--Chapter
08: “They'll torture my soul...torment my heart...but won't change my mind”--
The
rumbling was a bad sign. The dust that
filtered down from the ceiling was also a bad sign. The roars and the screaming were even worse
signs. Takeo
groaned and grabbed is sword from
the table. “Why is it that every time we
set up camp and get comfortable, something just has to destroy
it?”
Takuro shrugged, unsheathing his own blades, “Your guess is as good as mine…”
*****
Outside
in the courtyard there was mass panic.
Arrows zinging to and fro, small organized factions attempting to defeat
the foe, but little could be done. All
looked to be lost.
And
that was when the enormous, red-scaled, fire-breathing dragon saw fit to eat Testu.
Kaori
shrieked and stared in shock. Recovering
her voice, she cried, “TET-CHAN!”
All
was silent, then…
“CHAOS!”
The
shaken warriors turned their staring eyes to Yu~ki
and Yukihiro as the two mages walked into the clearing. The dragon, its cheeks bulging merely blinked
at the newcomers. “Spit that man out
right now!” the man ordered. Seeming to
heave a monstrous sigh, the dragon complied reluctantly. Tetsu rolled out
from between the creature’s jaws and onto the earthen floor. Blinking rapidly at his surroundings, he
scrambled out of the way as Yu~ki stepped forward to
take hold of the dragon’s whiskers.
“Chaos…” The creature growled in
inquiry. “You’ve been a very…bad…girl…”
the necromancer stated, shaking the monster’s head for emphasis. The monster whimpered and whined at the
abuse.
Coming
up behind his companion, Yukihiro groaned, “Oh for God’s sake, don’t make that
noise…” So, of course, the dragon made
the noise again.
Sighing
and rolling his eyes dramatically, Yu~ki stated,
“Look, be thankful I’m not as mad as I should be at you. Luckily you didn’t step on anyone…”
Kaori,
who held a bewildered Tetsu in her arms roared in
outrage, “Not as mad?! It almost ate
my boyfriend!”
Reiko,
standing off to the side with the other woman teased, “Oh, so now you admit
to going steady…” Kaori only replied
with a well-calculated glare.
Patting
the dragon on the cheek, Yu~ki ignored the
women. “This is not
The
dragon pushed off with its many legs and leapt into the air, riding the
currents. “And don’t land on
anybody or Gackt will have our heads!” Yukihiro added.
Turning
the masses, the two mages stopped and noticed the venomous stares directed at
them. Laughing
nervously, Yu~ki replied, “It’s all taken care of…”
to which Yukihiro nodded emphatically.
*****
The
quartet of the damned rested on a hill which overlooked the ramparts from
behind. Beyond, the dying land stretched
out as far as the eyes could see. But
for once…a feeling of calm, of peace, enveloped the premises. Mana fluffed his
skirt daintily as he curled his legs up under himself on the boulder. He glanced up at Gackt and Kozi, both of whom sat in the tree above him, the latter
hanging upside down from a branch, before looking down at Yu~ki,
who drew patterns into the dry earth.
A
sudden, muted cry alerted the feminine vampyre and
ended his tranquility. Arching a
manicured eyebrow, he gazed down at the ramparts, honing his vision to look
within. Sighing, indifferent, he noted,
“Oh look: a mob.”
Yu~ki, apparently still oblivious in his daydreams brought on by the
respite, he replied, “Chaos seems to have broken loose again…”
“I
thought I told you to tie up your pet,” Gackt observe, forever sharp.
The
other sighed and looked up at his Halfling leader. “Not that Chaos. The
other one. And don’t say I didn’t
because I did.”
Mana fought a smile as Kozi rolled his eyes at
the senseless bickering. Back flipping
off of the branch, he landed crouched and withdrew his sword. “A mob running in mass panic…this could only
mean one of two things.”
“And
what would those happen to be?” Gackt inquired lightly, hopping down from his
own perch.
“Well,
one: Gojira
has crossed the dimensional barrier and is currently wreaking havoc while
rampaging through the barracks or two:
we have visitors.”
Mana stood and withdrew Umbra, flipping it over and over, inspecting
the blade. “I’m going to guess the
second considering our usual guests are significantly more frightening than a
man jumping around in a dinosaur suit.”
“You
never know with poor special effects,” Gackt replied, flashing a tired smile.
