Table of Contents

1. The Not-Quite-Seduction of Vincent Valentine
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

2. The Turning of the Earth
Fandom: Shadow of the Colossus

3. Synchronicity
Fandom: Vocaloid

4. Life is Not Ice Cream and Chansey Dances
Fandom: Pokémon

5. Talking is a Dangerous Activity
Fandom: Prince of Tennis

6. Stop Kiss
Fandom: Hetalia

7. Five Mistakes
Fandom: D.Gray-Man

8. Num Num
Fandom: D.Gray-man

9. Face Your Future
Fandom: Black Butler

10. you could do better
Fandom: Ouran High School Host Club

11. Too Little, Too Late
Fandom: Hetalia

Disclaimer: The authors that wrote these pieces and Kumoricon do not own the properties that these are based on. No profit is being made by the writing or the distribution of these pieces.

The Not-Quite-Seduction of Vincent Valentine

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Ten days after her nineteenth birthday, Yuffie decides that now is the time to seduce Vincent Valentine. She is legal by the laws of Wutai and she is wasting time. (When you are the asskickingest ninja princess who ever lived, you learn to recognize these little windows of opportunity and stick a leg in posthaste.)

She is aware that there are traditions and methodologies to this, same as ninja-ing. Sadly, lounging on a piano is right out as neither of them owns or plays one, and they don’t sell sexy lingerie in her cup size, unless chocobos in three pastel colors and eyelet lace trim with tiny pink hearts counts as sexy. This is Vincent Valentine, and therefore Yuffie doubts it.

She would invite him out to dinner, but she’s not sure what, or if, he likes to eat. The very terrible thought of getting all dolled up just to hang upside down in a cave drinking pig’s blood or something has occurred to her, and—Yuffie, Tifa would scold her, but—her appetite deserts her permanently.

Of course, you can’t just rush into these things. Seduction, Yuffie is well aware from years of consuming every dreadful romance novel she could get her hot little hands on, is something that must be planned carefully. It is a war. It is a struggle. (It is especially a struggle when your opponent is Vincent “traffic cones make good shoes” Valentine.)

Yuffie knows about battle. This is another of the perks that come with the asskicking and the ninjaness.

Her first plan is simple. Deceptively simple. After much research into the extensive library of reference materials that she found at Shinra Inc. in a shoebox in Reno’s locker, she realizes that nothing snags a man like a girl in skimpy clothes, lounging around. It is hard to get skimpier than what she usually wears, but Yuffie believes in points for effort, and anyway you cannot go wrong with a classic bikini top.

She gets lucky right off the bat. Vincent is actually in Seventh Heaven for once, lurking very lurkishly in a corner and nursing a glass containing about a finger of something that looks downright dangerous, because this is as close as he gets to Being Social no matter how hard Tifa tries. Clearly the gods of Wutai are smiling on her, because how else would she have been able to triangulate his cell phone signal?

Her luck runs out there, though. She gets as far as strutting in like she owns the place (well, she does have a three-percent share) and lounging languorously on a part of the bar that he ought to be able to clearly see from his chosen lurkspace, but Vincent doesn’t even look up from his drink. Yuffie frowns, and lounges harder. This is not as simple as it sounds.

“Yuffie, honey?” It’s Tifa, looking concerned and leaning on the bar, a single artless action that displays more cleavage than every crease on Yuffie’s body put together, dammit. “Are you feeling all right? You don’t seem quite up to your usual energy level.”

Barret guffaws and makes an unnecessarily rude comment about said energy level. Tifa gives him a Mom Look, then, horribly, keeps talking. “I know it has been awfully hot lately, but if you’re feeling lethargic, I can get you an iced drink, sweetie. You don’t have to walk around dressed like that.”

Apparently Cloud overhears the ‘that’, because he looks up from doing the accounting for the delivery service. (Which is a total disappointment, by the way. Seriously, Yuffie knew him when he spent all his spare time doing brooding serious man things with his sword and a polishing rag, but he is such a housewife these days, all he polishes is the silverware for the bar. Laa-aame).

He gives her outfit a bewildered look and hesitantly asks, “Have you…been to the Wallmarket lately?” Which makes Barret laugh so hard he nearly falls off his barstool.

Vincent chooses this beautiful moment to get up and take his empty glass to the bar, quite as if he is an ordinary customer who doesn’t know those people making idiots of themselves ten feet away; he is, by now, the only person in the bar not staring at them.

Yuffie, fed up with everybody forever, storms off towards the door, but Cid is on his way in and gives her a look that breaks records for how far a human eyebrow can be independently lifted. Is it Embarrassing Former Teammate Day today? Does Tifa have a special going?

“You tryin’ to bounce outta that @#$% thing, kiddo?” he asks. “Cause I hate to disappoint you, but you got nothin’ to bounce.”

So of course Yuffie calls him a dirty old man and he shouts something to Tifa about not letting jailbait hang around the bar, which is totally unfair because she isn’t jailbait anymore! That’s the whole point! It is at this point that she notices Vincent has left. Not that she can blame him, but dammit anyway.

Take two is more carefully planned. Subtlety is the word, this time—subtlety and catching Vincent alone, of course, which takes some doing. At least the alone part isn’t too hard. Sometimes she wonders if Vincent is allergic to company.

Finally, fate smiles on her and she nearly trips over him sitting in a dimly-lit back room of the bar, with Death Penalty disassembled all over a table for cleaning. Clearly he cannot just get up and leave this time. Heaven knows how many bullets and other personal belongings of his might end up in her sticky paws, or what she might do with them. Yuffie saunters over and sits on the table, swinging her legs for a while, whistling in a casual manner, before making her first move.

“Vince,” she says, “have you ever kissed anybody?”

Because a little birdie, by which she means a magazine, told her that making coquettish dialogue is a good way to gauge a boy’s attraction to you. Vincent is not a boy, but she thinks there must be a large remnant of the boy he was, somewhere inside him, because she can think of no other reason he would do stupid showoff backflips while shooting somebody when he could just stand there and be practical like Barret.

“Yes,” he says, calmly. He hasn’t looked up from cleaning his gun, but Yuffie’s jaw has dropped.

“What, really? Seriously?” She was not expecting that.

His gaze flickers up for a second—is she way off base, here, or does he look a little insulted? “Yes,” he repeats, and then—hah, she isn’t imagining this part at least—suspicious as hell, “Why?”

“Wait, wait, wait,” she says, deftly ignoring his question. “Who did you kiss? ‘Cause you can’t just say ‘yes’ and not give juicy details, Mister.” He has put the patented don’t-care face back on, and regards her coolly. “Well?” she insists, arms crossed and wondering why she is doing this to herself.

He does the too-cool-for-you jag for another moment, then volunteers, “Violet Swick, in the seventh grade.”

Yuffie is so bizarrely relieved that she starts to laugh. It’s so easy to forget that Vincent used to be a relatively normal guy. “The seventh grade? Oh, that is so cute! Did you get her an ice cream soda? Did you ask her to prom? Did—”

“That was my first kiss,” Vincent interrupts, still icy calm. Yuffie stops laughing. A laundry list of sexy Turks and swooning clients spools out in her head, blasting the laugh away into a sort of negative-laughspace where it may never have existed in the first place.

“Oh,” she says. “Oh. Um. Well, as…as much as I’d like to hear the whole sordid history, I…I have to…um.”

To what? To iron her cats? To sharpen her shuriken? Yuffie takes a third option, cartwheels nimbly out the window without saying another word, and sneaks off somewhere to lick her wounds and regroup. Leave ‘em wondering, that’s the Wutai way.

The next morning, after a double serving of bacon on toast to settle her nerves and power her undoubtedly formidable brainsoup, Yuffie takes stock. Subtlety is clearly wasted on Vincent, but then again, so were all the best poses from Reno’s girly mags. Yuffie’s already nineteen years, six months, three weeks and four days old, and she is running out of time and patience. In a few more short months, she’ll be an old woman of twenty. Desperate measures are required.

She follows his cell phone signal into the woods, one warm May night. She is a ninja, after all. She can do these things. She could follow a black cat on a dark night. She could find a materia in a tub full of marbles. She could march up to Vincent Valentine in a fit of pique and pull her shirt off, and that, to her own surprise, is exactly what she ends up doing.

At the very least, she thinks, a little dizzy with her own daring, he cannot, cannot, ignore this.

Vincent stops short, and gives her a blank look, slowly, head to toe, as she stands there with her hands on her hips and her ribs—for lack of breasts—thrust out, feeling more and more awkward. She’s already half forgotten why she thought this was a good idea.

His eyes travel over the tense lines of her neck, the sharp bars of her collarbones with soft hollows cupped above them, the small defiant peaks of her breasts. Her awful flat stomach with its incongruous tight muscles like a gymnast’s, bracketed by the bones of her hips where they tuck into her low-slung khaki shorts.

Yuffie is slowly going hollow under his calm stare. She feels like the sad loaf that resulted the time Tifa tried to teach her to make bread and she accidentally doubled the yeast, swollen up to nothing but a few thin shells of dough inside, empty like a bubble and about to pop and collapse flat any second.

Finally, finally, Vincent blinks, and turns and walks silently away. Yuffie sags, leans against the nearest tree and wishes she’d never heard of Junon Girls Gone Wild, or sex, or breasts (a foreign concept indeed).

It’s sort of a pity, really. If she’d followed him, she might have seen the tiny smile beginning to play across his lips. It wouldn’t have been hard, seeing as how it stays there for hours.

The Turning of the Earth

Fandom: Shadow of the Colossus

I am stretched on your grave
and will lie there forever
If your hands were in mine
then I know we’d not sever

My appletree, my brightness
’tis time we were together
For I smell of the earth
and I’m worn by the weather

-traditional

- Spring -
the blossoms made garlands in their hair

It was innocence in the meadow, transient and lovely.

Theirs was a living world and a pure one, in the season of new things rising, and they made every place in it a courting-ground for that one bright springtime. Their people had rules about such things and they did not dare to break them—he would not ask for her honor, and she had so much more to give, and all of creation stretched out waiting before them.

So they walked it together, one safe step apart, his horse’s reins held loose in his hands and she at his side plucking the occasional flower to tuck among the strands of her dark hair. Some days she perched small in the saddle with both her hands clinging tight to the harness, swaying with the horse’s gentle steps. And the newborn season pushed up in thin green strands around them, rising through the loam of the forest floor and the damp brownish thatch of last year’s perished grasses.

There came a morning when they walked far, past greening groves where the ferns nodded by the brackish watersides, until at last the trees opened up before them in a rush of liquid sunlight. At their feet lay a vast green expanse of meadow, verdant and wide with pale blossoms scattered down the slope. Her face alight, she slid from the saddle and into the whispering blades of grass with a cry of delight, burying her hands in a wealth of wildflowers. She felt the warmth of him standing behind her, imagined him shading his eyes with one arm to take in the rolling view…

At the snap of reins and a soft triple thud of shuffling hooves, and a whicker from the horse, she looked up and found a ton of dark beast reared up and towering above her, with him shooting her a quick proud arresting look as he clung to its back, saddle gripped tight to stay ahorse, and then the great hooves struck earth and they were off down the hill at a thundering gallop with dust and scraps of grass floating down in their wake.

She scrambled to her feet again, running a few steps after them, and realized with a shock that he had pulled one foot up onto the saddle in an awkward swaying crouch, barely half-balanced on the verge of tumbling off, synchronizing his own body as best he could to the bunching and stretching of his mount’s back as if about to…

She stopped, hands flying to cover her mouth as she realized his intentions, and in the same moment he was up, feet braced on the saddle and shoulders thrown back as he stood tall, all lithe muscles and grace with the reins in one hand and his face lifted to the sun in a triumphant grin.

A brief gust of wind ruffled her hair and tossed her skirt helter-skelter around her legs as she stood watching from the top of the slope; and then she saw him haul the reins to one side, wheeling his steed around in a wide arc until they thundered back up to her in a rush of hooves and dust and glossy dark horse and him, braced for the slowdown with his hair whipping around his face like autumn leaves in a wind. He dropped back into the saddle with the reins pulled tight as his horse splayed its long limbs and skidded to a stop.

She flung her arms up to clutch at his tunic, pulling at his sleeve. ‘Oh, you reckless fool!’ she admonished him, in just the right breathless tones of admiration and delight and dismay—how long had he practiced that, had it been all to show her?—and he obligingly slid from the horse’s back, rolling down into the grass to sprawl at her feet. Laughing, she tumbled after him, in among the waving stems to face him with her cheek pillowed in the curve of her hand. He had flung out his arms wide as if to embrace the sky; his breathing was still ragged and shallow.

Puzzled, the horse stretched its neck down to whuffle at their hair with curious lips. He gently pushed its nose away, and it sneezed and ambled off to graze. For a long time they lay with the sun warm on their skin, and watched the clouds pass overhead, and listened as their breathing rose and fell together, his gradually slowing to match hers. Silence settled around them with the last of the dust, comfortable and light.

Thoughtfully, she plucked a long strand of grass, turning it over in her fingers. Reaching across the space between them, she touched his sandaled foot with it, lightly, running it along the callused arch and up to brush his toes. He propped himself up on his elbows to give her a bemused look. She dimpled back at him, loving the smell of the damp earth rising around them and green growing things under her hands and the moist crunching sounds of his horse cropping the grass nearby, new sprouts and the sky and him.

‘How do you love me?’

He tossed his head back slightly at that question, for all the world like his own horse startling. It was easy to surprise him—neither of them had been in love before—and she enjoyed it, the widening of his pale eyes, the blush that brightened his cheeks.

‘How should I?’ he asked at last, bewildered but hoping to please despite all.

She turned the question in her mind, absently tying the stem of grass into a knot, then another. ‘With your heart,’ she said, slowly piecing the words together as she spoke. ‘Make a…a place for me there, where I can stay.’ There was more to it than that, she was sure, and thought again before continuing. ‘With your mind. Think of me always.’ She pondered another moment. ‘With your hands.’

He blushed hotly at that, turning his face away, and she laughed helplessly among the new-opened wildflowers.

‘Not like that,’ she said. ‘Love me with all that they do. If I am in every pull of your bow, then I will never leave you.’

Looking up from the tangled grass stem she held, she saw that warmth had crept back into his eyes. He rolled onto his stomach, propping his chin on his arms to face her. Flowers and last year’s brown bracken rose around them, closing out all except the sky. Somewhere nearby, she heard his horse, softly breathing.

‘I should hate to leave you,’ she whispered, half teasing.

‘I will never give you cause,’ he whispered back, fervent and dear. Drawing up a hand between them, he counted off on his fingers. ‘My heart, my mind, and my hands? All of them yours.’ He paused, and bit his lip at a sudden thought. ‘…And what of my soul?’

Her own eyes widened in surprise, and then she laughed, flicking her fingers at him to dismiss the joke.

‘That is blasphemy,’ she said, amused in spite of it. ‘Keep your soul to yourself, and my blessing on it, or Lord Emon will die of shock at the both of us.’

He chuckled outright at that, resting his cheek on his arm. His hair had gotten longer lately, trailing into his eyes so that he had to brush it aside with one hand to gaze at her.

The flax was coming into season; she decided she would have to keep a little back from her next gathering and weave him something, to hold his growing locks back out of the way. Blue, she thought, for luck, and to match his eyes; a warrior ought to wear as much woad as he could. Gazing back at him now, she imagined his pleasure at the small gift, and how he might smile over it before he put it on.

He had been solemn all the time she had known him, quiet and meditative, a solitary island among the other boisterous young hunters; but he would smile for his horse, and for her; and that was a comfort to know.

When my family thinks
I am safe in my bed
From night until morning
I lie by your head

Crying out to the earth
with tears hot and wild
For the loss of the girl
whom I loved as a child

-traditional

- Summer -
a look like white heat

The sky was a harsh, perfect blue that day, a thin shell of beaten metal, faded pale in the furnace blast of late summer. She could feel the humming strain of it overhead, struggling to hold together against the night that pressed close against the other side, waiting to crack it open bleeding scarlet and fall on them all.

She wondered that day, as she waited, if anyone else knew this; how thin the summer sky is, how close it is to the delicate azure shell of an egg, to the fragile attempts at endurance in a beloved’s blue eyes. How easily it shatters, like perfection.

They had bound her hands behind her before they left her to prepare the way, as if they expected her to flee like a deer at the first opportunity. She wished they hadn’t—it bespoke their lack of faith in her, their belief only in her weakness and fear—and wondered at the same time what they had done to him, to keep him from coming to her where she sat alone at the fringe of the woods.

A warm breeze tugged at the hem of her gown, stark white against the rich green of mossy summer grass. Her shoulders were sore, from the pull of the twine wrapped from elbows to wrists and lashed back around the tree at whose roots she sat. She would have given it a rueful look, if she could have turned her head far enough to see it.

In a way, she was grateful to them for giving her at least this last peaceful time to reflect, there in the sunlight. She didn’t know if it was tradition, or expedience, keeping her out of the way in case she dissolved into hysteria in the midst of sacred ritual. They had explained very little to her, beyond the first burst of accusation, and she had no experience to reach out to, for hers was to be the first blood sacrifice in their village since anyone but the templars themselves could remember, and they had only ancient tales to draw upon.

Turning her face up to the sun, she wondered exactly why the curse had chosen her. Had she been too proud or vain? Curses seemed to strike such women in the tales, but if she had been proud of anything, it had been his skill in the hunt; vain of nothing more than perhaps her light, quick feet in the seasonal dances. Could vanity and pride as simple and small as that truly bring down the wrath of the gods?

Perhaps it was chance, she thought, because continuing to think was the best defense; because she refused to go to her end weeping or screaming, without dignity, with her arms rubbed raw and bleeding through her snowy gown from panicking against the harsh ropes that held her, and she felt that panic crowding close all around her, murmuring and plucking at her skin. Perhaps it was fate. Perhaps it was jealousy—even a dark god could envy happiness, could it not?

And they had been so happy. She kept her eyes open, gazing nearly into the bright disc of the sun, feeling the heat of it on her cheeks. If she closed them, the tears would spill over; but perhaps the sun would burn them away in time.

She wished they would hurry. She had waited long enough, and while she would not flee and consign her village to a spreading evil even were they to cut her bonds and tell her to go, her hands were pale and shaking despite the warmth of the day. Her endurance would not last forever.

Hoofbeats sounded behind her, soft on the carpet of moss between the trees. She bowed her head as they approached her. The sound of a dismount, of weary breathing, and then work-roughened hands brushed her sleeves as a knife sawed carefully through the heavy twine. He would not spill her blood here; she knew that much. There was an evil in it that was not to touch the forest that she loved, the places that they protected.

‘On your feet,’ the man said, gruffly, and she recognized the voice of one of the elder hunters before she turned to see him, looking reluctant and half-ashamed of himself as he offered his linked hands to boost her into his saddle. Her fingers were still numb and stiff, but she accepted the well-meant offer, gripping the saddlebow as best she could and trying not to sway dizzily or slide from her seat as she settled herself.

He swung up behind her, and flicked the reins gently; and with her eyes closed she could almost imagine his warmth behind her to be another’s, someone who had never presumed to ride like this with her, on a horse far more familiar. This was the privilege of father and daughter, or those already pledged; but the man behind her was not her father, and if the pledging she had promised her hand to was to be broken before it began, they would have to forgive her for dreaming of it now.

The horse plodded steadily forward, down the ancient and overgrown trail; the trees slid slowly past on either side, like twigs swirling in an eddy, and she let herself float away with them, beyond terror and apprehension and the sly whisper of fear waiting to sink its teeth into her pale throat, and saw only his strong hands on the reins, his thin proud face, the rare light of his smile.

If she could keep his face in her thoughts, perhaps she could pass through this trial with her honor intact. Even cursed as she was, she could go bravely.

Oh, do you remember
the night we were lost
In the shade of the blackthorn
and the chill the of frost

And thanks be to heaven
we did all that was right
Yet my maiden is still
as a pillar of light

-traditional

- Autumn -
falling leaves are whispering

Not for her the chill ground, damp and dirty with the ghosts of old rains. He gathered the fallen leaves to make a pallet for her, as he did every night, piling it thick to keep down the wet and the mud. Into its deep crackling embrace he placed her, lifting her from off his horse’s back as it stood patiently, breathing mist into the crisp evening air.

She was a cold and heavy burden in his arms, a silent gray bundle wrapped close in the burial cloth he’d stolen with her. His weary arms and back strained at the unwieldy maneuvering, but he took tender care with her, setting her down as softly as if she might bruise on the stones in the earth, should he let her fall.

Crouched beside her, he brushed one pale cheek with a curled knuckle. Every dark eyelash perfect, featherlight against her skin.

She seemed as if she slept. This was the mercy allowed him by the rags of their luck. He had made a bed for her, and now if he chose, he might think she slept.

He had never carried much with him in his days as a hunter. The only familiarities were the light touch of his bow across his back, the hollow tapping of it against his arrow quiver, the swing at his belt of a pouch for a few chipped bone blades. His horse would never bear the body of a deer, shying away with dancing hooves and head thrown back, eyes rolling white at the smell of blood so much like its own. A brace of partridges or brake-hens, strung together to dangle from his saddlehorn, was a nothing in his hands, all hollow bones and feathers.

