Heir of Darkness
Written by Remi
Edited by ChiI - Lurking in the Dark
~+~
“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night . . . . ”
- Dylan Thomas
“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night”
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Nocturnal creatures roamed freely in the woods as a dark blue sheet covered the entire sky. A white sphere in the heavens casted various shadows on the forest, changing the colors of the trees and bushes to dark cerulean colors. This mystical atmosphere and tranquil scenery would have been greatly appreciated by nature lovers, if it were not disturbed by the sound of friction between diminutive pebbles against dirt grains. This was cause by the stomping of light footsteps.
"Where is everyone?" a hoarse voice of a girl sounded in the air.
She was a young and thin looking thing, not quite an adult yet but blossoming. She was wearing a yellow dress, with length ending an inch or so above her knees, white socks that reached her ankles, and matching sneakers. Normally, the word vibrant would describe her perfectly; however, after hours of continuous walking, she was enervated. In confusion, the girl surveyed her surroundings. Dark shapes of tall trees and bushes greeted her from every corner.
"Great, I'm lost . . . " She groaned and swiped a few beads of sweat away from her face. Sighing, she shook her head in disappointment. For she still did not know how she got here or why she was here. All she knew was that she had to get home before the night get any darker. A soft smile appeared on her face at the thought of home-the hot meal that awaited her and the warm cozy bed that she could sleep in all day. Instead of the hard ground of the forest, which would be her only option if she does not find shelter soon. At the aspect, her lips quirked unpleasantly.
The sudden sound of leaves being crushed immediately caught her attention. Startled, she hastily turned around. Behind her was a lanky dark figure. It stood approximately twenty feet away, partially, camouflaged by shades of bushes and trees.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called out.
The sound of the night answered as the dark figure remained still.
"Hello?" She tried again as she waited. A good few minutes past with still no response from the figure
"It's probably just some trees." She tried to reassure herself. Turning back on the path, she continued on her way at a faster pace.
As she walked, the sound of heavy footsteps behind her matched her steps. Briskly, she glanced behind her. The dark figure halted in its steps, and now stood approximately twelve feet away from her. The moonlight managed to reach passed the tall trees displaying parts of its bare masculine chest. She noted the framework of the dark figure; he was about eight feet in height. More rib bones constructed his body than an average man possessed, and his prominent chest bone structures and muscle contours made him appeared almost skeletal. The rest of his lower body and face were masked by shadows.
"Hey! Who are you? Why are you following me?" She demanded.
The figure didn't answer. In silence, he stood as if waiting for her to make the next move. She could hear his harsh breathings, as he exhaled and inhaled liked he was having great difficulty. Her nose then began to pick up the strong odious stench coming from him. He smelled of rotted-fresh . . .
She took a few steps back in caution. "Whoever you are, you better quit following me!"
The figure growled and began to stamp towards her. As he moved, the moonlight caught his face. She froze in horror as her body and hands shook involuntarily in response.
He looked grotesque. Sharp long teeth jutted out his mouth with glistering saliva running down on one side. And his eyes, they were dark red.
"Kami-sama . . . it-it's a monster . . . " Her face blanched as she stumbled backward. Screaming, she then run for her life.
Heavy footsteps quickly followed behind her. It became louder and closer after each step. She sensed in any second, that monster would reach her. With great effort, she forced her tired legs to move faster. After sprinting less than half a mile, her weary legs quit as she tumbled over a root of a tree protruding on the ground. Thrown forward, she landed hard on the ground. She cried out in pain and struggled to get on her feet. Immediately, she fell back down when one of her ankles refused to support her.
"Damn it! Not now!" she cried out in frustration and glanced behind her. It was already too late. The monster had caught up with her.
He stood in front of her, towering over her. She could now see his hairless head, long limbs and arms, and also his huge red claws at such close proximity. She eyed them in dread. They looked to be sharp. Real sharp. She swallowed.
"Stay away from me!" She shouted as the monster started to raise its claws. Helplessly, she watched as it descended upon her breasts. Just when she thought she would die, a bright ball of blue light struck the monster square in the chest.
The monster roared in pain as the light propelled him back a few steps. Dark liquid oozed from his chest where the light had struck as he fell forward. She observed with repulsion and fascination as it began to dissolve.
"It disappeared . . . " In awe, she whispered, gazing at the spot where the monster once laid; nothing was left of it.
A light tap on her shoulders shook her out of her stupor. Turning around, she found a tall dark man standing before her. Shadows protected his facial features from view as moonlight outlined his slim physique and short hair.
"Are you all right?" The man asked.
"Yes . . . thanks to you." She sighed in relief and cast a curious glance at him. Despite not being able to clearly see him though the dark, she knew she had never met him before. Yet, she felt a strange sense of familiarity . . .
"You are Akane . . . " he said softly.
"Ah yes . . . How did you know? Have we met before?" She questioned as she stood up. She immediately regretted her decision as she gasped in pain.
He quickly reached out to help her on her feet. "You're hurt . . ."
"I tripped as I was running away from that monster." Inquisitively, she gazed at him, confused by his overly concern for her.
"Is it your angle?"
She nodded.
"Let me have a look." He crouched down before her and gently took hold of her injured foot, leaving her to place one of her hand on his shoulder for support.