“Hey,”
Yu~ki called, standing, “don’t diss
Gojira.”
“Well,
then…” Kozi began, striking a noble pose, “Shall we
go lead our comrades?” The others had no
time to reply as an explosion rocked the plain.
Turning back to look upon the camp, they watched as a mushroom cloud
plumed over half of the battlements. The
other three turned back to look sidelong at the vampyre. “Ano…let me
rephrase. Shall we go now and save
our camp before J and Youjeen together burn
the place to the ground?”
Mana smiled darkly as Gackt shook his head and headed down the hill, broadsword
broad sword drawn. “Let’s go.”
*****
Masa sat, pensive, at the edge of a precipice, staring off towards the
horizon. Alone, he let the tears fall
and the Voice arise again.
I didn’t say that…
…Mana remembers…
That doesn’t mean HE does.
How
could he not, being a Halfling?
…I
don’t know.
Silence. Then…
Let me talk to him.
No.
Why?
Because it’s not time, yet.
He doesn’t even know you exist here.
More
silence. Tearfully, the Voice continued.
I
miss him so much, Young One…I miss holding him in my arms. I miss his eyes, his smile –
We’ll
lose him.
“Masa?”
I
know.
[1]
The voice slipped into melancholy in the back of Masa’s
mind as footsteps approached behind him.
Turning, he looked up and, shielding his eyes from the sun, gazed upon Mana. The feminine Vampyre had his dark hair pinned on the top of his head,
curled tendrils snaking down his pale neck.
“Masa…here you are…everyone’s been looking for
you.” The immortal knelt beside the
dark-haired youth as the young man lowered his dark eyes and took a small stone
in hand, rolling it between his fingers.
Noticing the other’s gloom, he inquired, “…Why are you alone?”
“Why
is anyone alone?” Masa asked in response, tossing the
pebble over the cliff and into the abyss.
Silence
engulfed the two. Turning back to his
lover, the Vampyre gasped taking the other’s
shoulder, startling the youth. Crimson
blotches began to bleed through the thin cloth covering his body as sanguine
gashes appeared on Masa’s pale face. Lifting his hands the youth paused, turning
his arms over and over, numbly looking at the phantom wounds, the holes in his wrists.
Mana clutched at him, desperately trying to make sense of what was
happening to this frail creature. “Masa! The Hell is this?”
Glancing
from the red lines to his terrified companion, the youth murmured, “I bear the
marks of the one who came before…”
“What
‘one?’ Masa…what
the Hell are you talking about?”
Pushing
the other away, the youth stood and bit his lip, piercing his already worn
flesh, as a tear made it’s way down his marred
face.
What do I do…?
Tell him.
No.
You
should. You know that. He has to know – you can’t keep our secret
forever.
No
turning back Beloved.
Tell him.
Taking
a deep breath, he closed his sad eyes.
Slowly, ever so slowly, white wings billowed out from behind him. After a moment, Masa
regretfully opened his eyes to look upon his stunned lover. “…I’m a crossover.”
*****
Teru sat, staring up at the glittering, alien stars. In the city, it was impossible to see such
small lights. Wrapped in Ami’s arms, the
man sighed. Safe…
“You
tired…?” came the soft inquiry in his ear.
He
smiled and looked back at her. “Iie…just thinking…”
“About what?”
He
rolled over to look into her dark eyes.
They glittered in the starlight.
“Do you always ask so many questions so late at night?” When she nodded he sighed again and buried
his face in her neck, breathing in the scent of her. “I’ve been thinking about all of this…how
much I don’t want to lose you… about how much I love you…” He felt her arms tighten around him. “…about how much I love the baby…”
“Nani?”
Well
that got her attention… He looked up at her. “Don’t act
so surprised, love.”
“How
did you know? No one else does except Yumi and even she says she couldn’t tell and --” her eyes
narrowed at him in the darkness. Her
voice was bitter when next she spoke.
“You guessed, didn’t you?”
Teru laughed and took her face in his hands. “Yes, I did.
But it was a very educated guess.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah
– I asked Yumi why you were so moody when I got
here.”
*****
The
battle had lasted far longer than any before.
The warriors were exhausted, the parrying and thrusting of blades was
quickly losing force. The archers and
sharpshooters had long ago resorted to ripping arrows from fallen bodies to
defend themselves. The elementals’ and
mages’ powers were draining their welders.
