**Rotten Fruit**

[X_HeartofRoses_X]

Rose smiled. "Kay~"  

[The Jolly Victini]

Fenikkusu nodded. "Some might think that. But, it depends on how you look at echoes. Sometimes they only mock you. Other times, they tell you exactly what you need to hear."  

[WritingWithLove]

**Minor Time Skip**

Sawyer, Rose, and B.E.N. arrived at the kitchen. Sawyer was still holding Rose's hand, and he was content to continue doing so.
Ella opened the door to the kitchen, insisting that she could do things herself. "Honestly, I can open the damn door-"
She paused.

A chill went up Sawyer's spine, and he held his breath. He turned to look, and he cringed. How did she find him?!
"Sawyer?!"
Elaa rushed to him and grabbed him by his collar. "You little brat!" she whispered quiet enough fro only him to hear, "When Daddy gets a hold of you, he'll..."
She looked over to Rose, instantly recognizing her.
Sawyer had been holding hands with her!
A wicked smiled crossed Ella's face as she said loudly, "Oh, Sawyer! I thought we lost you!" She hugged him tightly, the gears in her mind turning rapidly.
I'll give him the gem! Two birds with one stone! Daddy will be so proud!  

[The Jolly Victini]

Fenikkusu's suspicions raised drastically at the scene that had taken place. It may have been inaudible to some, but for a trained god, not so much. He was now taking it upon himself to watch Ella, "like a hawk".

B.E.N. walked over to Ella and raised a cookie up to her with his ear. He mumbled something, but it was inaudible due to the fact that while he spoke he was chewing on a cookie.  

[X_HeartofRoses_X]

Rose looked at Ella, and bared her sharp canines, growling. She could tell this girl was bad news. A green aura enveloped her hands, and thorns appeared, wrapped around them.  

[WritingWithLove]

(( twisted I love you guys.))

Ella looked kindly at B.E.N. and accepted his offer. She turned to Fenikkusu and said calmly, "This is my little brother! He ran away from home. Mother and Daddy are worried sick about him! They sent me out to find him, and that's when..."
Her eyes welled with tears, and she held Sawyer close. "I missed you so much! Please don't run away again!" she sobbed into his shoulder, hiding her smile. She looked up at the crowd and held Sawyer's hand as she stood. She wiped tears from her eyes as she said, "Excuse me for a minute. I need to have a few more words with my dear brother."
*
"Father wants to kill me!" Sawyer whispered from behind the closet door. Ella leaned against it from the outside and sighed. "You still need to come back, loser." she replied. Sawyer shook the knob from the inside, but Ella grabbed it and hissed, "You're not coming out until I get answers! Tell me what you know!"
In a panic, Sawyer spilled everything. "She's the princess, and she's so kind, and pretty, and I think I have a, what's it called, a crush on her! Please don't make me do it! Please!"
"Whose life do you value more?"
A long pause.
"That's what I thought. All you've gotta do is hand it to her. It only affects the person recieving it."
She smiled at her fantastic lie.
"I do it... And I won't die?"
"Yep."
A final pause.
"O-okay... I'll do it."

Ella opened the closet door and handed Sawyer the canvas bag. "I was hoping you'd agree."
*
They went back into the kitchen, Sawyer holding the bag close. He took Rose's hand, but he pulled away because of the thorns. He was used to more pain, so he took her hand again and said, "I-I've got a present for you... but I wanna give it to you in private..." Tears rose in his eyes as he looked to Ella. She made a cut-throat motion across her neck before batting her eyes nicely at Fenikkusu and asking, "So do you have a girl? If you do, she must be very lucky. You're so kind."  

[X_HeartofRoses_X]

Rose looked at Sawyer and smiled, making the thorns vanished. "Okay!~" The sparkle came back into her eyes.  

[The Jolly Victini]

Fenikkusu's head snapped to Ella. "Alright, what's your game, Grizella? You don't truely care for your brother. Otherwise you wouldn't have called him a brat so impulsively. You would'nt have locked the poor boy in a closet! What are your true intensions for being here? Tell me, or I'll have you tried and given the worst possible punsihment we have for possible assault, stalking and, dare you, kidnapping."  

[Fenrir Shade]

Fenrir lightly squeezes Briar's hand, "I bet." He walks with her into the kitchen and into the ongoing scene. Upon realizing who the woman was, he immediately froze, wide-eyed. He turns to Briar, "Um, hey, l-let's go out to eat. I haven't taken you out on a proper date yet."

((By the way, from the time period I'm going to say that the "meeting" between Ella and Fenrir way back when took place when his name was still Fenson, before he legally changed it.))  