Astonished by his kind gesture, she could only watch. She gazed down at his bent head and the powerful broad shoulders that sustained it. Judging by his built and the taunt hard muscles of his back beneath her fingers, she surmised that he was an active person. Nowhere in her mind could she come up with anyone she knew that fit close to his description. Well, there was Ranma . . . But she knew it could not be him aside from the obvious difference with his hairstyle, height, age, tone of voice, and not to mention manner . . .
"Looks like you sprang your ankle." He said softly as he examined her foot. "It will swell a bit but should heal soon."
He fingered the swollen muscles in question.
"That's a relief. It's not that bad then."
"No . . . But you shouldn't put too much pressure on it."
"It's no big problem. This is not the first time I sprang my ankle." She removed her hand from his shoulder and let her uninjured foot support part of her weight.
"See?" Proudly, she smiled at him.
She heard him gasp, and a long moment of silence filled the air as he just sat there, simply looking at her. She could not tell what he was thinking and was about to inquire what he found so interesting, when he raised to his feet. In his full height, he hovered over her by more than a head. She backed up a step so she would not have to tilt her head so much.
"I don't think you should walk on that ankle when you don't need to." He extended his hand to her.
She caught on to the suggestion that he was making but decided instead to decline. After all, she could take care of herself and a little injury like this was nothing. "Thank you, but I really don't want to impose on you."
"It's no trouble at all Akane." He urged and took a step closer to her.
She glanced at his shadowed face and saw that he was not going to back down until she took hold of his hand. With an amuse grin on her lips, she grasped his hand lightly. She thought he was going to let her lean onto him for support; instead, he swept her into his arms. Stupefied and embarrassed by his action, she tried to get loose of his hold.
"Stop that or else you'll make us both fall . . . " He held onto her more firmly. Although, his voice was tender, she still sensed strength and determination behind his words.
Not wanting to sound unappreciative that he saved her life, she remarked, "You do not need to carry me. I can stand on my own."
"For a few seconds, then you'll fall." He stated plaintively.
"But-"
"Shush . . . " He silenced her and gently whispered in her ear. "You're tired. Now go to sleep . . . "
His voice was mesmerizing and it wasn't long before she started to yawn at his suggestion. Her eyelids felt heavy that she could no longer keep them open as they lowered to cover her tired eyes. Unable to keep her head upright, she laid it on his shoulder. She felt his arms tightened around her as he brought her closer to him. A feeling of contentment filled her. She was confused by it and as to why she felt so trusting toward him. She knew she should instead be more cautious and scrupulous toward this stranger, but her somnolent state prevented her.
As if sensing her worries, he said firmly. "You're safe now. I won't let anything hurt you."
"Who . . . are you?" she whispered huskily as her awareness started to leave her.
"You know who I am."
She smiled at the last thoughts that filled her mind before she fell asleep. He was right. She does know him. She could never forget his voice . . .
***
Under the moonlight, the stranger watched her dozed in his arms. He studied her intently as he captured her facial features. He glanced at her midnight blue hair, which seemed exceedingly abundant as it coyly reached down her neck. The texture of it which he already knew to be soft and smooth as silk . . . His gaze shifted to her eyebrows, shaped like that of wings of a bird in flight. It was so much symbolic of her need to remain independent and free. Her overly long curly lashes drew his attention next; like a dark curtain, they fanned her depthless eyes . . . hypnotic golden ones that he could so easily lose himself into. His eyes moved to her straight up-turned nose that did nothing to hide her stubborn nature that he remembered so well. Following the slopes on her face, it led him to her high cheekbones. He recalled then how it changed to a becoming pink color when her temper flared. Lastly, he looked at her lips, and his gaze stopped there . . .
The color of her lips was as red as roses and they distracted him the most. They were so full, so red, and oh so tempting . . . knowing how they could transform into one of those captivating smiles that could easily cause his heart to quicken. Much like the one, he had witnessed not a few minutes ago when she had smiled down at him. Unable to resist, he leaned down and brushed his lips lightly over hers. After a brief moment, he lifted his head and whispered affectionately, "Goodnight my Akane . . . "
Japanese words used:
kami -- God
-sama -- used after a name to denote respect
Acknowledgments:
Many people had contributed in helping me created this story. Because of them, my experience had been both fun and educational. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them.Ken—for your invaluable information of Japanese cultures and names : P
Fion—for your inspiring poems J
Readers—for all your support ^o^
Lastly, my Editors, who had painstakingly edited each and every revisions that I posted when a whim to make some changes strikes me ; ) Without their help, this story would have been extremely difficult to read.
Editors:
Chi—you have been so patient, listening to my endless blabberings, and helped me come in terms of what I wanted to write. By breaking through the chaos in my mind, you kept me focus. ^_^.
Nonsequiter—you had cleared away the mists that obscured my vision, helped me realized the errors of my ways and set me on the correct path that lead toward the light. Because of your guidance, everything was made right. ^_^.
I thank you all for spending the time in helping me.
-remi ^_~.
vers: 01/06/01
Versions:
Chapter 1—1st & 2nd drafts Chi 3rd. Me
Email: remigirl@oocities.com Fanfics: http://www.oocities.org/TimesSquare/Realm/4845/RanFanfics.html