When first he had prepared to lift her from the slab of cold gray stone where they had laid her, she had seemed cool and empty at the touch of his hands. They had washed her clean, smoothed the shining dark hair and dressed her to hide the terrible wound. His fingers had slid beneath her, the hollows of her knees and her shoulderblades slim and hard, as he begged forgiveness in a whisper for the presumption of touch.

He thought perhaps she would not have minded. They were handfast at last, after all, for all the good it had been worth in the end. It was his right to sit behind her on the saddle, and at last he had exercised it, gathering her limp frame into his arms and staggering back. The sword in its scabbard slapped against his bare leg, another unfamiliar stolen shape to carry with him.

He had, that first time, barely made it to his waiting horse. He could not rig a drag for her, slim limbs bound like a doe’s, thumping and bumping over the miles of terrain. The thought was unthinkable. Instead he struggled, and heaved, and prayed for the safety of the most precious burden that ever was.

He was learning to stagger less beneath her weight, as the days went on. They had told him as a child that loss would make him stronger, and he relearned that lesson now in practical terms.

Brushing a strand of dark hair from her eyes, he stood, and listened. For following hoofbeats. For anything. There was nothing but the wind in the boughs.

The dim and waning light filtered through the trees overhead in faint rays, illuminating the droplets of water that hung among the branches in tiny bright points. He stood gazing up at them for a long moment, breathing deep as they trembled, every one seemingly on the verge of letting go and falling…

The soft warmth of his horse’s nose pushed at his shoulder, huffing softly, and he turned and leaned his brow against its velvety cheek with his eyes tight shut, and swallowed hard.

Then, kneeling beside her without regard for the wet earth, he tucked down the soft gray cloth with the gentle touch of a brother, afraid to leave those delicate features exposed, pulling a fold out to cover her bare feet as though she might catch cold, though in truth it was the flies and the foxes he feared. Catching cold was easier to let himself think of than such things, and how he thought was desperately important; he could go mad with too much dwelling on the stillness of her breath and the cold stiffness of her fingers, too much gratefulness for the chill in the autumn air.

Only after she was taken care of did he gather his own heap of leaves, and settle into it beside her, with his horse at his back to keep him warm. He slept without dreams, which was preferable.

His failure lay heavy and cruel on her small body. He could not stop her falling then. He was learning instead to carry them now, love and failure alike.

His care would preserve her until they reached the forbidden lands.

Once there, he would have to trust to the gods to do the rest.

The priests and the friars
regard me with dread
Because I still love you
my love, though you’re dead

And would still be your shelter
through wind and through storm
For with you in the cold earth
I cannot sleep warm

-traditional

- Winter -
the sky is a hazy shade

The stone vaults echo somewhere below her with the high thin singing of the wind. She wakes shivering in the dark, curled up fetal on cold stone and dry grass, and for a moment she doesn’t know why.

Something nickers softly in the dark. Gentle horse lips tug at her hair, and she remembers where she is and uncurls slightly, reaching up a hand to discourage the questing teeth. A dark room is no place for an animal, and its patience, its willingness to fold its great body onto the floor and let her press close to share its musky warmth, astounds her.

Perhaps it knows, like her, that they have no choice. All the cramped, narrow chambers that honeycomb the temple’s highest floors are cold and dark, but they have no windows and she has piled brush by the door to keep out the deathsong of the wind. This is their best chance.

A tiny hand stirs from the tattered bundle of gray cloth in her arms, and she hears the familiar mewling cry. It sounds like the wind, thin and miserable. She closes her eyes, no longer able to forget; this is the sound that awakened her, as it does every night, though every night it grows softer, thinner.

The baby. Her baby. She doesn’t know how she knows this, but it has his very eyes, blue as steel and too lonely for such a small face. She holds it close to her, as much for warmth as for comfort, and fumbles at the neck of her gown.

When it would not stop crying in the early days, loud frantic demands for something she could not forage, she gave the poor thing suck at her small, empty breasts and it would quiet for a time, before frustration and hunger made it weep again. She knew it took nothing good from her—it was such a bitter sight that she only bore it for the brief peace it gave them both—until the day, wonder of wonders, when the child lay quiet and contented in her arms, and she watched it for long bewildered moments, then gently nudged its little mouth loose and stared in shock at the welling drops of milk.

She is a virgin, and no true mother—she is sure of that. But if the gods grant that she shall feed this child, she can summon nothing but gratitude…

And now, fear, for what little milk she has is drying up, and she sat at her mother’s feet and listened well enough to know why. The bones of her wrists are visible under the thin skin, and her face has lost its gentle softness, so that when she presses her hand to her cheek, the plane of the bone beneath is sharp against her palm.

Winter stooped on the valley with terrible speed, dusting the high cliffsides with snow, and what stock she was able to gather before the frosts struck has dwindled to nothing. She knows little of the plants here, the roots and fruits she should have foraged, and she did not dare try this and that until she found what was good.

And now it is winter, and the wind sings high in the stone vaults below, and she is starving and the baby with her.

The baby. His baby. Where is he, now? She cannot imagine that he is alive and has not come for her, but she cannot believe that he could be dead without her knowing, without an instinctual mourning in every pulse of her purified blood.

She has found clues, traces left behind on the landscape that she knows for his deeds without being told.

The burial shroud was caught on the exposed roots of a tree, flapping wildly in the wind. She saw it at a distance, the first day, and went to it with his horse limping at her heels; pulled it loose and tore a broad swath away with her teeth and the aid of a broken stone, to wrap the squalling infant. The rest she saved, knowing the value of good sturdy cloth, and left the thought of omens and ill luck to fend for itself.

Wandering over the low hills with her skirts full of withered roots and dry bracken, she found arrows here and there, sunk deep among the grass or buried in trees. She knows the fletching—some of it is her own work, and she saved them all, running her thumb over the soft feathers damaged by rain and wind. She prays for flax and soapweed to come with the spring, and young green wood, and only wishes she had learned to pull a bow as well as craft it. The women of her people never set nock to string. There has never been a need. She will have to teach herself, if she lives so long.

When she found the jumbled footprints in the wet earth, running in and out of craters she was too afraid to interpret, she knelt down and wept until the baby began to whimper in her arms. She was unsure even then whether her tears sprang from relief or fear, but something went out of her with them and has not returned. She has found other footprints since then, scattered here and there with hoofprints following, but she has not wept again.

This is the only thing worth knowing: he has saved her once, but wherever he is, he cannot help her now.

The wind shrieks in the vaults, and settles. The baby has fallen asleep, sucking his fingers instead of a breast drawn dry. She touches his soft hair and the tiny nubs of his horns, and listens to the small plaintive noises he makes in his sleep. She clutches the solid warmth of him to her body and thinks of his wide inquisitive blue eyes, his lusty yell, his tiny fingers.

Someday those hands might hold a bow, and draw it.

But if she does not get up, go out, and eat, they never will.

Slowly, she puts out an arm, braces it against the smooth stone and raises herself to her knees. The baby whimpers once and is still. She pushes the loose grass into a mound, settles him into it and tucks him close against Agro’s soft, warm flank. She takes the horse’s nose in both hands and looks into its eyes, breathing its breath.

Keep him safe, she thinks. If he could trust you, so can I.

Then she stands, and pulls the torn gray cloth from the door where it flutters against the heaps of brush. She wraps up as best as she can in her own shroud and pushes the windbreak aside, replacing it when she’s through.

There was shriveled fruit on the trees when she foraged across the hills. She remembers it, though she has never climbed a tree in her life and did not wish to learn.

The first step into the thin sunlight hurts her unaccustomed eyes and steals the frozen breath from her lips. Even wrapped in makeshift strips of cloth, her feet are bitten by the cold ground. The sky is deathly gray and the wind pulls her hair and tries to strip her cloak away, but she walks until she finds a tree, stops beneath it and raises her gaze to its dizzying black heights and the dull spots of color tucked among them.

She will not let go of his final gift. No templar, no dead stone pillars, no screaming winter wind will tear it from her fingers. Whatever may come of her refusal will have to see to itself without her help. She must learn to think of only the next branch, the next dried winter fruit, the next pigeon’s egg. She will, it seems, be doing a lot of climbing.

The bark is rough under her soft fingers, tearing at her skin. She grips it hard anyway and pulls herself up, bracing one bare foot against the gnarled trunk, then the other, eyes narrowed and hair whipping around her face.

The baby—their baby—will not die.

She will learn to provide. She will do what she must.

Her other foot braced, she stands, and reaches for the next branch, and the next, muscles straining, legs pushing and scrabbling, fingers slipping, scratched skin bleeding, until at last her hand fumbles and clutches at the wrinkled brown skin of the first fruit. The brittle stem snaps at her touch.

Still clinging to the swaying branches, she crams the curve of it into her mouth, and breaks the leathery skin with her teeth. Sweet juice floods over her tongue.

It tastes like next year’s sunshine, with a papery hint of autumn leaves.

Like life put on hold for a time.

She smiles, defying the wind that chills her lips, and reaches for another.

This is a beginning.

I am stretched on your grave
and will lie there forever
If your hands were in mine
then I know we’d not sever

My appletree, my brightness
’tis time we were together
For I smell of the earth
and am worn by the weather…

-traditional

Synchronicity

Fandom: Vocaloid

Long ago, a creature appeared before the kingdom.
One that breathed fire and had eyes like melted gold.
It burned the villages of the kingdom.
And many died.
One day, an elder came forward and asked the creature to make an agreement.
If the kingdom gave the creature something, would it leave their kingdom alone?
The creature thought long and hard and then decided.
In exchange for sparing their lives, the creature wanted a diva.
A beautiful maiden who would sing it lullabies, and allow it to dream things it could not.
The agreement was made…

Footsteps echoed through the caverns as she moved about them; tracing each stone with her delicate fingers. She knew them each by heart and had given each one a name. She must have sung to them a million times, just as she’d sung for her master.

The girl glanced back behind her to the darkness. He was asleep for now but for how long? He’d wake soon and demand more songs she was getting tired of singing. She sighed blowing a strand of blond colored hair out of her eyes.

She had to get out of this prison.

Carefully, quietly, she walked closer to the only light in the cave; a beam of moonlight and stars that cascaded over a small puddle of water where she often would dance, coming in from the top of the cavern. It was the only way in or out of the cavern. It was her only escape and she would never reach it. She lifted one hand and drew a breath as she clutched her only possession; a pendant in the shape of an unfamiliar music note, given to her by no one she knew.

She held it tight, giving a sad smile to the moonlight as she looked up in apology. “Hello,” she whispered. Even with her quiet tone, she could hear her voice calling back from the darkness. The echoed voices were her only friends. “My name is Rin,” she said to no one. “What is yours?”

~

“Hm?” The blond haired boy turned and glanced up at the sky. He could have sworn he’d heard something. Probably just his imagination getting the better of him again. He shook his head and bent down to pick up his music-shaped pendant. It was so loose these days it seemed to fall off his neck on many occasion.

“Something the matter boy?” Someone said from the sidelines.

The boy hesitated then nodded clutching the pendant close, “I thought I heard it again, that’s all.” He spoke in a quiet whisper. “I know she’s there.”

His companions both looked at him with pained expressions, and he didn’t have to ask to know what they were thinking. He stood straight up once more, shoving the necklace in his pocket as he looked up at the sky, studying it intensely.

“You don’t know for sure if you did or didn’t hear anything,” the first one said approaching the boy cautiously. He was the oldest one in their party and had long purple hair tied back in a messy ponytail with two beaded together strands of bangs in front. His eyes were gentle and yet firm and he wore some of the finest robes from his country. Ones that didn’t seem fitting out on the dusty path they were walking on. He had once been a great scholar before he’d run away from home and ended up in the small village where he found these two. He wasn’t one for complaining.

The second companion was a younger man with short cropped blue hair, a comedian by any other name. He protected himself with a scarf that wrapped around his neck and he carried a sword at his side as a weapon. He was smiling fondly to the blond boy, though one could see he too was doubtful.

“I do,” the boy said absentminded, still keeping his eyes upward. “I know she’s alive. I know she’s there,” he said watching the clouds float by. The others had only been traveling with the boy a few short weeks, even so, they noticed there was something about the way he did things. The way he moved. The way he spoke. Even the way he breathed. Each motion wasn’t just his own but belonged to another.

And he knew she was out there waiting.

A light breeze picked up a shroud of leaves and dust, so strong much that his companions lifted their hands to shield their eyes. “Hello,” he said softly into the wind with eyes remaining to the sky. “My name is Len,” he spoke to no one, “what’s yours?”

~ Chapter One

I find myself living life searching for the clear spots on my glasses.

- Sonnet 32, Song of the Brave

~

The campfire blaze was their only source of warmth and light, and the three of them were getting plenty of it despite the night’s icy wind. The arrangement for how each one would keep watch for danger was sorted accordingly. Len would guard first shift since he was the youngest. Next would be Kaito, the clown man, and finally Gakupo, the scholar. They would begin their quest once more, at dawn, continuing East.

Len threw another stick of kindling wood onto the fire, watching it turn black almost instantly. “Don’t waste the timber,” Kaito scolded in a brotherly manner as he leaned back setting his bowl of stew aside. “We’re low as it is. No need to waste anything like that.”

“There’s a town a few miles from here,” Gakupo said putting his own bowl aside with scorn, knowing he’d be the one to clean their dishes later. “We can get more supplies there if we need to.” Of course they needed to, it was just a matter of how they were to obtain said supplies.

Kaito nodded with a faint smile, “and that is why Gakupo is on this trip.” He yawned, “he’s good for knowing useless knowledge.”

“Unlike you,” Gakupo snapped under his breath shaking his head before looking over at the blond haired boy. He’d been quiet almost their whole trip. He only spoke when it was absolutely necessary and even then it was a bare minimum. He was picking at his stew, something obviously on his mind. Most of the time the three were silent, having only just met a few weeks ago, they never even spoke of the trip itself in great detail. Maybe now was the time to try. “What brought this on then?”

Both Kaito and Len looked over curiously. When Gakupo didn’t continue right away and Len didn’t budge, Kaito decided to speak up, “we’re searching East to find the Pythoness.” He glanced at Len pitifully, “Len is looking for his sister.”

“If she’s the Pythoness what does it matter?” Gakupo said it as a statement rather than a question.

“She’s not the Pythoness, she’s the Diva.” Kaito explained. “He’s going to try and rescue her,” he grinned stupidly. “Even if it means putting the kingdom at risk.”

“Fool boy,” Gakupo snorted. “Then it’s an impossible quest,” he shook his head. He’d known where they were going but the exact reason why had been a mystery up until now; though he had his suspicions. “Many others have searched for Divas and each one has failed. They say the lair is made-up of the ground bones of the idiots that have tried.”

“Then why did you agree to come with us?” Kaito asked with another yawn, “if you know it’s impossible that is. Its not as if we begged you or anything,” he added.

Gakupo didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked over at Len, “what made you start this journey?”

Kaito opened his mouth to answer for the blond haired boy but Len spoke first. “Everything I ever did when I was growing up never felt like it belonged to only me. It felt as though I was never a whole person. When I turned fourteen I asked my mother about it. I felt real emptiness,” he reached up and clutched the pendant that dangled from his neck. “She said I had a sister.”

“The Diva,” Gakupo summed.

Len nodded, “yeah. She said that when we were babies, they came and took her from us. The last Diva was dead and it was my sisters turn to step up. Mom didn’t want me to know about her…”

“Most parents try to forget those they’ve lost to the beast,” Kaito explained, whether to Gakupo or Len, it was uncertain. “I don’t blame them, especially having twins.”

“I could feel her though,” Len continued without skipping a beat. “I did my research for the past two years but nothing has come up. No one knows anything about the beast or it’s exact location. The only one that knows for sure is the Pythoness.”

“The one who speaks for the beast,” Gakupo nodded, “she’s said to be a beauty, cursed to forever serve a monster.” He found himself yawning this time and leaned until he was down on his back, eyes closing. “I noticed we’re not following a map. How do you know where you’re going if no one knows where this dwelling is?” When he didn’t get a reply right away he went on, “there are rumors of it being in the Eastern mountains but no one knows for sure.”

Kaito had been wondering that too, though he’d never thought to ask. He looked over at the blond haired boy as he sighed and looked up at the sky. “I can hear her voice. She’s singing to me. Sometimes it’s so clear I can sing back and I know she hears it.” Len replied.

“That’s ridiculous,” Gakupo muttered shaking his head, feeling himself start to drift off to sleep.

Kaito looked over at Gakupo then back over to Len, not sure what he could say. “He does make a point,” he said before laying down and trying to sleep also. At sun up they’d be on the move once more and they needed all the rest they could get.

Len looked at each of his traveling companions then shook his head and leaned back on his elbows. The only noises he could hear were that of crickets and the crackle of the firewood snapping now and again. The noises were all random, not an actual pattern to be found within and yet he closed his eyes, sucked in a deep breath and sang. “Without a certain destination, I keep pursuing East. My own shadow is the only company. I carve the distant voice on my blank map, as I seek to whom it belongs to…”

His voice was soft and carried far out with the wind. He didn’t know exactly who he was singing to or why, he just had to keep doing it. He had to let her know he was looking for her. Even if he wasn’t sure how he’d do it.

~

“Gakupo is gone,” the Oracle stated as she looked over her things. “How disconcerting,” she added moving a strand of pink hair out of her eyes. Luka Megurine was the oracle to the kingdom in the East, highly gifted and able to catch the slightest glimpse into the future which was how these were able to keep stable in according to the law.

Or so they claimed.

“I’ve heard he’s gone on a quest with a strange and so-called humorous man. The two of them are accompanying a young boy this way.” Meiko said standing at attention to the Oracle. She was the high swordswoman in the kingdom and as such she had daily duties to attend to, and seeing to the Oracle was one of them. “It was only a matter of time I suppose,” she said cracking a witty smile. “I always knew there was something off about him.”

The pink haired girl didn’t seem to care for the joke nor did she show any expression on her face as she turned watched the swordswoman. A stare down ensued until she turned her back once more and moved to the closest window. “Tell me then, Lady Meiko. You’ve heard that much news, where does this boy originate?” She already knew the answers she sought from the other woman.

Meiko was silent for a moment trying to think of what she’d been told through gossip. “He lives in a small village by the sea. He is only age sixteen and hardly a threat, if that was what you were asking.” She drew her sword at an instant, “I will cut him down myself if you would like.”

“No,” Luka said sternly, finally letting a smile grace her lips. “Your facts are correct but your threat gauge is off. A sixteen year old, hair as yellow as the sun, coming from a town to the sea and pursuing something in the East.” She turned to the lady swordswoman, “now who does that sound like to you?”

Meiko’s eyes immediately widened, “are you saying that he…?”

“Yes,” Luka said turning back to the window looking out at the half moon. “He’s the brother to my Diva. See to it he doesn’t get further than this place.” Meiko was hesitant but slowly nodded, bowing her head as she turned and left. When the soft sound of the door shutting was heard, the lady Oracle let her breath finally catch up to her. “So. It has begun.”

~

Rin spun in tight circles on the puddle of water in her lair. Her eyes were closed as she let her body feel the beat and rhythm that hummed in her head. For a moment, it was just her and her mind set; she was anywhere she wanted to be. She was anyone she wanted to be. For a brief moment, her smile emerged, gracing her lips with the unfamiliar shape.

Then all at once, her peace was cut short.

She gasped and fell to her knees, doubling over in pain and clutching her head as a sharp ringing cut though her ears; like a million snakes hissing all at once in a horrid ruckus. Rin narrowed her eyes in slight confusion as she turned and stared at the beast.

Not many had seen the creature of legend, there weren’t even pictures to prove a shape. It was a sin and a curse to try and replicate it and thus no one dared to even try. Out here, though, the girl could see it all the time. The beast took up most of the cave on one side, leather backed wings folded over themselves. It was full of scales and claws and fangs. Eyes of shining red watched her all the time until she sung it to sleep.

“Wh…what?” Rin called in a quivering voice.

The creature cocked it head to one side a moment then opened it’s jaw. She gasped again and held her head tighter. The beast had no real way of speech, no vocals aside from its low throaty growls and hisses. It spoke in telepathy to the minds of two beings. The Pythoness and the Diva.

<Sing> it commanded harshly.

Rin whined and gripped her head tighter. The voice was horrible and ripped through her mind. She wasn’t one to object to any commands, she’d grown up pleasing it for many years, “but…” She tried giving the monster pleading eyes. “You asked me to just dance for you.”

<Sing!> it screeched loudly.

She screamed that time, tears squeezing their way through her tightly shut eyes. “Okay!” She shouted back at it, “just…just stop it!” That time a different noise echoed through her mind and she hated that sound the most. The one that reminded her of wind chimes shattering over glass. The creature shifted to get a better view of her. It was laughing.

Rin rubbed her eyes and stood back up when it stopped. She hated being there and hated being what she was. She looked up at it with pleading eyes again but when the creature didn’t say anything, she went on. She rubbed at her throat feeling the hoarseness already. It was the curse of the Diva. After singing everyday for many hours, sometimes a day or two non-stop, you’re voice took a beating until it was gone altogether, and the dragon would have no use for her then.