[WritingWithLove]

Sawyer's heart heavied with each step he took. He led Rose out of the kitchen and into the hallway, and he asked. "Could we go to your bedroom? Your surprise will look great on a nightstand, i-if you have one."

"It's Drizella," she said sweetly, coming closer to him, "but you can call me whatever you want, baby." All she had to do was stall long enough, and she knew just how to do it. She took Fenikkusu's hands and placed them on the small of her back. "I don't play a lot of games, but the ones I do play, I play behind closed doors." she said, biting into each word. She smiled seductively and whispered, "C'mon. I'll teach you how to play Twister the right way."
This'll get him for sure!
Ella suddenly noticed the couple, and her heart leapt at the sight of the boy. She immediately forgot about her previous flirting and came over to them. Briar went on guard as Ella batted her eyes at Fenrir and said, "My, you haven't changed a bit, have you?"  

[X_HeartofRoses_X]

Rose skipped happily up the stairs. "Kay kay, this way!~" She said in a sing-song voice. "You know, Sawyer...I just realized this feeling..." She said, pausing at the top of the steps. "I think I love you!" She said. She was still little, so she didn't know what true love was. But, at the least, she liked him very much! "I should show you my little bro. Mommy says I can help take care of him when I'm older! His name's Cyan! Cool, huh?" She giggled, twirling about next to a door. "Aaaaaaaaanywaaaaaay...This is my room~"  

[The Jolly Victini]

Fenikkusu was absolutely astonished that this girl was flirting with him. An extremely aged phoenix. And a god no less! Fenikkusu would not have it. Whatever she was up to, it must have been with the boy. He quickly searched for Rose's soul and noticed that her spirit was with Sawyer. As Ella walked away, Fenikkusu let out a deafening screech that echoed through the castle. He transformed back into his phoenix form and sized himself big enough to be intimidating, but small enough to fit in the castle comfortably. "Drizella, you cur! You're up to no good, and I'll be sure it will not go through!" with incredible heat, Fenikkusu burst into flames as he teleported away. Fenikkusu manifested in front of Rose and Sawyer on his anthro form. He looked at Rose with the sense of urgency. He then turned to Sawyer and noticed the bag he held. Before doing anything rash, he asked, "Young man. What's in the bag?"  

[WritingWithLove]

Ella smiled and chuckled deviously as Fenikkusu left the room.
Check and mate!
***
Sawyer's heart beat faster as he tried to think of what to do. He thought of what would happen if he told the truth. Would his family be in danger? Would his father kill him for sure?
What about if he lied? Would this stranger kill him?
He had no other option.
The most natural instinct in each and every one of us is the Will to Live.
He took the gem out of the bag and held it gently. It was about the size of a baseball, and it's color rivaled fresh blood. He tossed it to Rose, who caught it, and he instantly felt very dizzy. Almost in perfect sync, Rose and Sawyer collapsed.
Their hearts were barely beating.
There was no cure.
*
Sawyer woke up next to Rose. They were in some kind of dark world, and Sawyer called, "Hello?"
"Hello... Hello..."

The echo, was not.
His eyes widened as a woman walked up to him. She wore a grey dress, tattered and torn. Her hair was black as night, her lips as red as roses. A scar went across her neck where she'd been cut- fatally.
Sawyer stood up and grabbed the woman's legs. He began to cry as he said, "Mama! Mama! You're okay! I knew you wouldn't leave me! Where are we?"
His mother smiled kindly. "So you can speak with us?" she said. Sawyer cocked his head, and his mother clarified, "My dear, precious prince. My baby boy. You can talk here. None of the living, save for certain children, because of their Innocence, can speak here. They can only repeat what has been said previously." Sawyer gasped and said, "Like an echo?"
"Exactly like an echo."  

[X_HeartofRoses_X]

Rose sat up, her eyes glazed over as she looked around. "Wh--..." Her eyes cleared and she began to panic. She lept to her feet and looked around, her pupils shrinking in fright as tears came to her eyes. "S-Sawyer, what did you do?!" She screamed.  

[WritingWithLove]

Sawyer snapped to attention at the sound of Rose's voice. He turned to her an hugged her tightly, and he sobbed more violently. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so, s-so, s-sor-sorry!"
His mother looked at the two sadly, subconsciously repeating, "Sorry... Sorry... Sorry..."
Sawyer looked at his mother and said, "Where are we?! H-how do we leave?!"
She looked back at him and replied, "Limbo. Those who have sinned badly enough not to get into Above, but not harshly enoug to be thrust Below, are force here for eternity. You may never leave, but seeing as you two are not truly deceased, I may know a way to help."