Hakuei glanced over his shoulder at another man. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I
can take this much longer…” He channeled
his energy into his sword arm, using his blade to
dispatch another foe.
The
other, O-Jiro, coughed in reply bringing up his hands
and murmuring a spell which wilted upon casting. “Oi!” a voice
called out. Turning, the young man
caught the katana hurled at him. He
nodded in thanks to Yumi, who withdrew the blade’s
twin from its sheath, before fighting on.
*****
Masa waded through the mêlée, surrounded by men and women and demons out of
hell, all blind to the one unarmed opponent in the entire bloodbath. Walking calmly, he gazed only upon his
destination – a small outcropping which stood above the rest of the
battlefield. Why none had laid claim to
it yet, he was unsure.
Perhaps
it’s because it’s such an open spot. And
both sides are employing snipers at this point.
The youth took a step at the base of ridge, the one
act raising him head and shoulders above the din. “Masa?” Turning, the man looked down at Taka who
stood, bloodstained, looking up at the younger man, confusion in his eyes. “What are you…?”
“Trust me…”
His own voice sounded alien in his ears.
Just
for a bit, Darling.
Taka nodded, before turning back to the battle to
thrust his twin blades through an opponent and scissoring the demon in
half. “Cover the Seer.”
“What’s he gonna do?” came
the reply from a faceless voice. Masa had already resumed his ascent.
“I have no idea – just do it!”
Arrows zinged behind and in front of him, apparently
to remove any possible threats to his “mission.”
You
see? You do have friends.
You’ll
take note I never said I didn’t.
As he reached the pinnacle, he felt cool hands
around his neck, his arms, his chest.
Let
me take over now, Love.
Masa slipped into darkness.
*****
Mana watched in horror and fascination as Masa’s
flimsy white shirt fell from his pale shoulders, as the youth raised his frail
arms to the sky. Looking about himself, the vampyre noticed most
the combatants had ceased their dueling to stare at this odd creature who stood
unarmed in the midst of battle.
That
was when white wings burst from the youth’s back and the world exploded. All he could hear were the screams of agony
from his love.
*****
When
the searing white light faded, the mortals looked about them. The enemy, the black foe, the snarling demons
and winged devils lay slain, their beady eyes burned
through, their skin scorched and yet…looking at each other and themselves, not
a blister had risen.
Ren
looked back to where Masa had stood and cried out,
pointing frantically at the outcropping.
Floating above the stones was an image which he had never wished to
see. The raven-haired youth hovered,
crucified on an invisible cross, stigmata marring his flawless skin. Blood dripped from his forehead, his wrists,
his feet, his side.
The wings fluttered from the young mans’ back. A grotesque allusion. Leaping up, he bolted for the ridge. Masa…
Suddenly,
he was hit by something and rolled in the dirt with whatever had tackled
him. “Let go! I have to get to Masa!” He struggled
as he felt his arms being pinned to his sides, his body being shoved into the
ground. “K’so! Let go, dammit!”
“No! You can’t.”
“Let
go Mana!” the man snarled.
“If
you touch him, you’ll kill him.”
Suddenly,
his struggling stopped. “What?”
“There’s
only one here who can touch Masa at the moment. All others would destroy him.”
Disbelief
evident, the struggling began again.
“Oh? And who would that be?”
“Him.” Ren raised his head and blinked
through the settling dust.
Gackt
stood, shaking, eyes fixed on the crucified youth. Hesitant, the Halfling stepped up to the
summit and, taking Masa’s arms in his strong hands, lifted the younger man from the illusory cross. The winged man instantly collapsed in his
lover’s arms and they fell to the ground, Gackt cradling the broken angel in
his arms.
Masa’s eyes fluttered open and through chapped and bleeding lips he
whispered, “They’re gone now, Koibito,” before he went limp.
*****
The
being sat before him on the cot in the infirmary, seemingly quite content to
rest in a growing pool of his own blood
Gackt stared down at the weary, smiling face, still recovering from his
own shock. His mind told him that the
creature before him was Masa. After all, the dark eyes were Masa’s, the soft, matted hair that fell upon slight
shoulders was Masa’s, the perfectly manicured hands,
the lithe body, curled up on the bed, was Masa’s
…and yet…
It
was nothing like Masa. It sat too straight, its glances were too
guarded, its smiles were too sad.
It
couldn’t be Masa.