She was reaching her peek. The last diva had been not much older than her when she met her fate. The creature must have pitied her enough to let her live so long. Rin wasn’t nearly as lucky. She opened her mouth, singing only a few notes in a soft key before starting to dance and form words. A story of a girl trapped against her will waiting for her rescuer. The one she prayed for every single day of her dying life.

In this song, she imagined herself with wings. Giant white wings that would allow her to fly away. It didn’t matter where either, she just wanted to get away. She continued to sing, opening her arms wide as if pretending she really could fly. Even with the angry red eyes watching her, she felt like she was alone. She felt she really was free. She sang louder and more clear, ignoring the pain in the back of her throat.

~

Len stopped quickly, jerking his head toward the sky. Eyes wide by the sound he’d just heard.

“What?” Kaito asked stopping also, looking over at the blond haired boy. He tilted his head then looked up at the sky. It had been a beautiful day. Clouds coasted over them and made shadows dance on their path. Birds flew now and again, chirping a happy tune to them, wishing the travelers good luck. Now the sun was setting and in the dying light it made things even more beautiful than before. “Did you see something?” He asked casually.

Len just stared a while then shook his head, turning back to the path ahead. The castle was in sight and it would only be a matter of time before they reached the town. From there, it would be a couple days journey to the mountains. “He asked if you saw something,” Gakupo urged, finding the boy somewhat rude for ignoring them as much as he did. They were traveling companions weren’t they? Shouldn’t they be helping one another?

“No,” Len said with a weak smile, “I just thought I heard something.” He was always hearing things; an invisible voice that called out to him. Maybe he was just losing his mind.

“There it is,” Gakupo said when they reached the edge of the clear and looked out at the village. It wasn’t much bigger than any other town in the kingdom with trees wrapping around it like a barrier, a small river cutting through on one side; a lot of the villages looked like this. This one just happened to have the palace in the center. “Beautiful.”

“Eh,” Kaito shrugged, “see one overgrown building, see them all.”

“We have to be careful,” Gakupo said frowning deeply as they made their way down the patched hill and into the valley where the houses scattered. “No doubt their Oracle already knows were coming.”

“It’s fine,” Len said simply, “we mean them no harm. We’re just passing by.”

“Yes,” Gakupo said, “but they might still find us a threat. Especially if they know of our quest.”

“Why would it matter to them?” Kaito asked looking to the scholar. “You said so yourself, it’s called an impossible journey. If it’s impossible why would they care to stop us?”

Gakupo shook his head, “you don’t understand how things work in this castle. Their Oracle, Lady Megurine, is a very powerful one. She’ll find out about us. About you Len,” he said glancing back at the boy. “Believe it or not… The fire in your eyes…” He stopped mid-thought, shook his head again and looked back at the castle, “we have a chance. If she knows that, she’ll do whatever she can to stop us.”

“Sounds like you know this place pretty well,” Kaito said suspiciously.

“I use to live her,” was all Gakupo said suddenly stopping short. “Let’s camp here.”

Here happened to be a little grove of trees far too small to be called a forest. There were plenty of places to set up their things and though it was further off, hidden on the outskirts of the village, they were close enough to retrieve their supplies. They wouldn’t be seen here, if they were lucky, and could move on without much interruption or suspicion from the people in the town.

“Now?” Kaito asked with a confused frown. “We could find a hotel in town. If we put our money together and sell some things we could probably-”

“It’s safer here,” Gakupo said setting his pack down, “and I think we should save our money. We’ve been traveling long enough for the day. We can eat and drink here, get supplies in the morning and be on our way.”

“You have a bad feeling,” Len stated simply as he set his pack down too. “I’m hungry anyway.” He really was hungry but his stomach could deal with skipping a few meals if it meant he could keep going forward. The longer they took, the greater the chance was they might not make it in time. He’d stop eating and drinking altogether if he could but he couldn’t let the other two suffer. He’d dragged them into this and he couldn’t leave them high and dry now.

“Alright,” Kaito shrugged, “if you two are sure.” He said dropping his pack where he stood. “I think I’ll go scouting though, unless either one of you has an objection.” When no one said anything he put his hood up and headed for the village.

Gakupo watched him go then studied the scenery for a long time. “I think I’m going to go scouting also,” he said finally, glancing at the boy briefly. When Len didn’t say anything either, he shook his head and went off back toward the woods. When he didn’t get any sort of reply, the man shook his head and went off into the woods to make sure they really were safe, if only for a little while.

Len looked around for a while then slowly sat himself down. He tucked his knees up against his chest, looking up at the sky. It was all he could ever do to keep himself stable out here. He watched as the sky turned shades of pink and orange then faded into a purple. One star, then another, until the sky was starting to light.

“Where are you?” He asked no one as he reached into his shirt and pulled out the pendant. He twisted it all around, watching it spin in tight circles.

~ ~

“Len, you have to be more careful,” the woman said holding the pendant back out to the little boy. He just stared up at her with curious eyes. “This is a very important necklace.”

“Momma,” Len said in a tiny voice as she slipped it over his head and around his neck. He couldn’t have been any older than five or six summers. “I don’t like wearing it. It’s too girly,” he said scrunching up his nose.

“I know you don’t understand now,” she said patting him on the head, “but someday that little necklace will come in handy. I promise.” The boy continued to pout but his mother always knew best.

~ ~

Rin fell to her knees with exhaustion, legs shaking and voice raspy. The beast had finally fallen to sleep but for how long? She shook her head as she clutched her heart. She was in a lot of pain. Quickly she brought her hands up to her mouth and coughed violently. A splatter of blood colored her fingers and her eyes went wide.

She knew it was only a matter of time but could she really be reaching her limit now?

Rin glanced back at the sleeping monster before stumbling up to her feet walking to her ‘room’. It was a cave inside the cave where she had clean water and where she kept the food the beast brought her. There was even a tattered blanket and pillow for a bed that she’d used as a baby. She didn’t believe that the beast gave them to her but she couldn’t remember ever seeing any other humans her whole life besides her own reflection.

She panted as she sat on the rocky floor, reaching to her neck she found her necklace. It was the only identity she had, the only comfort she possessed. The gift was too small and delicate for the monster to give her. She’d had it for as long as she could remember and she just knew it was a gift from the family she once had.

The girl often thought about her parents, imagining they were a lot like her. A loving mother and father, and maybe a sibling or two. She smiled at the thought as she fell back against her flat worn-out pillow, looking up at the crack in the cave ceiling. Night shown through with a million stars and a moon spotlight.

It was always night there though. It was a spell cast upon the entire cave to make certain the dragon was happy. The light hurt it’s eyes too much so Rin never saw the sunlight. She knew about it, somehow, through dreams she’d had but it wasn’t that big of a deal to her. She enjoyed dancing in the moonlight more.

“Moonlight,” she whispered and felt a smile tug her lips as she breathed against the musical note shaped trinket. “What do you wish upon the moon?” She sang softly to herself, “do you wish it for the one you love? What do you fear most? Do you have courage to commit the crime…?”

~

“In… corner of… pitch dark forest… I picked… red fruit…”

Len froze a moment, eyes going wide before he whipped his head back around. That voice! It was the one he’d heard a million times. The one he’d been listening to for what felt like forever, but now it was different. Close and clear and very much real. He stood up, stumbling a little as he looked around for an answer. It was haunting and yet beautiful. “Gakupo?” He called into the night but no answer arose. “Kaito?” He tried weakly.

Nothing.

He felt his muscles grow tense, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he tried to see the voice or its owner. It was real. There was no way this was in his head.

“…must be…godsend…presents…” It sang quietly once more before drifting off into the air, vanishing as suddenly as it had come. Len stayed alert for a moment or two then shook his head and sat back down. There had never been a voice, he assured himself. He really was losing his mind. There was no one there. There was never anyone there.

He was always alone.

~ Chapter Two

They say that the link between siblings is strong.
They say the link between twins is stronger.
So strong that if one dies, the other soon follows.
I pray they were wrong.

- Sonnet 68, Tale of Twins

~~

“So she does exist,” Len said harshly as he looked down at the photograph. He was fourteen summers now, hardly a child and hardly a man. He glowered down at the picture of two babies, each one with a tuff of golden hair. They were smiling in the picture, bright blue eyes staring forward. They couldn’t have been older than a few days.

“Yes,” his mother said quietly. Shamefully. “You have a twin sister. Older by a few minutes… She was taken from us to become the Diva. She’ll stay there until…” She couldn’t say it but he could.

“Until she dies,” Len said with a tired voice. He always had felt something. The feeling of not being whole. He’d heard the tales growing up and he knew the stories of the beast that flew down from the mountains demanding sacrifices. It never had been a big deal to him since it was something that happened mostly in the East but now… “What if I tried to save her?” He asked.

“It’s impossible Len,” she said shaking her head. “There have been so many others who have tried. None have come back alive.”

“Then I’ll be the first,” he said setting the photo down on a side table.

“Don’t be silly,” she said with a weak laugh, “you’re only a boy. You’d get hurt.”

“Then in a few years,” he said determined. “I’ll bring her back. I promise.” His mother said nothing, only turned her head away and glanced out the open window. The sea air blew in and wrapped around them. “Just tell me,” he said taking a few steps forward. “What’s her name? What is…my sister’s name?”

“Her name is…

~~

The morning dew covered their blankets and drenched their hair. Birds sang a good morning song overhead as the three travelers woke. Their fire had long been put out and Kaito was getting some kind of scolding for falling asleep and not waking Gakupo sooner.

Breakfast had ended up being a few slices of bread and a cheese wedge that Kaito had bought in town the night before. They all longed for a warm fire-cooked meal but it’d have to wait. They couldn’t waste anymore time or money, who knew how long they’d be traveling at this rate.

As the three ate in peace, Kaito rambled on about a dream he had the previous night. Something about being a jester to the queen or something; no one was actually paying attention. When no one responded to his story he looked over at the blond haired boy, “you’re being quieter than usual.” He said taking a bite of his cheese sandwich he’d made, “something on your mind?”

There was plenty to be worried about which meant plenty on his mind. Len was thinking about the voice he’d heard the night before. There hadn’t been anyone there and yet he heard it as clear as he heard Kaito’s voice now. A faint noise that touched his ears only a moment before vanishing into the night. He hadn’t told his companions yet, they already thought he was mad enough without adding this.

Instead of replying, he just reached up and clutched the pendant. Kaito frowned taking another bite, “jeez. Silent treatments make for a boring journey,” he commented to no one in particular.

Gakupo shook his head, “let the boy be. He probably has a lot to think about right now.” Maybe Gakupo knew. He’d only gone into the woods, maybe he’d heard something and just wasn’t saying. Len almost asked but stopped himself.

The boy stood up, finishing his own cheese sandwich, brushing himself off. “I’m going to go wash up,” he said quietly before grabbing one of their rags.

“The river is North of the campsite,” Gakupo said, motioning in one direction. Len bowed his head in thanks and begun walking away. He wasn’t in desperate need of washing himself but it was better than listening to all the questions and babbles Kaito was leaking out of his mouth.

He found the river with ease though it was more of a stream really, probably meeting a real river further down. It was cool and refreshing with plenty of tadpoles and lily fish inhabiting the muddy bottom. He dipped the rag into the water then pressed it against his forehead, plopping himself down in the dirt. The water ran down his face, dripping down his neck and under his shirt, making him shiver.

Len closed his eyes and listened to the wind, trying to find the voice again.

Nothing.

When he reopened his eyes and set the rag aside, he yanked the pendant off from around his neck and looked at it. It was glimmering against the new sunrays, spinning in slow circles. He sighed and leaned back pulling it closer, breathing against the metal he asked a simple, “where are you?”

~

Rin was thankful the beast was still fast asleep. She herself had dozed in and out a few times, but found herself too tired to sleep well. She kept thinking about her voice and about what would happen if it gave out. She had to escape this prison, she just wasn’t sure how. A voice inside told her someone, somewhere, was looking for her. She thought she was just crazy though.

“It seems to be doing better,” the girl told herself as she rubbed at her throat. It was still sore but not enough so that she couldn’t sing to her master later. She frowned at the thought. ‘Her master’. That was the only way to describe the creature in the cave with her at all times. It was her master and she was its slave. Angry tears threatened to fall but she forced them back as her fingers found the edge of her necklace.

She carefully pulled it up over her head and looked at the glimmering metal. It really was beautiful. Whoever had given it to her must have loved her very much. She smiled at it, pressing it against her lips. It felt warmer than usual today…

‘Where are you…?’

Rin gasped suddenly dropping her pendant and watching it clatter against the cold cave floor. She stared at it with wide eyes, hands trembling slightly. Did it just talk to her? No. Of course not. That was crazy! Wasn’t it?

“H…hello?” She asked quietly enough so that the beast wouldn’t hear. Sometimes it was nice enough to let her rest. If it knew she was awake, it’d probably make her sing more. The girl cringed at the thought as she looked around. She’d heard a voice and it sounded human too; unlike the monstrous echoes that usually penetrated her thoughts. “Who’s there?”

There wasn’t anyone there…

No voice. No other human. No other anything. It was just her. Rin groaned in frustration as she bent over and picked up her pendant. “I think I’ve finally lost my mind,” she whispered to it. There were some nights she’d stare in wake pretending someone was listening to her songs. Searching for her. Coming to her rescue. It was all a lie. It was just her and only her. The little blond girl was always alone-

“…talking…me…?!” A voice called from the darkness. It was choppy at first but still understandable.

Rin’s eyes went wide again as she finally realized where the noise was coming from. It wasn’t another person inside the cave with her, it was inside her pendant. She stared at it for a long time in disbelief then slowly brought it closer, almost touching her forehead. “Who are you?” She asked it again with awe.

She truly had gone mad.

~

Len knew he heard something that time but it wasn’t coming from a person or the wind. It was coming from the pendant. His pendant.

“Who are you?” A female voice called from inside. It was the same one as before, the one singing. The one he’d heard a dozen times in the past.

He felt a smile tug his lips as he held the pendant closer, the edge of it touching his forehead as he closed his eyes and concentrated hard on it. He imagined there was nothing else. Just him and the voice in an all white world. Who ever it was, they held some sort of comfort in their words. Maybe he was going crazy, or maybe it was just a dream but…

“My name is Len.” He told it, a quietly psychotic laugh slipped out for a moment, “please. Who are you?”

~

“My name is Len,” the pendant said clear as the night sky. Rin felt butterflies in her stomach as she listened to the voice. It sounded so familiar and yet she’d never seen or heard anyone from the outside. Not since she was a little girl and even then it wasn’t as though she remembered anything.

“Len,” she repeated fondly then giggled a bit. “Our name’s kind of match. My name is Rin.” There seemed to be an awkward pause between the two for a moment. The voice on the other side didn’t say anything and her first fear was that it’d vanished. “Len?” She asked frowning a bit as she closed her eyes, “are you still there?”

~~

“What’s her name? What is…my sister’s name?”

“Her name is…Rin.”

~~

Len felt his heart stop for what seemed like forever.

Rin.

That was the name of his sister. The pendant his mother gave him. A familiar voice… It all made sense now; enough so that he wasn’t mad anyway. “Are you still there?” She asked sounding frightened.

He shook his head trying to clear his mind then nodded dumbly, “yeah. Sorry.”

~

“Yeah. Sorry.” He sounded off now. Almost emotional about something. “Rin, how are you talking to me right now? Is there something you’re doing?” What did he mean by that?

“My pendant,” Rin reopened her eyes as she looked at the cool metal once again. “I’ve had it since I was a baby.” She’d always imagined it was a gift from her parents or someone else who loved and cared for her very much but she would have never imagined it would hold something like this in it. “I think there’s a spell on it.” She told the boy on the other end.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “Is your pendant shaped like a music note?”

“I don’t know,” Rin said somewhat surprised. Music note? Was that it? “Why?”

“I’m talking to you through my pendant too,” he replied cheerfully. Almost overwhelmed. “Do you…” He trailed off as though nervous to ask something. She waited anxiously. “Do you know where you got yours? Or why?”

“I don’t know that either. I’m sorry,” she said it with a bit of shame. She wished she could tell him more but she honestly knew nothing aside from the dreams she’d had for as long as she could remember. This voice was a stranger to her but she felt as though she could trust her life with him. “I don’t know why I have it. I just kind of pretend that it was a gift from my family, as proof that they still loved me when I was sent away…”

~

Len made a fist with his free hand and his jaw tightened. “Sent away?” He asked as calmly as he could. “You were kidnapped. You weren’t sent anywhere, you were taken.” What other lies had they told her? Did they tell her anything at all to begin with?

She was silent for a long time. He thought their connection had been cut. Then she spoke again, “Len, how do you know all this?” She sounded like she was demanding an answer of him.

Len sucked in a deep breath trying to think of how to answer her. There were so many things he could say. He didn’t want to scare her but at the same time he needed her to understand him. He said the most logical thing he could think of.

“Rin, I’m your other half.”

~

Rin’s heart skipped a beat at first. It took a while for it to process then she opened her mouth to say something. Nothing came out. “I know it’s probably hard for you to hear and you might not understand,” the voice said again, “but it’s true. We’re twins. I bet I can prove it to. You should have blond hair, the color of the sun. You probably have blue eyes. You just turned sixteen a few weeks back. You probably-”

“Stop,” her voice quivered. He went quiet on the other end. She took in a shaky breath trying to take it all in. Hair the color of sun? She’d only seen the sun in her dreams but her hair did indeed match it. She’d seen her eyes in the pool of water and they were blue. As for her age… She wished she could answer that. Either way, he did seem to know a lot about her. A matching pendant. A familiar voice without a face. It all seemed so surreal and yet…

<Sing> a command rippled through her mind. She gasped and dropped the pendant, listening to it clank against the cave floor again as she squeezed her eyes shut. Rin covered her ears and glanced back out of her ‘room’. Her master was awake.

“I’m sorry,” she said reaching down and picking up the pendant, setting it on her ragged pillow. “If you…really are my other half you’ll know about the monster.”

“The dragon,” the voice corrected softly. “I know you have to sing to it. I know you have no choice but to-”

“I have to go now,” she whispered to him. “Will you be here when I come back?”

~

She sounded desperate. Len nodded immediately not caring she couldn’t see him. “Yes. Of course. I promise.”

“Thank you. Len.” The pendant he held seemed to shift. It looked different, even in the same sunrays. It’s warmth was gone and it no longer felt like it held any kind of magic.

“Did that really happen?” He asked himself as he looked up at the sky a moment then back to the necklace. “She is real,” he smiled though it was sad. She’d sounded so scared. So unsure of everything. No doubt they had fed her lies her whole life. “I’m coming,” he said putting the pendant back around his neck as he made his way back to the camp site.

So many things were racing through his mind. It made sense to him now what his mother had meant when she’d given him that silly pendant. He wasn’t sure as to why it’d just started working or even how it did. All that mattered was that he knew the journey wasn’t impossible after all. She could give him landmarks, signs, anything to follow. In no time, he’d be able to find her. His smile returned but it was only brief.

“Well well,” a drawl cooed and Len snapped back to reality. He looked on ahead at the camp site where his companions were. Each one tied up and gagged, solders held them firmly in place like prisoners. There was a woman with short brown hair and red armor. Len had heard of a similar woman in stories, he knew exactly who she was. He tensed up as she spoke, debating between running or not. “The hero returns,” she smirked pointing her sword.

~ Chapter Three

We asked for a hero.
The first was a man, strong and built. He was stopped at the second day.
The next was a man, smart and loyal. He died on the fourth.
The last was a boy, with a hero heart.
He could have made it the whole way.

- Tale of Sympathy

~

Len reached for his sword but caught only air, glowering over at the camp site. He’d left it when he’d gone out wandering. The sword was laying out among all their other possessions, Kaito and Gakupo’s weapons were off to the side also. No wonder they were taken easily, no doubt the same would happen to him. “What’s this about?” He asked as calmly as he could, maybe he could talk them out of whatever it was they planned to do to the group.

“We have orders,” the red lady said simply, “and you will come without a fight.” The look on her face made Len sick. They didn’t do anything to deserve this. He glanced over at his friends to study their reactions to the situation. Kaito was idiotically staring, confused as ever, while Gakupo calmly nodded to Len. He knew something didn’t he?

“Alright,” Len said reluctantly, “we’ll go quietly.”

“Good,” the knight said looking toward Gakupo, “Lady Megurine will be…ecstatic to see you again.” Gakupo just glared back at her as the guards tugged them back toward the palace.

One guard reached out for Len but he pulled away, giving the knight a stern look, “I can walk on my own,” he said reaching up and gripping his pendant tight. She watched him curiously then scoffed and nodded, turning her back to him she walked away. The guards remained close to the boy but at least they gave him his space. He had many questions to ask but he knew they wouldn’t give him a straight answer, not right away at least. It was best to wait it out for now.

He took in a shallow breath, tracing the pendant with his thumb before tucking it into his shirt so it would be hidden. ‘Sorry Rin. Looks like you’ll have to wait,’ he told no one as his eyes glanced at the sky briefly. A bird flew over head and cast a shadow on the dirt, making a dark patch he had to walk over.

~

Rin tiptoed out of her dwelling and onto the ‘stage’ of the cave. It was no more than a puddle of water to dance on, a sanctuary where her bare feet wouldn’t ache as much. She was still quivering from her talk with that boy. She had to stay strong; even more now that she knew someone really was searching for her. Not a dream, not a figment of her imagination but a real person. He’d called himself her other half and believed him. Carefully opening her eyes she narrowed them at the beast, almost daring it to speak.

