you call. I made a Malfi to protect you and protect you I shall. I...I love you my angel..."
The last line was more hushed than the rest as she balled. The sudden breeze in the room alerted her to look around to see Zephyr looking at her strangely. She looked wide eyed at the spirit before listening to Zephyr's thoughts, explaining why she was here.
"Lyle sent you to check on me...well at least that means he hasn't been harmed yet. If you wait I'll write a letter as you ask."
She then realized Ratchet must be confused as to why a translucent light green spirit wolf was sitting in his lab.
"This is my companion Zephyr. She's a bit full of herself at times*Zephyr snorts* but she means no harm. See?"
She called Zephyr closer and allowed the wolf to nuzzle her outstretched hand before Zephyr desided to lick Talone's face, earning a glare.

Ratchet was surprised by her soon holding him close to her and kissing him on the head and cheeks while crying a large amount, Ratchet looked her into the eyes when she looked at him and when things were calm he heard the last part of what she said and he smiled "I love you too my heart." Ratchet was going to start considering Talone his heart as she always made him feel like he still has one when she is around. It was then that this weird creature appeared and when he looked up at the being he saw that Talone knew it and was talking to it, when Talone explained who it was he waved at Zephyr as he said "Hello Z-Zephyr, you have a pretty name and you look c-cool." it was then that he remembered something really important and broke out of Talone's grip as he yelled "AHH I FORGOT BIG DADDY STILL BROKE!"

Ratchet ran to where the robot was and saw the damage that Koutetsu did to the machine when it tried to stop the dragon from harming Ratchet, its right arm was torn off and his head was cracked but it wasn't too bad as Ratchet started to work on the machine right away. He wanted to stay with Talone some more but Big Daddy deserved to be working again as he did get hurt only because he tried to help him.

Talone quirked her head in slight confusion at the panic coming from Ratchet. She followed him and watched him work some on repairs before Zephyr snorted and pawed at her side. She sighed as she pulled out paper, ink, and plucked a feather from her wing. She cut the tip to a point before dipping it in the ink and writing. The letter wasn't long before she rolled it up and handed it over to Zephyr. Said wolf took it between her teeth, bowed her head, and disappeared in the form of a green twister. Talone looked sleepy when she saw the crystal rose from before. She walked over to the table housing it and ran a finger over the rose. She liked the way it glittered but she thought it was the bird in her talking.
"This was intended for me wasn't it?"
It was more of her thinking aloud as she picked it up slightly, holding it saintly in her palm over the table. Her features went blank as she didn't know what to think anymore.

Ratchet was nearly done with fixing Big Daddy when he heard what Talone said and looked over to see her playing with the rose he made and said "Y-yes....I wanted to get you a g-gift.....to show that I-I care about you. I w-wanted to finish the other gift first before g-giving them to you......d-do you like it?" Ratchet put the final repair in place as the machine started up and slowly got up and let out a moan of worry as Big Daddy picked up Ratchet and looked the poor heartless all over.

Ratchet laughed though as he found it funny when Big Daddy starts flipping him about to check him for wounds, when things were done the robot put Ratchet right side up again before hugging him in worry. Ratchet hugged Big Daddy back before the robot put him down and let Ratchet talk to Talone as he walked off to do his rounds but did wave at Talone in a friendly manner.

Ratchet walked over to were Talone was and stood beside her as he looked up and sort of zoned out as he always thought she looked so pretty.

A weak smile graced her lips as he spoke. She thought she couldn't get enough of his innocent antics and nervousness. She looked up to him and spoke gently.
"It's quite beautiful. I don like it."
She looked away slightly shamed a she hadn't thought to get him gifts of sort. Her soul was obsessed with him and wanted to spoil him just as protect him. She was drawn out of her thoughts at the sound of Ratchet's laughter. She look to see Big Daddy panicking over him and making sure there were no wounds. She gave a weak laugh that felt put of place for her considering when she's happy her laugh is sweet and like a cheery bird song. She then saw him dazing but tried to ignore it as she put the flower down.

After a while Ratchet snapped out of his day dream and noticed she looked so sad and so he walked up to her and gave her a soft hug though he could only hug her waist due to his short size. He then said "Talone you look so sad.....is there anything I can do to cheer you up?" He looked up at her with worry as she wanted her to be happier even though he knew that she was more or less a slave to Kuja as he is.

She put on a smile and petted his head. She didn't want to upset him with her personal pains.
"I'm fine, I've just had a lot on my mind lately."
A sudden thought occurred to her. She had left Lyle to stay home alone with Zephyr. Aric would every so often come by to check on them even though she knew it was to only see Lyle. She face Palmed as she sighed in annoyance.
"Dear Eva please protect him..."
She knew the wererabbit would try something on her innocent brother without her around to Alice him up.

Ratchet nodded his head in understanding before walking over to the feathers he had and was quickly working on finishing the gift as he said "Don't look I want you to see it only after I am done. Ok?" Ratchet figured this gift would be the one that would cheer her up the most as he was pretty sure she liked feather based gifts anyway. He heard the part about something protecting someone and said "You worried about your brother aren't you?"