…As
if the pristine, billowing wings which wafted from its back hadn’t been a
give-away.
“Is
everything alright, Gaku…?” That
voice…that voice was Masa’s. Gackt shook his head, clearing his
thoughts. Maybe it’s all just my imagination… “What is it Love?” The man’s head snapped up to stare at the man
on the cot. That voice…
“Who
are you?” The face he made must have
been humorous, for the youth on the bed giggled. The voices melted together overlapping,
racing each other out between his rose pink lips. Dear
God…No…not here…Ca--
“Do
you remember love? Do you remember that
time...so long ago...?” Cassandra reached forward, to stroke Gackt’s face. Cool
fingers traced the elder’s jaw line.
“How
can I not...?”
“…It
took me so long to remember, I almost lost hope,” Masa
stated, his soft masculine, voice rising, shyly, over the other’s.
“Lost
hope? How? Why?”
“Because
I couldn't remember who you were, why I knew you...” As he trailed off, the
youth receded, hiding away into himself.
“You
speak – two people as one...it's sometimes hard to follow you...”
“Don't
worry love...I'm here now...”
“But
is he?”
“We're
one and the same.”
“Maybe
that is why I fear...”
“What
do you mean…?” Masa
again, giving into curiosity.
“If
I lose one of you, I lose the other as well…and I am alone again…”
*****
A flash of light, of pain. Blood. So much blood. His eyes. Gone. Blinded by blood.
Choking, coughing. Blinded and
drowning in blood. You…
With
a cry, Fujimura snapped back to reality, thrown forward into Gackt’s awaiting arms.
He panted, eyes wide, staring. Good God… Shuddering, he clenched his eyes shut,
burying his face in Gackt’s neck. “I…remember…”
“Then
you know what will happen…”
Chacha, slowly regaining his senses, looked up into the younger man’s
eyes. He asked, “Was…was there really
that much blood…?” Gackt was hesitant,
but nodded. Sitting upright, he took his
commander’s face in his hands and stated, “We can’t tell You.” The other nodded again.
Turning
away from Gackt, the blond man struggled to breathe. His small body shook uncontrollably, sobs
barely kept silent.
The
commander stretched a hand forward. “You
okay…?”
The
other jumped away as if burnt. “Aa…I just…” he paused to rub viciously at his eyes,
“…Alone. Please?”
Dropping
his eyes, Gackt once again nodded sadly and turned on his heels, leaving the
cold, stone room.
As
soon as the door closed with a muted click, Chacha
collapsed against the wall with his head in his hands. “Kami-sama…”
“Are
you afraid…?”
Startled,
the blond soldier whipped out one of his daggers, and launched it at the source
of the voice, hidden in the shadows. Had
it been any other combatant, it would be dead…but this wasn’t any other
combatant. A pale hand reached out of
the shadows and snatched the blade from the air with ease. Chacha sighed. “It’s you…”
From
the shadows, Mana stepped, eyes downcast. “Hai, it’s
me…” Looking up, he continued, “I see
you know what is in store for you…”
Fujimura
looked away, the pain far too near his heart to bear.
“Hn…” the Vampyre murmured,
stepping in front of the window, the back-light from the moon and stars hiding
his eyes. “Once again, I’ll ask – are
you afraid?”
The
other paused to think. Was he? Minutes passed, filled only by the noise from
the courtyard and the muted breath of the mortal. Looking up, he concluded, “Iie.”
“Then
you’ll die beautifully.” And with that,
the immortal leapt through the window, disappearing into the night.
Left
alone, Chacha sat in stunned silence for a
moment. Blinking rapidly, he cleared his
mind, stood, and left the room.
*****
Long into the night, two lovers held each other
close, entwining their minds and bodies and souls for eternity.
“Kiko koibito…” the one
whispered against his lover’s temple. “Kore kara
zutto…itsumademo.” [2]
The younger man shifted to look down at him. “…Zutto…?” [3]
Taking the other’s face in his hands, the elder
whispered, “Hai,” paused to press their lips together. “Zutto.”
[1]
All the above Italics = The Voices (Masa’s and Cassandra’s).
Each line means a different speaker.
[3]
“Kiko koibito… Ai shiteru…Kore kara
zutto…itsumademo.” =
“Listen lover…I love you…For always and forever…”
[3]
“…Zutto…?” = “…Forever…?”