<Sing> it commanded as it watched her curiously, cocking its head like an eager child.

Rin nodded trying to think of something. Her voice was sore and her body was throbbing but…

She reached up and gripped her pendant tight and nodded again. If he could hear her maybe it wouldn’t be so bad singing against her will. If he heard her, he be more likely to find her right? Theories played about in her head as she begun to spin in circles, dancing on the water with graceful motions like she’d done so many times in the past.

Rin opened her mouth as she felt a song erupt. One she’d never heard before.

~

“Take the blue one to the prison,” Meiko said when they reached the palace doors and entered the whole of the castle. It was huge with a stair case down the middle that split the room into separate parts. There were windows along the walls that let the sun enter and a few paintings hung along the length with a few tapestries full of bright colors and legends strung out. The guards nodded and shoved Kaito away. He struggled only a moment before realizing it was hopeless to fight back. “Gakupo will return to his room, and see to it he stays there.” She said with a smile, “Lady Megurine will join him shortly, I’m sure.”

Len looked over at Gakupo wondering what his story was now more than ever. The boy always assumed the man came from a noble upbringing but he’d lived in this palace? What other secrets did he have? Gakupo gave Len a glance, one of which processed as a ‘I’m explain later’ kind of look as they begun leading him away. “You’ll come with me,” Meiko said motioning Len to follow. Reluctantly he did, though neither he nor Gakupo got very far as someone stepped down the stairs.

Gakupo and Len looked over, each with there own version of surprise. A woman stood there in garbs only the Oracle would wear, lots of gold and garnish, with long pale pink hair that touched down to her waist and bounced back up slightly towards the ends. She smiled at them holding her hand out, “Gakupo. Welcome home.”

~

“At the end of the virtual paradise; deep, deep in the bottom of the earth. I was fated to sing the song of prayer. All alone…”

The song was hauntingly beautiful and somewhat upbeat under such circumstances. Rin closed her eyes and just felt herself moving, the pendant hitting into her now and again. “From the past that had nowhere to go. I weave voices that are going round and round. At the edge of the repeating history.” She frowned as she let herself go, “I dedicate myself to the fate…”

Fate.

What did that even mean? Wasn’t fate tied in with destiny? The girl often wondered if it was her destiny to be trapped until her death caught up to her. Her fate was singing and dancing forever, dreaming and waiting for a prince to come save her. It was a foolish wish but even if it was she couldn’t bring herself to stop.

“I dedicate myself to the fate,” she repeated.

~

The guards shoved Gakupo down to the ground. Roughly he fell and his chin made a horrible cracking sound when it hit the tile. The guard that had pushed him leaned over so he pinned the man in place. The woman stepped forward, arms crossed as she smiled down at him, “didn’t I tell you the next time I saw you, you would bow down to me?”

Gakupo made a growl like sound as he glared up at her, “you’ve always been selfish” he hissed, “I’ll stay this time but let the boy and his friend go. They have nothing to do with us.”

Us? Len just watched the scene, growing oddly tense and confused. What were these two to each other? The woman just smirked, leaning down slightly so she could get a better look at Gakupo. “They have everything to do with us. This boy is the one searching for the diva, isn’t he? If she’s taken away from her master it’ll get angry and attack the kingdom. We wouldn’t want that now would we?”

No one said anything; she stood back up turning her back to them. “Besides, it’s an impossible quest.” Len was getting sick of hearing those words. “Your sister is probably dead by now.” He could practically hear the glee in her voice. “If she isn’t, she will be soon. She’s not nearly as strong as the last diva was.” Meiko flinched inwardly but remained holding her position.

The woman paused as if waiting for some kind of answer. She was trying to get them to act out. Len had often heard that the Oracle fed off rage and disconcert. When one can see into the future, it’s only logical they long for something to happen outside of their control. “I wonder how the beast will do it? Quick and painless isn’t its style,” she chuckled and started walking away, “no, it’ll do it slow. Maybe burn her to a fine crisp. I only wish I was there to witness it.”

~

The dragon tipped it head downward, laying on it’s strong forelegs. It seemed amused if anything. “Not knowing anything, I’ve been continuously singing.” Rin went on despite the pain in her throat. Now was not the time to be forgetting her voice, “for the whole of my life.” She continued “a song for the sun, a song for rain,” both of which she’d never actually witnessed, “a gentle requiem. At the end of the road to the paradise.”

~

Len narrowed his eyes quickly spinning around and kicking the closest guard down to the ground. The others moved in for him but he was young and quick. He grabbed the sword the first guard had been holding then ran at the woman. If she was foolish enough to keep her back turned to him then he’d be the one to take advantage of the situation.

She stopped and stood patiently as he came up from behind her and raised the sword against her throat. “My sister and I are both strong,” he said with clenched teeth, “I’m going to save her and you won’t stop me!”

The Oracle just remained still then smirked against the cool of the blade, “is that so?”

Len’s eyes widened as a flash of metal came between them. He stumbled and hit into the nearest wall, the sword he’d been holding was snapped in half on the ground. Meiko stepped forward with her own sword drawn, blade still hot from contact with the other weapon. “You will not threaten our Oracle in such a manor,” she said holding the sword up in such an angle that the boy could see himself in the reflection.

~

The Diva had often dreamed of a place far away from this nightmare. She’d always longed for another’s embrace. She wanted to hear another persons voice instead of the painful ripping one she was forced to obey every waking moment. In the dream, the Diva had a beautiful mother and loving father who were both so proud of her. She liked to imagine she had siblings too. Maybe an older sister or younger brother to take care of. It was silly when she thought about it. Her taking care of a younger sibling? She couldn’t even take care of herself…

Rin felt a smile tug at her lips though her heart was heavy, “warm hands were offered… But couldn’t reach me.”

She stopped mid-step and raised her hands above her head, grasping for the spotlight as it suddenly occurred to her. Nothing would save her. No one would save her. Her only hope was in a strangers voice that claimed to be her other half. “Hurry,” she called to it as tears rolled down her cheeks.

~

‘Hurry,’ an invisible voice called to Len. He made a fist and took in a deep breath as he looked between the Oracle and her knight. He wasn’t about to die here…

“Meiko,” Luka said sternly “wouldn’t it be fun to see how strong this boy is. He claims to be able to stop dragons, why not test him against yourself.” The Oracle smiled as she turned around to look at the two. “He obviously possesses some skill, though my guards are nothing to be proud of. Let’s see what he can do.”

Len and Meiko both looked at her like she was mad but the red knight nodded and backed off like a good dog should. “Alright,” she said reluctantly looking to the other guards, “give him his sword.” Len remained silent as one of the guards came forward, handing him the familiar hilt that was his own blade. He took it right away and held it close; they must have captured their things when they were heading to the palace.

Len let the sheath fall off the blade, hitting the floor angrily. He glowered at Meiko waiting for her to attack. His whole body was tense with eagerness. “He is quite arrogant ,” she muttered with a little smile as the Oracle walked away from the battle field, going to the side to watch from a safe distance.

“Take him to his room,” she said when she walked passed Gakupo. “I’ll see to him later.”

The man made another noise of restraint as they picked him up off the floor and lead him out the doors and down the hall. The other guards moved away as Len and Meiko walked to the center of the room and each one took to a fighting stances. Meiko’s was that of an experienced warrior, while Len’s stance was obviously an amateur.

“It will be a fight to the death,” Luka said proudly crossing her arms once more. “The last one standing is the winner and will get their own rewards. Understood?” When neither one answered her as lifted a hand up and called out a “then begin.”

~ Chapter Four

There I waited in the dark until the egg begun to hatch.
Then my fate was sealed.
A mask to shield my eyes from the world.
A spell.
A curse.
A gift.
Save me hero.

- Legend of the Pythoness

~

Blue hair dripped down her shoulders and back and onto the floor as she knelt down in the light. Everything felt heavy. Even breathing hurt her by now. She was always like this, a broken shell of what she should have been but wasn’t. She could hardly even remember her real name now…

“The journey,” she said to no one as she looked up at the starlight. “It’s begun,” she mouthed, barely breathing the words. “Yet it will be over soon…” She said softly again. Forcing herself up, she stood tall, leaning against her staff. She seemed so powerful in her garbs but one could see she was still only a child herself.

She was shaking but held herself strong as she reached out into the light, grabbing at something invisible.

“Warm hands were offered… But couldn’t reach me…” Someone was singing. It was far away but still so close that the blue haired girl thought she could touch it.

“You, little diva,” she said quietly as a sharp pang split through her mind. She smirked and opened her mouth wide, saying the words loud and strong. “Sing forever!”

~

She was faster than he’d anticipated.

Len only had time to blink before Meiko was against him, pushing her sword forward in an offensive attack. Luckily he was fast too and was able to block her with his own blade. “Not bad,” she said, trying to use her weight against him. He narrowed his eyes and tightened his jaw with frustration as he felt himself slide from the pressure of her blade against his.

“I was going to say the same to you,” he replied trying to push her back. No such luck. Instead, he shifted his footing so that her weight was used against her, she stumbled into him. From there he was able to spin away, jumping back to get into another defensive stance. She had already recovered by then and was running at him again. He was having a hard time, even with all the training he’d done preparing for just this very thing.

She brought her sword above her head and lashed it down on the boy but he held his sword firmly over himself, one hand gripping the hilt tight while the other pressed the flat of the tip so it stopped her. “You should just surrender,” she said with a grunt. “No one has ever saved the diva and a boy like you will not be the first to do so.”

Len narrowed his eyes again, keeping himself firm as he watched her carefully. She wasn’t using her full strength against him this time, maybe she had other plans in mind. The Oracle watched, pleased with the fight, then she turned to a few of the guards, “make sure they continue,” she said before making her way out of the room and down one of the hallways.

The duelists hadn’t even noticed when she left, too busy trying to knock each other off balance. “You should give up,” Meiko said when Len looked like he was struggling to hold her back. “If you surrender, I won’t kill you. How’s that?”

He grunted and tried to push her back again. “Why does it matter to you?” He asked through gritted teeth. “If it’s impossible to rescue her then leave me alone and let me try!”

Len stepped to the side to throw her off balance like before, only this time she expected it. She leaned back to put her pressure on her left leg while the right stepped forward. Her sword raised and slashed to the side, but Len was also ready. He ducked and crouched down, slicing his sword against her leg armor. She cursed and jumped away as he scurried back also.

He was good.

“You’re an idiot boy,” Meiko said as she brought her sword forward again. “Take it from me, it is an impossible dream.”

Len narrowed his eyes, bringing his sword out also. She sounded like she knew from experience the difficulty of the quest. “It’s not impossible to me!’ He shouted running for her. The two shared a battle cry as they clashed once more. It was getting old. He let their blades hit only a second before spinning around her and trying to get her from behind.

Meiko spun just as quickly, meeting him again like before. “We’re evenly matched,” she said with a smirk before jumping back. Len did the same, glancing at his sword. His blade was much smaller than her thick and heavy one, he was the only one taking any damage. This had to end soon or he’d be out of luck.

He growled and ran at her again only this time she held herself firm. When he was steadily approaching, she raised the sword over her head in attempt to strike down the boy. “You’re only doing this because you failed!” Len shouted.

Meiko’s eyes went wide, her body went rigged. She attacked.

~

The Oracle climbed up one of the stairways until she reached a guarded off room with large wooden doors. Luka smiled and nodded to the men and they stepped aside so she could slip in. “Gakupo,” she said right away, shutting the door so only a crack of hall light remained.

He lifted his head up from his crouched down position. His face read anything but pleasant. “Luka,” he hissed.

It only made her smile grow.

~

“Don’t I get anything to eat at least?” Kaito whined against the cage, leaning against the bars looking out at the guards. A dungeon? He’d never been in a dungeon his whole life and now he was in one for little to no reason. If he was going to prison, he wanted it to be something he could talk about later when he escaped; not something like this.

The two guards on duty said nothing. They didn’t even flinch when he spoke. “You’re ignoring me,” Kaito pouted playfully and still they didn’t move. “You’re like statues but uglier.” One of their hands twitched at the comment but they still didn’t turn to him.

Kaito frowned grabbing the bars and pressing himself against them, “this is lame. Gakupo gets the royal treatment and I get this. What am I? A dog?” Now he was just talking to himself. He called it a curse when he would ramble on. If no one else spoke in a quiet room, he’d do it. He couldn’t stand the eerie silence; which often lead to idiotic ramblings with no point or end. “Come on!” He whined louder like an impatient child, “don’t I get at least a mug of water?”

The guards glanced at one another a moment, considering the thought. Then one of them turned to Kaito and nodded, “fine. One mug is all you get. The rest will be up to miss Megurine.”

“Thank you!” Kaito said happily as he leaned back in his cage, watching the guards as they went over to a rusted old faucet in the corner. If any clean water came out at all it would be a miracle, and even more so if the mug they used wasn’t one prisoners used for dirtier things. They wouldn’t give him clean anything so long as he was stuck down here. Even so, Kaito couldn’t help but note the key ring hanging out of the guard’s left pocket.

~

“You called me by my first name,” Luka said leaning against the wall as Gakupo studied her. Neither one of them moved closer to the other, the tension in the air was thick. “You’re the only one to do so in the last couple years. Ever since I became what I am.”

“I have a right to call you your true name,” Gakupo said as he stood and brushed himself off. “Since you called me by mine.”

“Everyone uses yours now. They don’t even think of you as Oracle anymore.” Luka pointed out with a devilish smirk.

“Good,” he spat narrowing his eyes, the thought was like poison on his tongue. “What are you doing? Why are you doing this?” He asked, almost pleaded, as he let his hands rest at his side willing himself to calm down.

“I’m doing this to ensure the safety and order of the kingdom,” she replied automatically. “As Oracle, I see to it things are kept peacefully by making sure scum like you are brought to justice in the name of the King.” She narrowed her eyes back at him as he took a few cautious steps forward.

“Your right. That’s what an Oracle does,” he said taking a shaky breath, “but that doesn’t mean you should go about it like this. Luka, if this boy has half the heart I think he does, he’ll be able to save his sister and bring peace to the kingdom in many ways.” Maybe he could reason with her.

“Please,” she scoffed, “the beast cannot be taken so easily. That monster would burn him to a crisp before he had time to twitch his finger at his sword. The only way to keep peace in the kingdom is to give the beast what it wants and stay out of it’s way. Your mother knew that didn’t she?”

Gakupo physically flinched at that. “Don’t speak of my mother,” he said coldly.

“Your mother was a fool,” Luka said smiling. “An Oracle dreaming to one day rid the world of the beast that has plagued our valleys for centuries. She trained Meiko just for that purpose and look what happened? The Diva still ended up dead and your mother went with her.”

Gakupo screamed and lashed out at the pink haired lady, bringing up a small dagger and aiming for her throat. She was prepared though, guards ran in and launched themselves at him before he got a chance to even get up. They threw him down to the floor and pinned him there. “You twisted bitch!” Gakupo shouted with a white hot rage.

Luka smirked again, “I’ve never heard such language come from your lips Gakupo,” she said happily. “I must have hit a weak spot.” When he didn’t respond with words she turned her back to him. “You would be wise to remember your place next time, for it might be the last thing you do.” She warned before leaving.

When she was long gone the guards pulled back and left the room, locking the door and keeping watch like before. Gakupo slammed a fist into the ground as he knelt down again. His body was shaking with some kind of emotion; hatred mixed with grief.

He had to get out of there.

~

Rin was exhausted. She’d been singing, humming and dancing for countless hours now. She kept going though in an attempt to please her master as well as singing so loud her other half could hear. “At the distorted depth of the dying world,” she said in a raspy voice. It hurt. Everything hurt. “I was fated to sing the song of prayer, with the gentle voice…”

She was panting now and her feet missed a few steps here and there. The world was spinning, her eyesight a blurry jumble of colors and shapes she couldn’t identify. White spots blotted her vision and she knew she was reaching her limit. The beast seemed amused by it all, urging her to continue. “…that sleeps in the forgotten past…” She sang loud as she could.

Her body was aching and numb, hands gripping her pendant so tight she felt like her fingers would break off. “…as I change my despair to a smile…” She whispered as she rubbed her throat a bit. It was sore and she could taste the iron building up.

“…I sink to the bottom of tears!” She cried out before she tripped over herself and fell into the little pool. Her eyes closed as she finally drifting off to sleep.

~

Len was on the ground, his sword tossed aside too far for him to grasp. Meiko had her sword to his throat with a bitter look plastered on her face burning with anger. “You don’t know anything!” She shouted at the boy. He said nothing, still too much in shock by how fast she’d moved. “Do you know anything about the Diva?”

“I know plenty-” he started before she screamed at him and silenced him once more.

“You know nothing!” The red lady repeated, raising the sword above her head and aiming it at the boy. His eyes went wide, a flash of regret washing over him. She’d jab down at him, pierce him through the chest at the very least. He’d die and never complete his quest. He couldn’t die here.

“I can save her,” Len muttered softly under his breath. “I have to. I can’t die here,” he narrowed his eyes looking up at the knight, “you can help me.” Meiko’s attack was frozen in midair as she looked down at the boy. For the first time since their encounter she noticed the intensity the boy had. He had such fire in his eyes…

“Enough,” Luka said approaching the battle field, holding up her hand in command. “Meiko. You’ve lost yourself. Another will take your place.”

“What?” Meiko hissed, glowering over at the pink haired woman as she stood there, arms crossed and smile glued as usual. “No! I can finish this! I can finish him.” She was trying to convince herself more than anything.

“Your anger is getting the best of you,” Luka said as another figure jumped out of almost nowhere. Black and blue hair, a smirk as evil as the Oracles on her face. “You will be replaced.”

“Let me finish him,” Meiko pleaded again but it was no use as the other girl stood upright, scythe slung back behind her and into a ready stance. Meiko would be quicker with her sword but that didn’t mean the other girl couldn’t hold her own long enough to wear out the already-tired knight.

“No,” Luka said sternly. “You’re going to stand down and let Ruko do the job you couldn’t. Yet again Meiko, you’ve proven yourself to be a useless and weak coward.” Meiko flinched but held her ground.

“Maybe I was too weak to save Teto,” she muttered. Len glanced at the older woman as she reached down and held her hand out to him. “This boy, however, isn’t!”

“Ruko!” Luka shouted as the black and blue haired girl launched herself toward the two. Len gabbed Meiko’s hand and pulled himself up.

“Get your sword,” was all Meiko said. Len nodded desperately and ran for his sword. He ducked down to gain more speed and slide past it, catching it only by an inch. Then he kicked out to turn himself back toward the fight and stepped so he stood back upright. He glared at the Oracle and aimed his sword in the direction of neck. Even across the room he was menacing. Luka narrowed her eyes as Meiko’s sword clashed against the Scythe.

“So it truly has begun,” she found herself whispering.

~

Gakupo rubbed at his head as he crouched down in the corner of the room. Being there only reminded him of his mother. He growled with frustration and slammed a hand against the wall. “Dammit,” he cursed under his breath and reached up to hide his eyes. Unpleasant memories clouded his mind only added fuel to the fire. He swore he’d never come back to this place and if he did he’d get revenge on all of them for what they did.

There was a click and the sound of the door knob turning but he didn’t bother to look up. It would be Luka Megurine anyway. She was the only one that was allowed to taunt him. The guards would stay out except to bring food and he hadn’t even been offered that kindness.

“A high scholar and you look as pathetic as an unlearned peasant.”

Gakupo’s gaze shot up and towards the door where a familiar blue haired man stood. The door was open enough so Gakupo could see the guards behind the man, knocked unconscious from the looks of it. He was almost too shocked to move as Kaito waved the keys in front of his face. Then the older man snorted, shook his head and stood up. “I shouldn’t be surprised should I?”

“Not really,” Kaito said with a smile that soon vanished. “Where’s the kid?”

“He’s not dead,” Gakupo was quick to reply as they headed out of the room at a quick pace. They didn’t allow themselves to run, they didn’t need that extra attention brought to them. “I know Luka well enough. She wouldn’t order him dead. Not when he’s as strong as he is. She always keeps the things she finds useful for as long as she can.” Kaito watched the older man carefully but said nothing as they neared the main hall.

“I bet I know where he is,” Kaito said as noises erupted into the air. Loud grunts of pain and the sound of metal hitting one another. The two were now running to the scene, stopping once they arrived close enough trying to fathom what was going on. Meiko was fighting back Ruko but she was growing tired from the looks of it. Len was in the center of five or six armed guards but didn’t seem to need any help.

Luka was on the side by the wall just watching it all.

“Let’s get in there,” Kaito shouted before jumping into the middle of things. “Hey kid! Save some for us!” He called to Len, who didn’t bother to look back. Kaito met one of the guards head on and Gakupo was soon to follow though he stayed unarmed. “Don’t have a weapon old man?” Kaito asked between knocking down a guard and moving to another one.

“We need to run,” Gakupo said eying the Oracle. “She has more guards and warriors than we have stamina. Besides, our work here is done.”

“He’s right,” Len said angrily. “We’re wasting time.”

“This way then,” Meiko said as she landed a good hit to Ruko’s shoulder, giving them enough time to group up together. “I’ll show you the way out. We can follow one of the roads to the next town.”

Both Kaito and Gakupo looked skeptical at the woman but Len nodded, “right. Lead the way.” There were no other words as the four of them cut their way through the crowds and headed for the castle’s entrance. Luka made no attempt to follow as they ran out. A few guards went after them but were soon brought back as the group vanished.

“Mistress?” Ruko asked bowing to the Oracle in slight confusion. Did she want them to go after them?

“It doesn’t matter,” Luka smiled. “The Pythoness won’t let them live. I have already foreseen their fates. I was simply giving them other options.” Ruko just stared a second, then nodded and bowed before walking off. Luka glanced out the nearby window, watching the group shuffle toward the woods. “It’s a shame really. They would have made fine warriors.”

~ Chapter Five

They say the warrior was brave.
That he fought every enemy with ease.
Then he met the Pythoness.
And was struck down.

- Sonnet 119, Song of the Brave

~

“Rin,” Len whispered into the pendant. It’s surface shimmered and glowed faintly but there was no sound. There was no voice inside. No music. “Rin, where are you?” He asked it and waited. Since they’d left the castle and went for the towns he hadn’t once heard his sisters voice. It worried him. He’d followed her voice for this long and had always known where to go because she was always singing or whispering into the wind; and now she was silent.

Suddenly the boy felt angry, he clutched the necklace tightly and pulled it so close his lips brushed the edges of the bass clef. “If you hurt her…” He threatened but it fell short as the bushes moved. Len pulled the necklace back and tucked it in his pocket before turning around ready for a might-be fight.

A green haired girl was there in the brightest and most obnoxious clothes the boy had ever seen. He wondered if his sister was anything like this. “Len,” she said crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Are you done? Gakupo’s looking for you.”

“Yes,” Len said with a weak smile. “I’m coming. Sorry,” he said as he followed the girl out of the brush and back toward the town. He needed to talk to his sister and he had to do it in private. With them traveling so much and the Oracle’s men on their trail, he didn’t need to risk anything. “Gumi, how far away is the Pythoness?” He asked reluctantly after a while.

“Not sure,” the girl shrugged. “All the stories say she’s up in the mountains far away from the rest of the world. That way she’s close to her dragon.”

Len narrowed his eyes, “what about the dragon? Do you know anything about it?”

Gumi paused as though thinking then shrugged again, “not much. It’s suppose to be giant. Huge and merciless. They say it’s black as night and quick like the wind. They say it takes girls to be its Diva because it has a hard time sleeping. I think it’s just a bully.” She waved at a few people as they passed by and headed for the shop. “After singing for so long every hour of every day the Diva gets tired and will pass out from the exhaustion. That’s when the beast kills them.”

Len shook his head, “not my sister. She’s stronger than that.” He was lying to himself though. He knew all the stories the girl was talking about. He knew if the Diva stopped singing she’d die. He wasn’t about to give up on his sister though.

“I’m sure she is,” Gumi smiled before skipping a few steps to greet the others. “Found him!”

“Good,” Gakupo said with a sharp look. For a while he’d been melancholic but now it seemed he was back to his old grumpy self. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Why?” Len asked taking a moment to slip the pendant back around his neck. Gakupo caught a glimpse of it, seeming distracted before shaking his head and looking back to the others.

“We think we know which way to go to find the Pythoness.” Kaito said with a beaming smile, quite the opposite of the older man. Len felt his breath hold a second before nodding, silently urging one of them to continue. “It’s East, like you thought, but it’s higher in the mountains. From what old man Gakupo’s been saying-”

“Old man?” Gakupo grunted.

“-we’re sure she’s near here,” Kaito finished.

“I’ve been doing research on the Pythoness for a while now,” Gakupo explained clearing his throat. “The Pythoness can communicate to the beast and is therefore a kind of master. Don’t be fooled though, the Pythoness has little control over what it does and how it does things. Like the Diva, every hundred years or so a new Pythoness is sought out. Of course this is a heavy burden. The woman they chose must be strong in body and mind to control such a thing.”

“What if she doesn’t want to be Pythoness?” Gumi asked leaning against the nearest wall. She was merely the shop owner they’d found the first night arriving. She was nice enough to let them stay but she tried to include herself too. They already said that no matter what she wouldn’t join them, no matter how useful she was.

“It doesn’t matter,” Len said “she’ll still be taken away from her friends and family. Just like the Diva.”

“Yes,” Gakupo said looking over at the boy. “Unlike the Diva, however, the Pythoness is made of magical abilities. She could escape at anytime or let the beast lose if she chose. To keep her in line,” he pulled a scroll off one of the honeycomb shelves and unrolled it along a wooden table. Everyone gathered to see what he was demonstrating. “They created this,” he said pointing to a charcoal sketch of some kind of oblong shape.

“What is it?” Gumi frowned.

“It’s a mask,” Kaito summed up. “To contain her powers enough… Maybe even control her. Make her stay obedient to the task they’d forced on her.”

“Exactly,” Gakupo nodded, surprised by the clown’s answer. “They put this mask over the woman’s face and she is then controlled with the same magic that the first Pythoness possessed. Does this makes sense to everyone?” Kaito and Meiko nodded while Len continued to stare at the drawing.

“Then we need to get going,” Kaito said stepping back and going for his things. Len nodded and went to do the same but stumbled a bit. He thought no one would notice.

“No,” Meiko frowned as she watched the boy. “We’ll stay here for the night. Let’s leave in the morning fully rested.”

“We don’t have time,” Gakupo hissed bitterly as he rolled the scroll back up. “The Diva could already be-”

“But she’s not,” Meiko said narrowing her eyes. “If that girl is as strong as her brother, she’ll be fine for another night.” The woman went over and pat the boy on the shoulder. “You need your rest don’t you? We’ve been traveling across the forests and desert for the last couple nights and I know you don’t sleep very well.” Len didn’t say anything. “Come on then,” she gave him a weak smile “a growing boy needs his rest.”

Everyone just watched as the red knight pulled the boy over to one side of the shop and made him sit. He looked angry and determined as usual but after a couple quick words from the woman, he fell asleep. “There now,” she said going over and grabbing one of the burlap blankets they’d borrowed, draping it over the boy. “Everyone be quiet and let him sleep.”

“You’re good with him,” Kaito commented as he watched. “It’s kind of surprising. I would have figured the feared red knight to be a lot rougher. Do you have kids of your own?” He doubted it but thought he’d ask anyway.

“Not exactly,” Meiko muttered as she moved from the boy and back over by the others. Gakupo was leaning against the wall also, almost impatient but he didn’t say anything. “I had a friend in the palace,” she glanced at the purple haired man. “Teto was her name.”

“The last Diva,” Gakupo nodded.

“Right,” Meiko said frowning. “She was like a younger sister to me. I cared for her and took care of her like this. It was under order at first, so it was an obligation but I grew to enjoy her company. I didn’t know she would become the dragon Diva.” Her voice trailed off long enough for the others to understand.

“Makes sense now,” Gakupo said shaking his head. “Why you came along. Why the boy allowed you to follow even though you tried to kill him.”

“I tried to save her,” Meiko said narrowing her eyes at the ground. “I trained myself harder and harder every day. I became the best knight in the kingdom. I had armies and other knights under me. I was powerful and I was still very young. Then one day they told me she was dead. I took my anger out on my training and became merciless toward others.” She turned back to Len, “he has a fire in his eyes like I’ve never seen. If anyone can save her… It’ll be him.”

“Doesn’t matter if he can save her or not,” Kaito shook his head. “The dragon won’t let her go easily and he can’t take down something like that.”

“Not alone,” Gakupo shook his head. “That’s why we’re here though.”

“If you take the Diva,” Gumi said with slight confusion. “Won’t the dragon get mad and destroy the towns like before?”

“Not if we kill it first,” Kaito grinned. “It’s big and strong but not immortal. I think we can do it.”

“It’s a long shot,” Gakupo sighed “many scholars have tried to find its weakness. My mother was one of them. She thought she found the Achilles heel to the beast. She was trying to save Teto also,” he said nodding over to Meiko.

“I know,” Meiko muttered. “I remember her. Lady Kamui was very beautiful and strong in mind. She bragged how she knew exactly how to save the Diva. She said she found a way. She said there was a flaw in their prison. I thought she would have succeeded.”

There was a long silence and then Gumi asked “what happened to her?”

There was another silence that drifted across the room then Gakupo pushed against the wall and walked off. Kaito was curious too and looked at Meiko for an answer. “Lady Kamui killed herself one night,” Meiko said softly. “She jumped off the highest tower. Gakupo saw it happen.”

~

Rin choked as she sat up and looked around. She couldn’t remember where she was at first, then it all came back to her. She’d been singing and… Hadn’t she fainted? Was she dead? She looked around the cave. Nothing had changed. She was laying down in the puddle she’d surely fallen in. There were pink spots in the water that she could only assume were blood droplets at one point.

No. This wasn’t heaven.

She was still trapped in her own personal hell. She frowned and stood on shaky limbs to get a cautious look around. Where was the beast? “Hello?” She called into the darkness. “Where are you? I know you’re here!” She’d never felt so brave, “why did you let me live?”

There was no response at first. Then all at once a gust of wind kicked up from somewhere deep in the cave, sending the girl’s skirts back and making her cover her face. <Sing!> The voice rippled through her mind. Rin flinched as the wind stopped.

It sounded angry but she was still alive. Had it actually shown remorse for her? “How long was I asleep?” She asked it knowing the beast had no sense of time. “Tell me!”

<Sing!> The voice screeched. Rin screamed and fell to her knees clutching her head. It hurt. Everything hurt. Her body, her voice, her head. <Sing. Or die.> It told her. The girl narrowed her eyes at the darkness. She wanted it to kill her, she really did. She’d never wanted to die so much in her life-

“Hurry and please wake me up right now, because I’m having a nightmare again!” She begun to sing, her voice hoarse and dry. It was hurting her more and in time she knew the blood would come up again. She wanted nothing more than to die but not here. Not now.

“First impressions and early things like that are really only trivial, right?” She called to the darkness. The best seemed pleased for the moment. It didn’t yell at her anymore at the very least. She didn’t know if it was listening and she didn’t care either. She wasn’t singing for it. She was singing for the voice she’d heard in her pendant. She gripped the necklace slighty as she danced, “if you asked me where I want to go, then I wouldn’t be able to answer you.”

Her other half was listening and he was the only audience she needed. “The night was too impressive for me, so it dazzled me and now I’ve lost my way…”

~

Len jerked his body forward, having to catch himself as he listened. The sky was dark outside the window, only the dim reflection of the moon lit the small shop. Everyone else seemed to be asleep; Meiko was laying under a window, Kaito by the door and Gakupo off in his own corner. He looked around a second before clawing desperately for his pendant. He jerked it out and held it out in front of him, watching it glow faintly.

“I was standing there out in the rain, my hair seemed frozen and strange in the cold…” The voice sang. Len felt a smile tug at his lips as he pulled it closer. She was singing for him, she was alive. It was clear as a bell and sounded heavenly.

“We’re close,” he said to her knowing she probably couldn’t hear him anyway. If she was singing, it was to the beast.

“My loneliness went down the drain while I was shivering and waiting here for you…” He’d never heard the song before and yet it felt familiar. Maybe it was because it was her voice. It still felt weird to hear it. Eerie and unreal but still a comfort for the boy.

“Rin. Are you well?” He asked but got no reply. Eventually the voice died down into nothing and the pendant stopped glowing. The dragon must have been keeping her on a short leash. He felt himself sigh and lean back again. At least she was still alive.

The boy didn’t even remember falling back to sleep until the morning light was on his face and the others were packing up. Gumi was talking to Gakupo about where to go next but Len couldn’t make out any real words. Kaito seemed to be away and Meiko was towering over him. “I was just about to wake you up,” she said with a weak smile. “You slept like a baby.”

“Did I?” Len asked with a frown as he went for the necklace. It wasn’t glowing and it wasn’t warm. “Was it a dream?” He asked no one as he forced himself to stand up. He prayed it wasn’t. There were sweet rolls on the table and the boy took one gingerly, taking only nibbles.

“We’re leaving soon,” Kaito nudged the boy as he walked into the shop. He must have been outside somewhere Len looked over at the blue haired male saying nothing. “How are you handling?”

“Fine,” Len said right away taking another bite of the breakfast he’d chosen. “What about you?” Kaito was a little surprised. Usually the boy didn’t ask or care about the traveling companions he had with him. To the boy, it seemed, they were nothing more than extra weapons hat had chosen to follow along.

The man smiled, “better I suppose. We’re on course now. We’ll rescue your sister in no time.” The boy said nothing. “What do you plan to do once you’ve rescued her?” He asked. They’d never talked about that. Ever.

Len shook his head and set the roll aside before going to grab his cloak. Apparently they weren’t talking about it now either. “Thank you miss Gumi for the use of your shop,” Gakupo was saying with a courteous bow to the girl.

She smiled and nodded, “no problem. Come back after you’ve killed that ol’ beastie. I want to hear the story.”

“I’m sure you will,” Gakupo said quietly. “I’m sure everyone will.”

“They’ll write about you,” Gumi said as Len passed her. “The boy who did the impossible.” He paused a moment to look back at her. “You’re a real hero Len. You have friends who support you and you’re kind and gentle even behind the mask you wear. They’ll talk about you for generations to come.”

The boy just stared back at her for a long time then nodded. He had no doubt in his mind they’d talk about him. They already were. It didn’t matter though because nothing like that mattered to the boy. It was all for his sister. “Thank you,” he said though before turning and walking out of the shop without another word. Gumi continued to smile and something tugged inside Len’s heart.

He knew he’d never see her again.

~

“They’re almost to the mountains,” Ruko said to the Oracle as she overlooked her army.

“Yes I’m aware of that,” Luka said narrowing her eyes. “Something’s happened,” she said bitterly. “Last night when the moon was just barely full I felt it. The boy’s discovered something. Something disconcerting.”

“What do you mean mistress?” Ruko asked frowning. The Oracle’s visions were small ones but they were still visions none the less. If she was worried about something now… “Have you seen something different than what you saw before?”

“The future is always changing,” Luka said frowning as she turned to the girl. “I saw her dying. The Diva stopped her song and in my vision the beast killed her. Yet she has been given a second chance at life. For some reason the beast has now chosen to keep her alive.”

Ruko’s eyes widened, “but mistress, the beast never lets a diva live if she’s-”

“Yes, I know,” Luka growled turning back to her army. “Go forth to the East! Seek out the boy and his companions and have them struck down! I will not let them get away with this!” The army replied in an uproar before marching out for the hills. Luka watched them empty the chamber, narrowing her eyes at something only she could seem to see. “If she is saved, the beast will not show mercy on the world.”

“Miss Oracle seems to cruel lately,” said a peasant girl with very long snow white hair, peeking around the corner. Her companion was another peasant with pale yellow hair, tied up to one side. She didn’t speak much, born mute and without a story to tell. “I wonder if something has happened. If her visions are not very clear. It could frustrate her.”

The yellow haired girl merely shook her head before shrugging. The white one nodded before stepping back, “I think her visions keep changing and she thinks her power will leave her forever. Could you imagine?” She said shivering at the thought.

The yellow haired one just shrugged again before going off to finish any forgotten chores.

~ Chapter Six

Dance as though it is your first.
Sing as though it will be your last.
Chances are it will be.

- ‘Diva Song’ by Anonymous.

~

Len reached in his pocket and drew out the pendant for the fourth time that night. It was warm but it wasn’t glowing or singing to him. He was eager to hear the voice again but at least he knew she was alive. She had to be. He shook his head and placed the necklace back around his neck where it belonged. He played with it a moment then lifted it against his lips.

“At the end of the desperate paradise, I seek the lost voice. I am fated to wander from street to street, further and further away.” He whispered against it in a soft lullaby. It’d been a while since he last sang anything, finding little to no inspiration. This time the song just poured out of him. “In the shadow of the closed history. I long for the stolen days.” They’d been traveling for a while now and though he could hear Kaito complaining in the background, that didn’t stop or even slow their pace.

“The voice that echoes in the depth of my heart is agonized by suffering…” They were nearing a town from the looks of it. Meiko called on up ahead of them all, saying something about it being a peace driven town. Gakupo just shook his head and muttered something in reply. Len had gone deaf to all the voices around him but his own. “My wish doesn’t reach to the everlasting paradise.” He said softly as the town came into view.

Kaito smiled and moved faster on ahead mentioning something about finding food. As they neared the town, an odd feeling swept over the boy. He frowned as he heard a jingle of laughter. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw shapes but when he turned there was no one there. “It is distorted with voices,” Len continued before letting go of the pendant and letting it fall back down by his chest. He let a hand rest over his sword as he looked on ahead, “and keep vanishing away.”

~

“He has a pretty voice,” Rin said as she smiled at the pendant. Her voice was sore again and talking was difficult let alone singing. She looked out of her little dwelling and could hear nothing but the sound of droplets hitting the cave floor. The beast had gone out to hunt but she wasn’t sure how long it’d be gone. Sometimes it was gone a few hours, sometimes it was gone a few days. There had even been a time when she was very young that the beast didn’t return for two weeks. She’d cried and cried and thought she would die there all along but it eventually returned.

Not that a dragon was much company anyway.

She hesitated before slowly shifting out of her ‘bed’ and tiptoed out into the whole of her prison. Even when the beast was gone, she felt the need to be quiet as a mouse. She always felt as though someone else was watching her. She breathed out a little gasp of air and watched a puff appear in front of her face. It was getting colder in the cave.

Rin looked up to the ceiling where the only light was. That same strange moonlight that shown all hours of the day and night. It only got a slight darker when she assumed it was actually night time. She frowned and carefully padded along the shallow spring over to the other side of the cave. Her fingers delicately danced over the rocks as she trailed along the stony catacomb walls. She had a hard feeling her demise would be soon.

“He’s coming,” she said aloud to no one, stopping near the base of the creatures bed. A large groove in the ground that dipped low so it cradled the monster just enough. It was a small indent and compared to how large the beast was it looked more like a platform when it rested on it. It always rested there and no where else. She found it silly but maybe it was too large to move about the rest of the cave. Rin shivered at the thought of ever being this close to the beast. Its red eyes would burn into her before breaking every bone in her body.

Rin felt herself gasp again and shiver at the thought as she fell to her knees and held herself tightly. “I don’t want to die,” she said suddenly. She’d never said those words before and meant it but it felt real now. Death would come for her and she’d never meet him. The girl refused to cry but did close her eyes to silence any threatening tears.

The sound came again. The drip- drip- dripping noise from somewhere up top. There was always water somewhere in the cave. She had plenty to drink and the dragon made sure she had plenty to eat when she needed it. Plenty to wear. Plenty of things to keep herself warm. Rin’s eyes snapped open suddenly as she thought of it. Ever since she was a child she’d been given few things by the beast, but given things none the less.

How had it known anything?

A beast was just a beast. It might be able to speak to her in thoughts but did that mean it knew what clothes were? What in the world a brush was when she’d needed to comb her hair? Rin frowned feeling that sense of another presence again. She stood up and glanced around the cave. Maybe someone else was watching after all, closer than she thought.

“Where are you?” The girl whispered into the darkness. She must have dance around the cave over a million times in her life, traced the walls with her fingers. There was no entrance, no exit, nothing but the open ceiling big enough for the dragon and surely no one else came and left through it. Then she had another odd feeling as she looked over the beasts’ chamber.

Perhaps there was a reason it always stayed in the same spot after all…

~

The town was in ruins.

There were shops lining the streets but all the goods were destroyed. People were hiding in their houses or out on the sidewalks sobbing and trying to repair anything they could find. There were carts going around to gather any dead that were lying around. The group was speechless as they looked it over. “Peaceful huh?” Gakupo whispered before making his way through. Meiko frowned and followed after him, then Kaito and finally Len.

“We shouldn’t stay long,” Kaito said in a somber tone; one of which Len didn’t even know he had. “Something tells me we’re not welcomed here.” A few dirty looks from villagers confirmed their suspicions. “I wonder what happened here…”

“Guards came,” an elder woman said off to one side, holding onto a small child in attempt to comfort it. Len could tell it wasn’t hers. “They just marched on in and started destroying stuff. Said they were looking for a boy,” the woman said looking at Len and he immediately felt a strong guilt in his stomach.

“Luka,” Gakupo muttered looking at Meiko a second then back to the elder woman. “I’m sorry this happened… But do you know which way these men went?”

“They were heading for the woods I think,” she said as the child coughed and choked on a sob. “They didn’t even give us a chance to defend ourselves. They just started to destroy everything,” she said shaking her head over and over again. “They were looking for the boy with hair the color of the sun.”

“Him,” another villager said when they finally overheard the conversation. It was a middle-aged man with jagged features and a pitch fork tightly grasped in one hand, while the other hand pointed toward Len. “He’s the boy they were looking for!”

Len wanted to deny it but knew there was no way he could. He was the reason these people were so miserable. “We need to leave,” Meiko said narrowing her eyes as a small mob begun to form. Each one just as angry and strong as the first man. “Now.”

Gakupo nodded and motioned Kaito to move. Len stayed however, staring at the crowd that had gathered. He knew this was just one of the many villages that would be destroyed because of him. Luka’s army and the soon to be angered dragon… Things would only get worse before they got better. For a moment, he didn’t know if he was doing the right thing or not.

He slowly turned and begun following his comrades out away from the crowd but they didn’t get far before someone in the mob struck out. A makeshift lantern flew over head just barely missing the boy. Len ducked then whipped his head back around to find the attacker, but in this crowd everyone looked the same. “Watch it,” Meiko said stepping between Len and the people. “Len, go on.” She said giving warning looks to the people.

“They’re innocent,” Len said looking up at her, “we can’t attack back.”

“I know that,” Meiko hissed glancing back at him “let’s just hurry up and get the hell out of-” The woman let out a loud grunt of pain as something jabbed at her side. She doubled over holding it as Len lashed forward. One of the men had used a shovel to wind her. The boy kicked the shovel out of the man’s hand and instantly three more took its place.

Len didn’t hesitate to draw his sword. “Villagers!” Gakupo shouted raising his hands and stepping forward as Kaito rushed to Meiko. “We mean no harm. What’s happened to your home is a tragedy but attacking us won’t do any good now!” Len narrowed his eyes but saw that they were at least listening. “You live in fear of the beast upon the mountains. We are the saviors to you all. We’re going to slay the monster or die trying. Now let us leave in peace, there does not need to be any more bloodshed here.”

The crowd all stayed tense but they didn’t look like they were going to attack again. “Go,” Gakupo said without looking to the others. With a quick nod and hesitate stare Len stepped back to help Kaito with the fallen woman. When no one went after them again, they vanished into the distance just as easily as they’d come.

~

Rin followed the grove down and around. She felt the smooth stone under her feet where the dragon’s scales had polished the bedrock. It was huge and smelled of ash and fire. She looked around trying to find any sign of clues, a pothole or anything at all that might be of use to her but so far she was coming up empty. It was large though… She’d never gotten close enough to realize how big the monster was until now. It overflowed in this chasm and for her to be wandering around inside it…

It was like being inside the beast itself.

The girl pushed the thoughts away as she looked around some more. There was no sign of light anywhere and for a minute she feared she’d been too hopeful for nothing. When she reached the other side of the hole she frowned and glanced back. She’d circled the entire groove of the half circle in the cave wall and there was nothing. She cursed herself and the beast before looking up at the ceiling, the overwhelming sense of being killed by it returned.

“Len?” Rin called into the darkness. “I’m lost. I can’t find a way out,” she said hugging herself again. With so much ash and soot you think a little warmth would be possible but it was almost even more chilled down in the hole. “Even if you found me, we’d only both be stuck here…” She shook her head before reaching up and grasping her pendant, “and I don’t want that.”

She lifted the necklace up and over her head and pressed the cool metal to her lips. “Len, I don’t want you to come find me. Stay behind. Please,” but the necklace felt no warmth at all. She hadn’t felt any warmth for a while now and wondered just how the damned thing worked. She let go of it and it fell to the base of the stone as she rubbed her arms quickly trying to gain friction on them. “Why is it so cold?” She asked aloud looking around.

Outside of the indented bed, in the vast of the cave, it was always warm even on the coldest nights it didn’t seem this cold. Perhaps she was only imagining it. Rin frowned and looked back along the cave wall. Carefully she held out one of her hands and felt it. Like the rest of the chasm, it was smooth like obsidian. “Where is it coming from?” She asked as she begun to walk again along the side of the groove.

She hadn’t noticed it before but a strange chill hit her the closer she got to the center of the wall. She frowned and continued to move until her hand dipped back into darkness. Rin gasped and pulled her hand back looking at the cave wall. It was the same blackness the rest of the wall was but…

She reached out to press her hand to it once more. Her hand vanished again. “What is this?” She asked and moved her hand around inside. She couldn’t feel a back but the sides seemed large enough to hold a person. It was cool inside and had a light density feeling like that of water. She shook her head feeling ridiculous about thinking it but allowed herself to say it aloud, “a black river in the wall?”

The girl leaned in a little closer, trying to feel the back of the hidden entrance but she still couldn’t find anything. A passageway maybe? An exit…? Could the dragon be hiding an exit. The only problem was that she didn’t know where it lead nor if it really was an escape or just a way into another cave dwelling that would become another prison.

Rin leaned in again wanted to see inside. If she could see past the black… Maybe she could find where it lead. She sucked in a deep breath and begun to press her face to it when a loud roaring noise was heard overhead.

The beast had returned.

~

Len was sullen all night. They’d stopped by a river outside of the destroyed village and tended to Meiko’s wound; the shovel had done more damage than they would have hoped. Gakupo said it was only a broken rib and that she should stay off it but the woman was stubborn. A quick nap, some ice and a wrap along her side and they were off again. Though it wasn’t long before they’d decided to stop for the night.

The boy had separated himself from the rest of the group in hopes of speaking to his sister but all he got was the chill of silence. These nights when the crickets chirped and the fire crackled made him miss his home. He wondered about his mother and what she was doing. He wondered if his quest really was impossible. Then he thought of his sister. She’d never seen anything besides the inside of that awful cave. If he didn’t save her then no one else would.

“I want to make sure,” Len whispered quietly in song, “the sound of your warmth with my hands,” he said looking up at the night sky. The trees covered up everything there would be to see. He prayed the stars were out. “Not hesitating to get hurt,” he said as the crickets stopped.

~

Rin had scurried out of the dragon’s layer just in time, falling to her knees at the base of the groove. The beast dropped down and after a quick snort in her direction, curled up and hid away the secret passage again. It didn’t seem to mind how close she was to its lair. Rin narrowed her eyes at it, angry with herself for not vanishing behind the stone when she had the chance. She could have run and been possibly free but she’d left something important behind.

She looked down and scooped her pendant back up. It would be okay for now. She’d get another chance eventually.

<Sing!> The dragon screeched in her mind. The girl reached up and covered her ears. It was like someone hammering nails into her mind. She hated it! The beast seemed angry today and Rin wasn’t quite in the mood to protest. If she stayed on its good side, maybe it would leave again soon.

“At the end of the artificial paradise,” Rin said softly gripping the pendant tight, “deep, deep in the bottom of the earth…”

As she sang on, she couldn’t help but feel a strange warmth come over her. The dragon could have been radiating heat or maybe it was the pendant. She only opened her mouth and continued to sing, even as she felt her throat give way. She could feel the blood welt up; she tried to swallow it but only ended up coughing it out. She started crying but couldn’t give up. Not yet…

“I am fated to sing prayers all alone…”

~

By the time Len reached camp they were already in battle. The group of warriors had been stealthy but the band of misfits were ready. Meiko drew her sword and slashed at one of the men, colliding her sword against his. She flinched and leaned against her good side but didn’t stop. Gakupo used anything he could find to use as a weapon. Kaito used his trusty dagger to keep the enemies at bay but wasn’t watching his back like usual. One guard came up fast from behind but Len ran out of the woods and threw his sword just in time. “Finally,” Kaito smiled as he turned around and saw Len wipe the blood off his sword. “Just in time kid,” he said going back to fighting. Len just rolled his eyes and went back to the fight at hand.

Almost instantly he was combated with another man. Their swords clashed against one another but the man was much stronger. He easily knocked the blond boy away. Len shifted to get away but the sword still managed to graze his cheek. Len’s face stung but it only fueled the fire. He let out a loud cry as he swung the sword again. There was another loud clash of metal on metal and this time Len held his own.

“Give it up boy!” The man shouted. They both pushed against one another, Len felt his body straining. He grunted and pushed forward some more and the man gave way. He fumbled back slightly and gave Len enough room to go in for a final blow. The man raised his sword above his head and was about to strike the boy down but Len was smaller and lighter on his feet. He lunged forward and stabbed his sword between the man’s side where the armor was weak.

The man let out a painful shriek before falling to the ground. Len panted and pulled his sword back looking to the others. Everyone was holding their own and by now there were only a few men left. Luka’s army must have split up to find them. That or they were getting lazy back in the kingdom. It’d be finished soon either way.

Len panted lightly as he lifted a hand up and wiped the still stinging wound. When he pulled his hand back he caught sight of the red stain of blood. “Warm hands were offered but couldn’t reach me…” A voice sang amongst the noise of the battle. He felt weak.

He thought about the village they’d passed through earlier. How the people had been murdered because of him. How the village was torn apart because of his impossible quest. They’d screamed at him, shouted at him, cursed his name. Tears burned in his eyes as he thought about his sister. Somehow he knew time was running out.

The boy let his bloody hand clench into a fist as he turned back to the fight. It had died down now, only a few people left alive and those that could move ran away. “They’re getting sloppy,” Meiko said holding her side as he looked over at Len. Gakupo nodded as Kaito wiped off his dagger. “We need to get moving. They’ll find reinforcements.”

“Yes,” Len said in a rushed voice as he grasped his pendant. Without gathering their things they headed for the mountains.

~ Chapter Seven

At the beginning of time,
The beast slept in the volcano.
As time continued,
The beast made it a prison.
Time after time,
The beast brought others.
As time slowed,
The beast laughed at their Diva.
As time froze,
The beast grew tired of the girl.
When time stopped,
The Diva was dead.

- ‘Time’ by Anonymous

~

Blue eyes fluttered open. Rin lifted her head and looked around. She must have fallen asleep. Her memory was blurry and everything felt distorted. She had been singing and it got to be too much for her. Did she faint again? No, she must have gone to bed because that’s where she was now and the beast could never put her there on its own. She coughed and wiped some dried blood off her face.

She slowly left her shelter and looked out. Her hopes sank when she saw the dragon was still there. It wasn’t asleep but it wasn’t demanding anything of her. It just stared with big red eyes. “Do you want me to sing?” She said aloud though it wasn’t the dragon she was talking to. She gripped the pendant tightly and looked at the creature.

It made a little growl shifting it’s weight as it waited for her to begin. Rin took in a deep breath and closed her eyes before opening her mouth, “I will fight.” She said before she lifted her voice.

~

“There’s the mountain,” the lavender haired man said looking up ahead. The group stopped and looked at the dragon’s domain. The Pythoness would be here, surly waiting inside for them. The dragon would be deep inside the volcano waiting to scorch them, and the Diva would be trapped close by. “Coming this far has been tedious but what’s waiting inside will be the challenge.” They were all exhausted since their previous fight with the men in the forest. A good stop would do them all good, especially Meiko, but no one wanted to speak up now that they were this close.

“Will the Pythoness let us go through?” Kaito asked frowning.

Gakupo chuckled darkly, “hardly. She’ll be there to stop us. We’ll have to get passed her, fight the dragon and… Hopefully get out with our lives.”

“The Diva too,” Meiko added feeling a bit somber. The fight the night before had done some damage on the woman. She was still sore from her injury in the village and it only was worse now. She glanced at Len who was standing in front of all of them. Determination was the only thing written on his face. “Right?” She asked desperate to get some kind of word out him.

Len hadn’t whispered a word since the night before. Things were just too complicated for him now. He hadn’t realized there was so much at stake when he’d started this journey. He stared up at the mountain and an overwhelming sense of fear crossed over him. “I will fight,” he said to one in particular, grasping the pendant in his hands so tight he thought he might cut himself. Slowly he turned towards his comrades, “let’s go.”

~

The blue haired girl looked up at the light that poured down from the top of the mountain opening. Her dwelling was inside the huge mountain, carved out by magic and over a huge cavern. Blue light surrounded everything, mist brushed her ankles. The path to the platform she stood upon was nothing but giant stone pillars that seemed to come out of thin air and wrapped around in a perfect spiral. Crystals the size of people shot out of the walls also giving off the faint reflection of magic light. The stage she stood upon had once been adorned with a roof but the gazebo placement had long since been lost.

The Pythoness continued to look up at if hearing something. A hidden voice or long forgotten song. “Ah,” she said before jerking her head behind her. First she was startled but it only lasted a second before she smiled and turned fully around. The gown that dragged behind her pooled around her ankles like the ever changing mist. “They’re coming,” she chuckled darkly holing her staff tight in one hand while the other dangled loosely by her side.

~

“How do we know if we’re going the right way or not?” Kaito asked as they ventured through a small carving in the mountain, praying it was a way to the center.

“We don’t,” Gakupo said holding a single candle out in front of them, it was just about the only thing he had on his person anymore, aside from the small weapon he carried. None of them had personal possessions anymore; everything had been left behind for the sake of their journey.

“We’re just walking into the dragons lair then,” Kaito nervously laughed, “great. I wanted to die today.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Meiko said rolling her eyes, bringing up the rear. “Weren’t you listening at all? We have to face the Pythoness first.”

“Which may or may not be an easy task,” Gakupo added. The cavern seemed to go on forever in a never ending darkness. The walls got tighter and further apart as they went on and each one of them had their doubts as to where they actually were going. “The Pythoness,” Gakupo said to break the silence, “is a young woman, cursed to forever tame the beast. Though it is up for debate who actually controls who.”

“We went through this already,” Kaito muttered in a darker tone.

“Then you were listening,” Meiko snorted, “shocking.”

“Shut up,” Kaito snapped back though the threat was long gone from his voice. “She’s cursed with that mask. You think she could just take it off.”

“Hardly,” Gakupo shook his head, “it’s on her by magic. Don’t you think if it could come off easily, they would have removed it centuries ago?” No one bothered to answer. “According to the scrolls I found, what little information they gave said that inside this mountain will be the Pythoness’ chamber. Then a way to the beast. Our problem will be getting past the woman, fighting the dragon and getting back out.” Every time he said it, it sounded more and more impossible. “The way out will be the tricky part,” he mumbled so quiet the others barely heard him. “Our candle won’t last forever.”

The sounds of footsteps echoed for a long time, bouncing off the rock and stone path under their feet. Len could hear the sound of their breathing and almost nothing else. One hand rested on his sword hilt while the other clenched in a fist still holding his pendant. “I’ll take the life of the roaring voice. Let it write and sleep to the end of the world,” he hardly sang the words, just mouthed them quietly.

“I think I see something,” Kaito said pointing past the scholar. Everyone stopped a second and squinted to try and see through the darkness. Sure enough at the end of the tunnel seemed to be a fleck of light. “Is that where the Pythoness is?” He asked in an eager voice.

“Probably,” Gakupo said blowing the candle out. After waiting for their eyes to adjust from light to darkness they begun to move forward. “We need to be quiet and work the element of surprise to our advantage.”

“Right,” Meiko said looking ahead at the boy as he kept far enough away behind Gakupo. They’d all agreed Len, being the youngest, should stay between them all for protection.

“If I can’t reach you after dissolving light,” Len muttered as they got closer.

“What is he doing?” Meiko whispered softly, moving closer to Kaito.

“Hm?” Kaito glanced back at the woman then over to the blond haired boy. “Oh, he’s singing.”

“Singing?” Meiko frowned, “why the hell would he be singing right now?”

“To tell the truth,” Kaito sighed “I’m not entirely sure why he does it. It seems to work for him though. Ever since I met the kid he’s been singing. He always says he hears a voice singing back and that one day he’ll duet with it,” the blue haired man shrugged, “I think he’s crazy sometimes. I never hear a thing.”

“Let him believe what he wants,” Gakupo said looking back at the others as Len continued forward, passed the older man. “If that’s what works. Let him be,” he said shaking his head. “We’ve gotten this far after all.”

“Yes,” Len said stopping on the path. His feet were mere centimeters from the spot light above. “We’ve made it this far and we’ll continue forward still.” He gripped the sword tightly and glanced back at the others. “You’ve all risked your lives to come with me this far. I wouldn’t blame you one bit if you decided to turn back now.”

For being only a kid, the adults couldn’t help but feel belittled. He had more strength than any of them combined, that was for sure. He stood there in front of them, the light pouring in from behind turning the boy into nothing more than a dark silhouette. What he said were true words. They could easily all turn around and leave the boy. He’d been planning from the start to go it alone so why bother risking what they had for him and his crazy quest?

“No way,” Kaito grinned coming forward. “I’ve come this far haven’t I? Why would I go back now? It’s not like there’s anything waiting for me anyway.”

Gakupo nodded and took a half step forward also, “I’m coming as well. I’ve made it this far and have seen more than any scholar before me. Any living scholar anyway. Besides, the only thing that awaits behind me is death by that mad woman. I might as well go all the way.”

They both had pretty words, no need to be shown up now. Meiko smiled and nodded, “of course I’m going. The way I see it, you’ve all grown on me enough. You’re like family at this point and I can’t just turn my back now.”

“It’s dangerous,” Len said narrowing his eyes.

“This whole trip was dangerous,” Kaito shrugged “and ‘impossible’ but here we are right? There’s no way we’re going to give up now.”

Len just stared a while before offering a faint smile, “alright.” He turned back towards the light extending his leg about to step into it but Gakupo reached out and caught his shoulder before he had the chance.

Len glanced back at the older man, seeming confused only a moment before pushing the thought away. “Len,” the man said with a solemn look on his face. “You need to keep that pendant with you at all times,” he muttered hoping the others wouldn’t hear.

Len narrowed his eyes a bit, startled by the words but nodded none the less. “I don’t part from it. Ever,” he said holding up his fisted hand, showing the glimmer that rested there. Gakupo looked at the pendant with a knowing encouragement. He nodded and let the boy go. Len waited a moment before putting the necklace back around his head where it belonged, studying the scene before turning back to the light. He said nothing more as he took a step into the open space. “Then I’ll just finish off this artificial paradise with my own hands…”

~

“They’ve made it to the mountains,” Ruko said in a defeated voice as she bowed to the Oracle. The pink haired woman bite her lip as she stared out her window, saying nothing and not bothering to look back at the warrior girl. “Mistress?” Ruko urged, “should we send more fighters to retrieve them? Perhaps I could-”

“No,” Luka said in a stern voice, gripping the window rim tight. “It would only be a waste of our resources.” Ruko nodded and waited further instruction. “If they’ve made it that far… It’s up to the Pythoness now. She’ll see to it they’re stopped.”

Ruko frowned, “Lady Megurine, have you not seen a vision of their fate?”

Luka narrowed her eyes more as a blue bird landed on a nearby tree, preening without a care to the world. “No,” Luka muttered softly under her breath, “it would appear all my vision have flown away.”

~

Rin glared at the dragon as it slept. She hated knowing that her only way out might be past the beast and she hated herself even more for not going when she had the chance. Even as it fell into slumber Rin felt the danger of it all. How this powerful monster could crush her without even thinking about it. How her voice was slowly growing smaller and smaller until it would be nothing soon. Did they already know out there in the kingdom? Did they know she might be close to dying? Was there another Diva already picked out and awaiting?

The thought gave her chills.

“Len, I’m dying here” Rin said to no one and wrapped her arms around herself. “I might have found the way out though.”

Suddenly the beast snapped its eyes open. Rin screamed without meaning to, stumbling back so fast she tripped and fell over. The beast let out a loud screech that made the cave shake and Rin had to cover her ears. She’d never heard it make such a sound before!

The girl heard it screaming some more, this time in her mind. She cried in response and squeezed her eyes shut. When the sound had died enough, she cautiously looked back up at it. It was staring down at her with those massive red eyes, teeth bared as though it knew her plan of escape.

<Sing!> It demanded with more force than ever before.

Rin cried out again and covered her ears harder. It was so angry! “I’m sorry!” She screamed up to it, “I d-didn’t mean it!” She wasn’t sure what she was trying to do. Reason with a dragon? Reason with a dragon that had already killed many girls before her? It was a long shot.

<Sing!> It demanded again and that’s when Rin heard it. There was the noise of metal clashing. There were screamed from above her that weren’t hers nor the dragons echoing off the walls. Rin jerked her head up and saw the light above flicker just slightly. The girls eyes went wide as she grabbed at her pendant. It was scorching hot.

~

“So you are the boy I’ve had visions about,” the girl said stepping forward on the platform. Her heels clicked with each step until she was at the base, looking down at the four warriors. “You do look like her. The trapped Diva. Will you rescue her?”

“Yes,” Len snapped as he watched the woman. She couldn’t have been much older than he was. She was beautiful, that much was certain, with hair that had probably not once been trimmed. Her eyes were hidden behind a mask of silver and obsidian just as Gakupo had said. “I’ve come for my sister, where is she?” He gripped his sword tighter.

“The Diva is not for you to save,” she said smiling. “If she is taken away, my beast will be very upset and everyone will die instantly.” She tipped her head slowly to one side, “you have a death wish upon you, don’t you?”

Len said nothing.

The others held to their own weapons firmly, just in case something were to happen. The Pythoness pointed toward Gakupo, her hand seemed frail and limp. “You are of Kamui blood, are you not?”

“I am,” Gakupo nodded sucking in a harsh breath.

“Yes,” the girl said with another kind of smile. “Your mother was another I saw in visions. She was a powerful scholar as I assume you are.” She said with a weak sigh, “it is a shame what tragedy befell her. What tragedy will befall you?” Gakupo narrowed his eyes but said nothing in return as the girl turned and glanced at Meiko. “Your dear Teto sang beautifully,” she mocked “I was sad to see her go as well.”

“You bitch,” Meiko hissed under her breath as the girl glanced at Kaito.

“You,” she said softly. “You are a face I have not seen for a long time.” Kaito’s smile had long since vanished. He nodded and bowed down quickly before resuming his cautious position. “You and I were to be kept great friends weren’t we?”

“Perhaps,” Kaito said with a pathetic smile “but one cannot change the past, so one can never know.”

“Wise words from a clown,” the girl said before raising her hand in such a way it appeared her wrist was broken. “Last words,” she corrected as her fingertips emitted a strange black shadow that slowly wrapped around the rest of her hand and begun sparking blue. The group faltered back a few steps and raised their weapons, ready to see what would come of this show.

“Rise my warriors of the past,” the girl said as many shadowy begun forming on the platform. One by one they turned a blue tint also, bubbling up and up until they grew into terrifying shapes. They at first appeared human but in no time their limbs deformed. Elongated body parts mixed with real ones and seeming to be broken with more joints than they should own. They seemed more like demons than humans.

“Fight for me,” the girl said as the things lunged forward. Len was the first to let out a battle cry, running forward and bringing his sword down on one of the creatures. It split in two but merely backed and rejoined before going after him again. The boy cursed under his breath as he went after them again.

The others were having the same luck as he. They would deal damage only to have the shadow reform and attack again. “This isn’t working!” Meiko shouted right away, dodging one of the claws that came for her.

“It’s a dark magic,” Kaito explained dancing away to barely miss the attacks himself. “We can’t use our weapons against them it doesn’t work.”

“Then what does work?!” The woman shouted, flinching on her bad side as she tried to get away.

“Magic can only defeat magic,” Gakupo said holding his own somewhere but even he was having a hard time. Maybe they would have been smarter just to run when they had the chance. He stopped a second and glanced back at the girl as she kept one hand raised, the other remained gripping her staff. Gakupo narrowed his eyes then looked where Len was.

He was just far enough ahead that he might be able to get to the platform…

“Len!” Gakupo shouted to get the boys attention. Len grunted but looked back only a second to show he’d heard before jumping back into the fight. “Go for the girl! If you can stop her, you can stop these things!” He shouted before doubling over in pain. A shadow from below winded him in the stomach. “Dammit,” he coughed before falling over.

“Gakupo!” Len called back as he knocked another shadow away. He heard Meiko and Kaito have the same problems. Meiko went down and a second later Kaito met the same fate. The boy leaned forward holding his sword out in front of him, pointing the tip at the Pythoness. She just smiled down at him from her platform.

The two stared at one another for what felt like forever, then she let her hand drop back down to her side. The shadows screeched loudly before sinking back into the cave floor. “Come at me then,” she scoffed to Len knowing exactly what he wanted.

He glared a moment before running at her. He lunged up the stairs and in one quick motion of his blade they collided. The girl blocked him with her staff, hardly having to put any pressure against it to keep him back. Len struggled as he glared at the girl. He didn’t want to hurt her; it wasn’t as though she had a choice in the fight but to fight back. It was that damn mask…

The girl smiled as she looked back at him. He was pressing all his weight on his weapon trying to get her to budge but she wasn’t about to. “You are foolish,” she said suddenly losing her smile. “You challenge the fates and you challenge me in hopes that you shall take on the beast. You are a fool if ever there was one in history.”

Len said nothing, only grunted and pushed harder trying to gain his footing one the stone steps. The girl narrowed her eyes behind the mask leaning down a bit as though he was actually starting to wear on her. They were each struggling against the other, faces to close their foreheads almost touched. “I’m going to save her,” Len snarled as he stared into the black holes of the mask where the girls’ eyes should have been.

The girl said nothing in reply, only held him there. Then she smiled and leaned in closer so her breath was against his, “you. Will. Die.” She whispered at him before throwing him back with a burst of light. Len had no time to react as he fell back down the stairs and onto the hard stone floor. His sword made a loud noise as it hit the ground and slide away from him.

The boy tried to open his eyes, tried to move, but the world grew dizzy around him. He could feel his head throbbing and then he felt the warm halo of liquid forming around his head. He’d been hit too hard, he was bleeding and like the Pythoness said… He was going to die.

“Rin,” Len said weakly as he tried to focus his eyes on everything. The others were still around him but they were broken as much as he was. Meiko holding her side, Gakupo holding his gut. He felt guilty again wanting to do something to help them but knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t save anyone now.

The boy flinched and cried out as he moved his arm up and grabbed the pendant. It was hot. He was close, he knew he had to be. He stared at it a second feeling the tears weld up in his eyes. He had come this far and now he wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing! The wave of dizziness passed over him again and he let his arm drop to the ground as he lay limp.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered before everything went black around him.

~

“He’s up there!” Rin shouted to no one as she looked up at the ceiling above her. She knew he was there and she knew he was fighting for her. She wasn’t sure who exactly he was fighting though. Was the fabled Pythoness up there? Was he winning, or was she?

<Sing!> The dragon demanded anxiously. Rin tried to ignore it though. She was done singing, shaking her head without looking at it. She just had to hold off for a little longer. He’d come and he’d save her. They’d get out of this hell and live happily ever after. He’d take her home to their parents in their little cottage house. They’d eat delicious foods and tell stories and sing songs to make everyone happy.

Then there was another loud roar from the dragon, this one was angrier than the last. Rin jumped and spun around quickly but by then it was too late. She remembered screaming but that was all she had time to do. The world then faded away and she was left alone.

~

The Pythoness looked down at Len, the heels of her boots clicked with each step as she hovered over him. He wasn’t moving and she was sure he wasn’t breathing at that point. She smiled at the sight and even lifted her delicate hand up to her mouth as she let out a frail high pitched laugh.

“I told you,” she said as she put her hand back down. The others by now had fainted from exhaustion and blood lose. “You and your sister are finished. Just like the Diva before her and the warrior before you.” She looked at the boy a second then turned and begun walking back for the platform.

“Miku…” A timid voice said from somewhere to the side. The girl flinched as she jerked her head back to the ruined bodies. Kaito was sitting up holding his side probably unaware than his head was dripping with blood. “What happened to you?” He coughed.

“I am the Pythoness,” the girl replied right away. “I watch over my beast and make sure no one threatens the peace I’ve created.” She smiled and turned away but he stopped her again.

“You didn’t always think that way,” Kaito said softly, leaning back against one of the broken pillars. “You use to…believe someone would stop this madness. Remember?”

“I don’t,” the girl snapped right away.

“I think you do,” Kaito said weakly. He was feeling the same dizziness the others had felt. He wouldn’t last long. “Miku… They took you away when you were young and they forced that damned thing onto your face. This isn’t how you are. I know you. Don’t you remem-”

“Silence!” The girl shouted snapping her hand up at him. A shadow raised up out of the ground and in one quick motion it’s bladed hand cut through the blue haired man. Kaito lurched with the attack, coughing up more blood. As the shadow vanished into the floor once again, the man fell forward and was motionless.

The girl shook as she let her hand fall back to her side. She glanced to the others though they were all still and probably would never move again. She breathed softly before turning back around. Something inside her told her it was wrong. Something told her she should be crying for them.

Even so…

She looked up at the blue light that poured from above, tears streamed down her cheeks from under her mask. “Please…” She said softly in a voice she hadn’t heard in a long time. “Please sing…”

~ Chapter Eight

You, young warrior, will be sung about for ages.

- Sonnet 17, Song of the Brave

~

Len heard his foot steps and saw nothing but white. The world had died around him leaving him in a bright nothingness. He felt a frown tug at his lips as he looked around trying identify his surroundings. He was all alone. Len cursed to himself as he reached desperately for the pendant. His fingers grasped the metal willing it to give him any warmth but it was only like ice now.

“Dammit,” he hissed before falling back against an invisible wall. “Dammit!” He shouted as it echoed and bounced off the invisible world around him. He said nothing more as he let one hand dangle to his side while the other covered his face in shame.

He felt weak.

Tears were burning in his eyes and he wouldn’t let them fall. This was the end, wasn’t it? Was he dead? He had to be… There was no other way to explain where he was or what he was doing. For what felt like forever the boy stood there trying to suck the tears back.

‘Sing…’

Len lifted his hand over his eyes and let it rest on his forehead as he looked out. There was a voice. It was quiet and it was unfamiliar but it was there.

‘Please sing…’

It beckoned in the brightness like a siren. It called for him and he wanted to call back but the strength had left his body long ago. He gasped and let the air leave him as he looked up at no one. Nothing. It was just him and the invisible wall.

‘Please sing…!’

The voice demanded. It begged. Len was tired and wanted to just sleep where he stood. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth as a song began. “I pray to protect. For the bright world…” a hushed voice sang. Len opened his eyes again startled. That wasn’t his voice, he hadn’t even murmured a note. He knew who it was though… “The bright world, where everyone can smile,” it sang.

Len said nothing at first then smiled. It was that song. The one he didn’t know but he’d heard in dreams, “I fight to put an end. I saw you crying alone,” he called to the brightness, standing firm and letting his voice carry. It was his song. It was their song.

“A song of hope, of light to tomorrow,” she sang sweetly.

“A song of despair, of shadow, to bury the past,” he sang in reply. The hand at his side suddenly met some kind of warmth. It wasn’t a solid object either, it was more soft and smooth. It was flesh and to more exact, it was another’s hand. He couldn’t help but smile again as he let his fingers wrap around the ones that were there. The warmth overwhelmed him at first as he listened to her sing again.

“Giving my life to it, I sing vigorously,” the girl sang, shifting enough so that Len could feel her against him. It wasn’t just an invisible wall anymore.

Len smirked, “your existence stolen from me, your voice ceases,” he sang louder. He felt her tense. He wanted to turn around, to embrace her for a moment but he stopped himself. He opened his mouth and sang louder, their voices melted into one.

“Let my voice float with wind ’til I die…!” She shouted.

“A sink for the never-ending rain till I die…!” He called in unison before turning over his shoulder. The girl that stood there didn’t look back at first. She was just as scared as he was. “Rin,” he gapped finding it hard to breath.

The girl jumped slightly then slowly turned back towards him, “L…Len?” She said in awe as the two just stared at one another for a long time. The same yellow hair, the same sapphire eyes, the same complexion. They were mirror images of one another of the opposite gender. “Len!” Rin smiled brightly, spinning fully around and reaching out for him.

Len opened his arms to catch her but when the impact should have come, it didn’t. The girl vanished right through him and then was gone. The boy froze finding himself staring at the empty world again. Had he imagined it?

No.

No, he couldn’t have. She was there. He’d seen her! They’d sung their song, she wasn’t a figment of his imagination anymore, she was real. “Where is she?” Len called spinning in tight circles looking for any sign of another presence. There was nothing there anymore. “Where is my sister!” He screamed and heard his voice shout right back.

He screamed again and fell to his knees punching the ground below him. He was tired and frustrated and was sick of games. The impossible path he’d chosen was finally wearing him down. He was exhausted and couldn’t stop the tears now. They fell freely from his tightly shut eyes, streamed down his cheeks and puddled on the floor.

“Why don’t you sleep little warrior?” The voice from before mocked him. The boy recognized it now as the Pythoness. “You’ve already lost. Give up. Sleep. Your sister is not far behind.” She laughed, “history repeats itself.”

Len’s eyes snapped open.

The world was brought back to life in a flash of blue light and Len was laying there in the midst of it all. The Pythoness had her back turned to him as she made her way up the platform steps. He didn’t hear his comrades and the painful thought of their demise crossed his mind. He grunted and forced himself to sit up but he was sore everywhere and his head was throbbing.

What had Gakupo said about defeating the Pythoness? Kaito said only magic would effect her but there had to be something else. Then Len remembered the fight he had against the girl, the way he’d looked into her eyes.

“The mask,” Len whispered to himself as he looked around for his sword. It was laying a couple feet away from him but seemed to be in better condition than he was. He hoped the girl wouldn’t hear him as he stumbled to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his friends bodies and none of them moved.

The girl hadn’t heard him yet but Len would have to be swift on his feet. As he wobbled and tried to stay balanced he couldn’t help but notice the soft humming coming from the blue haired girl. Was she trying to sing? He was confused a second but couldn’t waste time.

“Little warrior has fallen,” she sang to no one, her voice was broken and a bit distorted. “My, my, the Diva will be next.”

“Think again,” Len coughed without meaning to. The girl gasped and whipped her head around. Len knew he looked pathetic standing there, blood dripped down his forehead and down his arm. He wondered how long he had until he passed out again.

“Why do you get up?” She asked him nervously, the tears were dry on her face now. “You are foolish to try,” she said letting her smile slowly return. Len wasted no time as he turned and bolted for his sword. The girl lifted her hand and let the shadows wrap around like before. The demon shapes begun appearing again on the ground but Len dodged them with ease. He dipped down and scooped the sword up with his bad arm, wincing as he did.

The shadows screamed loudly and tried to get to him but he continued to move around and be missed. He gripped the sword tighter as he ran for the Pythoness, target in sight. She made the shadows move faster but Len still was untouchable. “No!” The girl screamed taking a few steps back, willing her minions to save her. “You cannot do this! It’s impossible!”

There was a loud clash of sword against metal and the shadows immediately fell back into the ground. Len panted hard as he stood along the girl, his sword now back down by his side.

The girl hiccupped and tried to suppress her sobs but found it difficult to even try. She raised her head and, for the first time, saw the blue light clearly. “How…?” She whispered in astonishment as one of her hands reached up and felt her naked face.

“I’m going to finish this,” Len hissed under his breath before making his way towards the platform. He was dizzy again but he had a feeling he knew where his sister was. “Rin,” he coughed grabbing the pendant that dangled from his neck. “I’m coming.”

The blue haired girl said nothing at first then turned around, “she’s waiting for you!” She cried at him. She had to say something now after all the hell she’d caused. “I believe in you young warrior!”

Len could care less what the girl had to say, running at full speed now towards the edge of the platform, ignoring his pain as he tried to find a way. He remembered Rin talking about the cave. The cave was down under the platform. It was carved out large enough to hold a dragon and if the Pythoness had chosen this for her home…

“Len,” he heard his sisters voice coming from the unknown. He glanced up as he neared the end and saw the shape he’d seen in his dreams. The girl with golden hair and sky blue eyes translucent like a ghost with her back turned to the boy. He reached out for her ignoring the blood that stained his fingertips.

“I’m coming Rin,” he said with a faint smile, tears reappeared in his own eyes as he felt himself drop. “I’m coming!”

~ Chapter Nine

The beast loved to play games, children, you see, and that was it’s downfall.

- Legends of the Warrior

~

Kaito coughed once before gasping for air. He winced and held his stomach looking around. Where was he? Didn’t he die? He remembered feeling little pain then being stabbed and then nothing. He recognized the inside of the cave they’d gone into and he noticed the same blue glow before. If this was heaven, it was a cruel place indeed. “I’m alive?” He asked scanning the room, deeply confused. “How?” He asked to no one.

Then Gakupo came into view, checking over his wounds. “Magic,” the man said simply. He himself looked beat up and past him Kaito could see Meiko.

“Magic?” Kaito asked noticing Gakupo had little scratches here and there but nothing looked too drastic. “What happened? I thought I’d died.”

“It seems we all thought the same,” Gakupo said with a weak smile. “A fine illusion if I do say so. You experienced the white space too didn’t you?” He didn’t wait for a reply as he looked back and moved enough out of the way for Kaito to see the frail Pythoness. She was kneeling down somewhere near Meiko, burying her face in her palms and he assumed she was crying.

“Illusion?” Kaito asked with a frown.

“Yes,” Gakupo said rubbing his head a bit. “It would appear the Pythoness has played a trick on our minds. She created those creatures and wounded us greatly but we didn’t die. Not quite. We were sent to a place where our minds were at ease. If we accepted death then it might have actually claimed us. When the boy broke her mask, we were revived. I’m not one hundred percent sure but that’s what seems to have happened. I’ve read of it in old magician’s logs but never seen it first hand.”

Kaito said nothing for a while then looked over at the girl, “Len broke the mask?”

“Yes,” Gakupo nodded with a long sigh, “it would appear so.”

Kaito wasn’t sure what to say about that at first, then looked over towards the girl, “how is she then? How is Miku?” Gakupo gave a questioning look which made Kaito laugh weakly, “ah. I guess I have some explaining to do.”

“Yes, you do.”

~

There was a dripping sound from above and a harsh breathing somewhere off to the side. Len regretted jumping right away. He shivered as he started gaining feeling back in his body. He was numb all over, arm aching worse now than before. He was laying in some kind of cool water only a few centimeters deep and he doubted that’s what saved his fall. The boy lay there a moment trying to bring himself back to life before he swallowed some of the liquids there. He choked and jerked up awake spitting out the mixture of iron and water.

Blood? Len looked down at the shallow pool he was soaked in. He first thought it was all from his arm, that he’d been knocked unconscious and bled everywhere. Then a jab of realization hit him and he jolted up scanning the room.

Where was Rin?

The Pythoness said she was waiting for him but where? He assumed she’d meant down here but there was no sign of the girl. There was no sign of anything for that matter. He took in all the sights of the cave. How vast it was and how dark it was. Where was the sky? He saw the glowing blue light from above but he couldn’t see clouds or stars. The smell was awful too; rot and must and mold and blood.

He limped to his feet, stumbling a little and looked around. It was huge and empty but there was no sign of the girl anywhere. “Rin?” He called weakly, his voice was too hoarse to rise above a whisper. He coughed again and held his side then looked for his sword. It’d fallen some what farther away this time. He glared at it and slowly went over kneeling and scooping it up. It was almost as beaten up as he was now.

Len’s eyes caught a glimmer of metal beside where his sword had been laying. He frowned in confusion then tipped his head to the side as he knelt down and picked it up. The boy felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at the shape of a music note. It matched his pendant perfectly though the shape was different. “Rin?” He asked it noticing how icy it felt, “Rin!” He shouted despite his aching throat.

His voice echoed through the cave but he got no answer in reply.

“RIN!” Len shouted at the top of his lungs, forcing back the coughing fits that arose. He spun in tight circles again, jerking his head every which way trying to find any sign of the girl. Just darkness and the mocking breeze that came from an unknown source. He was too late. How could he be too late?!

He screamed and fell to his knees, slamming his fists down. The ground shook slightly but Len was too distraught to care. This whole journey had been a waste after all, he thought to himself as he let the tears fall freely. There was no point in containing them now. People had died, villages had been ruined, his comrades and possibly friends were gone and now so was his sister.

The whole journey had been for nothing. No one was going to save him either, he’d die down in that cave as a broken child. No doubt they would bring a new Diva to take Rin’s place. Or maybe not. Maybe the Pythoness without her mask would be useless and they’d leave their deal with the beast.

“The dragon…” Len said to no one when he opened his eyes and lifted his head enough to scan the cave once more. He hadn’t heard from it yet and he was sure this was where it was. He hadn’t seen it leave… But he hadn’t seen it in here yet either. Perhaps it was sitting back and laughing at his misfortune, picking it’s teeth with Rin’s bones. The image disgusted the boy.

He stumbled back to his feet keeping his sword tight in hand as he stumbled around like a newborn calf. The cave walls all seemed solid. There was tiny opening here and there with smaller caverns but nothing a creature that big could slip out of. Then Len wondered if the creature really was a giant like the stories said. Maybe it could change size. Maybe it could sneak in and out through the cracks like a spirit.

“Come out!” Len beckoned loudly holding his sword in a neutral pose. “I’m not scared of you,” he said narrowing his eyes. The cave shook again and Len struggled at first to keep balance. When he caught himself he looked around again. A loud grumbling sound erupted from the depth of the cave and Len almost thought of it as a laugh.

“I’m not scared of you!” Len repeated more bold now than before.

The entire cave shook again, this time it was more violent. Len fell to one knee making sure his sword was still positioned. Then he saw it. One of the cave walls shifted and turned. It was spinning around like a humongous ball; but this ball had a tail and claws and scales.

Len felt the breath suck right out of him as he stared at it. The dragon from legend was standing there, hidden once by the groove of the cave. Now that it had turned around, Len could see all the details of it. It gave a throaty growl down at the boy, its massive red eyes watching him intensely. The scales were a green so dark it looked black. Teeth sharp enough that Len knew it could bite through steel. The wings were folded but Len could still tell the span had to be immense.

The dragon growled again then tipped it’s head to the side as if mocking him. Len grabbed his sword with both hands, arching back ready to strike and then he noticed the dragon was holding something in one of it’s clawed hands.

The limp form of a blond haired girl.

~

“Miku and I grew up in the same village,” Kaito said quietly still in a daze from the whole ‘dying’ thing. Gakupo was working on wrapping their wounds, ripping apart any spare clothing they had to offer as gauze. Meiko watched, holding her side tightly, while the lone Pythoness continued to stay off on her own. “She and I were actually close friends,” Kaito played with a smile but it was lost when Gakupo pressed too hard on his cuts. “When we got older we were both promised to be taught basic magic. Nothing big but just enough in case we ever had to use it.”

“A magician’s village then hm?” Gakupo said thoughtfully, “I knew they existed long ago but I thought their practices had died out. I would have never figured you to be one of them either.”

Kaito shrugged, “I never really had a knack for magic. That’s one of the reasons I moved on.” He trailed off and seemed to end his story there.

“What happened then?” Gakupo asked only half interested. Out of their little group, Kaito was the one he knew least about. He was curious but that didn’t mean he wanted a sob story.

“Miku took to magic well,” Kaito explained looking over at the girl who seemed to be completely oblivious to them talking about her. “She was gifted with it and that’s why they chose her to be the next Pythoness.” He frowned and stared down at the ground, memory of that day fresh in his mind. “I remember her crying and screaming and begging them not to put that mask on her when it was time. No one listened though. I remember,” he clenched a fist at his side “trying to get them away from her but they pushed me aside and told me it had to be done.”

Kaito paused again as he watched the ground. “When they finally got the mask on, she wasn’t Miku anymore.” He said softly barely glancing over at her. “She was different. Her entire attitude had changed and there wasn’t anything I could do to help. The Miku I knew was gone.” He was almost whispering at that point but at least he had Gakupo’s attention. “They took her away after that and I never saw her again. Reason number two why I left home.”

“You became a clown after that?” Meiko asked clearing listening in.

Kaito snorted, “if you want to call me that. I assumed a more carefree life would make me forget everything that happened. I thought it I smiled and laughed and pretended nothing had ever happened then the pain would go away.”

“It didn’t though,” Gakupo shook his head as he wrapped Kaito’s arm.

“Hardly,” Kaito nodded. “I just kept having nightmares about her every time I closed my eyes. That was when I met Len. He said he was looking for his sister, the Dragon Diva. I told him I’d go with him for protection but really…”

“You were coming for her,” Meiko finished. Kaito nodded again slowly. “Well hero, here we are. What are you going to do?”

Kaito looked over at Meiko, hardly amused then with a wince he stood up. Gakupo frowned at him but didn’t stop him as he wobbled to his feet and made his way over to the girl. The ex-Pythoness said nothing as she sat there, looking at the platform she once kept guard on. Her staff was resting further away from her, broken shards of the magical mask still lay on the stair steps. She had been crying and by now her eyes were nothing but red puffy orbs.

She either didn’t notice the others or purposely ignored them. The girl hiccupped and rubbed at her eyes then jumped when hands touched her bare shoulders. She spun her head around and saw Kaito kneeling besides her with a weak smile. “Kaito…?” Miku said softly, fresh tears brimmed her eyes once more. “I did a bad thing.”

Kaito didn’t say anything though. Just leaned close and pulled her against him a small embrace.

~

“Rin!” Len screamed when he saw his sister. The dragon tipped it’s head to the side and made another monstrous laughing sound, it’s claws wrapped around the girl. It was mocking him. Len growled and held tighter to his sword until his knuckles turned white. “Give her to me!” He shouted at it but the dragon didn’t seem to want to listen.

It snorted down at him then bared it’s teeth. It didn’t attack, it didn’t move, it just kept staring down at the boy intensely as if it were trying to tell him something. When Len didn’t budge, the dragon screeched loudly and shook the walls of the cave until the girl finally begun to stir. “Ow…” She groaned lifting a frail hand up and touching her head.

“Rin!” Len shouted again, watching her with desperate eyes.

The girl gasped then slowly begun to wake up as she looked down at the boy. Was this another dream of hers? The scene seemed all too familiar and yet the pain she felt assured her she was indeed awake. “Len?” She asked confused then struggled to sit up in the dragon’s clutches, “Len! Get out of here!”

“Not with you!” He replied right away. “I’ve come this far, I’m not leaving you now!” He wouldn’t leave though he didn’t know the way out even if he wanted to either. The dragon made another angry snarl down at him then screeched loudly once more.

Rin screamed and covered her ears, “it’s angry!” She shouted back down at her brother. “The…The dragon is saying it’ll spare your life if you leave now!”

“I’m not leaving,” Len said narrowing his eyes at the beast, “I defeated the Pythoness, I’ll defeat you too.”

That made the dragon even more angry. It’s eyes went wide and glowed faintly. It made a low growl in the back of its throat and slowly started to rear up. “L…Len! Get down!” Rin shouted but by then it was too late. The dragon lurked forward with a wide jaw, fire shot out at the boy. Len scrambled and managed to roll away from the flames but it was close, the hem of his cloak catching a blaze. He immediately tore it off and threw it aside. It’d be easier to fight without it anyway.

His shoulder throbbed and screamed at him not to move it but there was no way he couldn’t at this point. The dragon screeched again as it reared up once more. This time when it shot forward it stomped out of its little hole, tossing the girl somewhere to the side. Len saw a flash of white from the girls dress then heard a loud slamming sound when she hit one of the walls and fell. “Rin!” He shouted and started running for her but didn’t make it far as the dragon shot another wave of fire towards him.

The boy jumped back and managed to avoid the flames again but now the ground was hot, he’d have a hard time moving on it now; especially if his boots started to melt. He glared at the beast then looked back at his sister who was struggling to sit up. There was a gash on the side of her head that Len could see now. Staining the right side of her face. Not only that but her dress was ripped in places and her arms and legs didn’t look much better. She was pale too, probably from how much blood she’d already lost. If they didn’t get out of there soon, they’d both be goners.

Len gripped his sword again and turned to the dragon as it slithered up and stretched its wings as far as it could. This cave seemed so large and yet this beast could hardly even open up in it. Maybe this would be harder than he thought.

~

“What was that?” Meiko frowned as everyone silenced and tried to hear the sound again. A loud roaring followed by screams and the ground shaking under them.

“The dragon,” Miku said weakly as she stood there, half leaning against Kaito for support. “It sounds like your friend is fighting with it…”

“Is there anyway to tell whose winning?” The red knight asked glaring at the girl, still bitter about the remark she’d given her earlier; trance or not.

“The dragon is,” Miku said right away shaking her head. “There’s no way to stop it. I might have been able to control it before but now my mask is broken. No one can control it, no one can stop it.”

“Shit,” was all Meiko said as she turned and paced away from them.

“Then we have to get down there and help him,” Kaito said pushing the frail girl away from him gently. She looked at him with pleading eyes. “He’s our friend. We told him we’d fight with him and we’re just standing here waiting. He has a fighting chance, sure, but without us… He won’t get far.”

“Especially if he’s broken anything like we have,” Gakupo said shaking his head from the side. “He’s strong but that boy is foolish. If his sister is even still alive, neither of them have any hope of escape.”

“Hope is all they have now,” Miku muttered brushing some of her bangs back. She hadn’t realized how long her hair had gotten. She slowly made her way over to her forgotten staff, finding it hard to lift. The mask apparently had given her strength in more than one way. She held it firmly then turned towards Kaito, “I may not have my mask anymore but I’m not some petty magician. Maybe I can still communicate with the dragon enough to help them out. Maybe I can stall the attacks.”

“Are you sure?” Kaito asked with a stern brotherly look. “You’re out of practice aren’t you? Without the mask, I mean.”

Miku gave a tiny smile, “maybe. I have to try though right?” She slowly made her way up the steps. Without that mask on the terrifying Pythoness seemed like nothing more than a mere child really. An innocent girl taken away from friends and family and nothing more. It was as though the bitter cruel girl she’d once been had vanished completely. Even so, as she stood on top of the platform holding out the staff too big for her arms, she looked nothing short of powerful.

“Dragon,” Miku called softly as she closed her eyes and tipped the staff so it lay perfectly horizontal in the air. “Hear me now,” she said letting go of the it and holding her hands out with open palms. A faint blue light came off her finger tips and onto the staff, leaving it hovered in the air. “You will listen to me!” Even she wasn’t convinced of the words coming out of her mouth.

~

Len smashed against the cave wall and cried out before sliding down and holding his side. He was losing too much blood now, his vision was blurring and spotted; and with the dragon kept coming at him harder and faster each time, the boy had no recovery. At least Rin was safe for now, he thought looking over where the girl had fallen. She was still awake and still watching but in a daze. The dragon didn’t show any interest in her, keeping its attention only on Len. The boy frowned as he studied his sister closer. She seemed to be waving in some direction to the side lines but he didn’t dare turn is head away from the beast.

The dragon came at him again only this time was with claw and fang. Len stumbled to his feet and managed to dodge out of the way but it was quick to lash out. This time it caught the boy, pinning him against the nearest cave wall. Len flinched and tried to get it to let go but with all his jumping and dodging, he’d dropped his sword somewhere and his arm strength was shot. He heard screaming, probably from his sister, but his hearing was muffled. The boy looked up at the beast with narrowed eyes, daring it to kill him now.

The dragon snarled at him, twitching its snout as it started to retract another flame. It was going to barbeque Len right then and there and the boy welcomed it. What else could he do now? His only regret was that Rin was watching. All her hopes and dreams of being saved by a hero would be wasted. She’d see her hero go up in flames and then what? What would the dragon do to her? Would she go on having to sing? Would she drop dead from the blood lose when it finally caught up to her? Or would the dragon turn on her and do the same painful death it’d cause him?

Either way Len closed his eyes and waited. His body felt numb and maybe, just maybe, the death would be a fast one. The dragon lurched back enough to give itself enough room but right when it was about to release the flame, it stopped and jerked its head up toward the ceiling. It seemed annoyed if a beast could show it. Len glanced over toward Rin who was holding her head as though something was happening to her. “Rin?” He coughed out barely audible anymore.

The girl kept holding her head then slowly stood up and limped for something. Len turned his gaze to follow her and then he noticed what she’d been motioning towards. There was some kind of hole in the wall; a small cave inside the big one. Len weakly smiled when she slipped inside and even that hurt him. He looked back at the dragon that seemed to get more and more angry as it continued to gaze upward. The rest happened too fast for Len to really process.

The dragon threw him back down to the floor and leapt up to hit the top of the cave ceiling. The entire mountain shook as the dragon did it once more, screeching loudly up at it. What was going on up there? Len wondered as he looked around. He saw his sword laying there and scooped it up right away despite his aching limbs. Then his feet seemed to move on their own, scampering toward the smaller cave he’d seen Rin vanish into. The dragon wasn’t paying attention, it was his only chance.

Len fell back into the tiny cave with a painful groan and was immediately embraced. It took him a second to even realize who it was or what was going on but the second he did, he tossed the sword aside and held her back. “I’m sorry,” he said right away.

“Don’t be,” Rin replied. She sounded like she was crying. Len felt terrible knowing both of them were probably in a lot of pain but he didn’t loosen his grip at all. “Your hurt,” she said next.

“Not as bad as you are,” Len replied with the faintest chuckle. Everything ached, he knew some things were broken. “What happened back there?” He found himself asking as he finally, reluctantly, pulled back. He picked up his sword once more, reattaching it to his side.

“The Pythoness,” Rin said with a weak smile as she rubbed her eyes. “She’s trying to talk to it.” Len got a good look at her now. Her beautiful blond hair was mangled and stained with blood much like his must have been. Her eyes were red now from crying but they were the same blue he’d seen in his dreams. Her dress must have been once an amazing loosely worn sundress, now destroyed like everything else. She was there in the flesh though and that was all that mattered.

“The Pythoness?” Len asked suddenly when he’d come to. “How? I destroyed her mask.”

“That’s probably why it’s so mad,” Rin said peeking over her shoulder and glancing out where the dragon was. It was still angrily screaming up at the cave top. “It’s telling her she can’t control it anymore. It’s telling her it has no master anymore.”

“You can understand it?” Len asked finding himself sitting on some kind of stone plate, his legs had finally given up on him. He noticed a few small things here and there like a worn down pillow, half a blanket and some rotting food. He figured this was the closest thing she had to a bedroom.

“Of course,” Rin nodded, going and sitting beside him as she held her arm. “All the Diva’s can. It’s like… A sound in your head. It speaks to your through your thoughts.”

“Sounds annoying,” Len muttered as he looked over at her.

“Not really annoying,” Rin shook her head looking down at the ground. “It’s more painful than anything.” Len frowned as he watched her. She was so broken in more ways than one and he hated seeing her like this. “We’re going to die here aren’t we?”

“No,” Len snapped right away. “We’re not. I’ve come this far and I’m not-”

“You were ready to give up out there,” Rin said softly. “I saw it in your eyes. You were ready to die.”

“I-” Len tried but stopped himself. She was right. He’d been ready to give up out there. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I just didn’t know what to do… I still don’t. I knew this would be impossible but I never thought I’d be this tough. Rin, does it have any weakness?”

“I don’t know,” she said shaking her head. In all the years Rin had sang to the beast, didn’t she know of any weakness it had? Any at all? The only time it seemed powerless was when it was asleep and that only happened after she- “singing.” Rin said softly turning to look over at Len. “We sing to it.”

“Singing?” Len asked with a frown. “Rin, I don’t think this is the time for-”

“You don’t understand,” Rin said standing up. Len saw her flinch. “The dragon loves hearing songs. That’s it’s only weakness. It…It loves to hear songs. Any songs at all. That’s why it keeps the Diva in the first place isn’t it?”

“I don’t think it’s in the mood to hear songs right now though,” Len said motioning outward, “do you hear it? It sounds pissed off. It’s not going to just forget everything because we sing to it.”

“That’s all I’ve got,” Rin said with a weak smile. “You…do know how to sing don’t you?”

Len was taken back by that. Him know how to sing? Like a bird knew how to fly. He’d sang with her once before hadn’t he? Or was that still part of the dream? “Of course I sing,” he said frowning as though offended.

“Then we have to try it,” Rin said grabbing his hand and gently tugging him out. Len followed, limping all the while. He had a bad feeling but they had no other options at that point. They had to try it. If anything, they could at least die together; Len pushed the thought back out of his mind.

When they ventured out into the main cave, the dragon had calmed enough by now to stop it’s attacking. It growled up once more then snarled down as the twins stepped forward. It still wasn’t in a forgiving mood. It spread its wings as far as it could and screeched down at them. Len covered his good ear with his free hand, the other one still holding to his sister tight.

“We want to sing to you!” Rin called up to it in a voice that was hoarse. Len wondered how’d she be able to sing at all if she could hardly shout. “Please,” she said sighing a little. “I know you like it. Let us try and please you!” There was a long pause as the dragon just stared down at her. The two seemed to be frozen in the moment; Len watched confused. Maybe it was talking to her. It must have been because she replied, “yes. If we don’t please you.”

What was that suppose to mean? Len frowned and looked up at the dragon. No, it wasn’t in a forgiving mood at all. Even if they sang to it, what would happen? “All voices encounter light and lead to shadow. As the repeating history…” Rin started.

It was another song Len didn’t know but he opened his mouth anyway. “The thumping sound of the infinite world resounds.” The words just poured from his mouth at that point. Everything he was fighting for. Everything he had to live for. “To declare the end. All lives end and grow back.”

The dragon seemed to be listening, cocking its head to the side. Len wasn’t sure if that meant it was pleased or not. The boy licked his chapped lips and opened his mouth wider to belt out the song he didn’t know. Or maybe he did know it. Maybe somehow he’d heard it long ago and just forgotten. Either way, he sang.

And Rin sang too.

“Again in paradise of light and shadow… Let my wish reach there…!”

~ Chapter Ten

One pebble to create a landslide.
One boy to change the world.

- Legend of the Hero

~

“I hear singing,” Meiko said softly looking over at Miku and Kaito. The dragon would have done quite a bit of damage had the platform not been held by magic. The beast caused several quakes and knocked the girl down a few times but it seemed to have died down now. Miku was half clinging to Kaito for support as she nodded and looked back at the woman.

“It’s Len for sure,” Kaito said just barely hearing the words.

Miku nodded, “and I know that’s the Diva,” she added softly. “I’ve heard her voice many times before but never like this.”

“That’s because they’re twins,” Gakupo said frowning at one of the crevasses where the darkness formed and lead down below into the pit. “They’re one person split in two and together they’re whole again. If they weren’t twins then this journey would probably turn out the same as all the others before it.” He glanced at Meiko and saw her flinch, “I think they have a chance.”

“They don’t!” Miku cried shaking her head, “the dragon is big and dangerous and they’re just two kids. There’s no way they could survive fighting that thing. I tried to talk it down but it didn’t work. If I can’t control it, no one can.”

“Who says we have to control it?” Kaito smiled, “all we have to do is defeat it. Once it’s gone, the entire kingdom will be safe again.”

“One problem,” Gakupo said with a long sigh. Everyone turned to the scholar, “she’s right. There’s no way they could survive fighting that thing. Before the Diva was even given, many armies tried to destroy it and none survived. It was too strong.”

Everyone was silent for a bit then Meiko snorted and grabbed her sword, “then what the hell are we doing up here?”

“We can’t go down there,” Kaito snapped right away, “not in our condition.”

“Our condition? That boy down there and I’m willing to bet he has more injuries than any of us,” Meiko retorted angrily. “He shouldn’t even be alive at this point but he’s there right now fighting!” More silence passed as if everyone was thinking of what to do.

“He should be dead,” Miku said in a whisper. “I fought hard again him. He stopped breathing, I know he did. He should have died and stayed that way.”

“You killed us though too,” Kaito said frowning.

“Yes but I killed you all within illusions,” Miku said shaking her head, “I really went after him. I don’t even know how he’s gone on.”

“He’s trying to save his sister,” was all Gakupo said looking back at the hole. Everyone nodded, staring back into the abyss also. They could hear noise and they all knew the twins would be in trouble once the dragon came to its senses.

“I might be able to…” Miku muttered to herself suddenly before turning towards Kaito, “Kaito I need your help.” The blue haired man looked over at her and without hesitation nodded. “I’m going to try one last spell,” she said with a faint smile, “if it works, they might stand a chance,” she explained. He just nodded again.

~

Len heard Rin’s voice waver. Something was wrong. The dragon wasn’t attacking, just listening to them but Rin didn’t sound very good. She was trying to keep up and was trying to sing her parts but now and then she’d miss one of the beats to their invisible song. The dragon didn’t seem to notice but Len could. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and saw she looked even more pale. She stopped a second to cough before singing again. Len thought he saw blood.

They continued to sing, repeating most of the same words since the dragon didn’t know any better anyway, then Rin doubled over and went into a coughing fit. “Rin,” Len leaned over, resting an arm over her. She waved at him but continued to cough. She was bleeding… The boy frowned, narrowing his eyes as he watched her. She’d been singing her whole life for countless hours on end, of course her voice would be going out. He felt angry but he knew it wasn’t at her.

The dragon made an impatient noise, growling as it reared slightly. Len pushed Rin behind him, holding his arms open to block her from the beasts gaze as he continued to sing. “From the time we two were born alone, I’ve searched for the glass tears with an open mind,” he sang up at the beast. It came back down to a neutral pose but that didn’t mean anything. It was still angry that she’d stopped. “I’ve walked along this path and kicked dirt with the toe of my shoe searching for your voice for ever long year,” Rin stirred behind him but he didn’t dare glance back. “A way to find you, I’ll never know, but by hearing your voice in my heart I plea.”

The dragon tipped its head to one side as though it understand somewhat; Len knew it couldn’t possibly though. “Through the rain and sorrow, I’ll find your prison and break apart the chain that bind. Forever in light I’ll drag you from until the world in whole is yours and mine!” He wasn’t sure what he was even saying at that point, the words just came out in messes and jumbles.

The dragon understood them though. It screeched loudly and spread it wings again, arching back as it sucked in a breath. Len could see the sparks of flames already dancing on it’s fangs. Len cursed under his breath and reached to his side, thankfully he found his sword and held it firm. If only he knew what he was going to do with it… The dragon was just going to open it’s mouth wider and barbeque them on the spot. What good would his sword be?

“The gland,” Rin said pointing slightly out with a bloodied hand. Len froze a second then looked at where she was pointing. The dragon’s mouth was opening wider and wider and if the boy squinted enough he could see it. The fire was forming around one spot in the mouth and spreading to the rest of the jaw. Maybe if he hit it…

“Right,” Len said turning his sword on its side and positioning himself. He’d never been one for throwing things, he didn’t have enough arm strength to really launch anything that far or that high. He’d never tried for one thing. Not only that but the sword wasn’t an aerodynamic spear or anything. It was a clunky metal object with a heavy handle. There was no way he could aim it enough to hit the dragon’s gland.

He had to try something though because the flames were getting bigger now. Each moment feeling like a stop motion in time. Rin quivered behind the boy as he tried to ignore his throbbing shoulder. “Come on…” He glared at the beast trying to hold the sword as straight as possible. The dragon made another loud roar, arched up again then slammed it’s body down on the ground opening it’s jaws wide. Fire shot out but somewhere in the moment Len saw an opening. “Hold on Rin!” He shouted, throwing the sword through the center of the flames.

Rin screamed and wanted to get out of the way but there was too much fire. Len grunted and quickly spun around, throwing his hands over his sister. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for impact; his body wouldn’t be able to shield her, they’d both be burned to a crisp. He heard the dragon roar in pain but he wasn’t concerned about that for the moment. He tensed up at he felt the heat wave wrap around them. He expected it to be much hotter…

He snapped his eyes open and paused a moment before cautiously turning back. It was warm but not burning or even hot for that matter. “What is that?” Rin asked looking past the boy. The flames had risen around them angrily but didn’t actually touch the children. Instead, they seemed to go over them in a dome shape before slowly dying down. When they were almost completely gone the twins could see the thin glowing blue shield around them.

“Magic,” Len found himself saying with a tiny smile glancing upward. Kaito no doubt. His happiness was cut short though by the loud screeching the dragon was making. Both of the twins turned to look as the dragon lashed about, muzzle wide open as if trying to shaking something from it. “My sword,” Len said when he saw a glint of metal. The two continued to watch as the beast bashed it’s head against the walls trying to get the object off. Len was surprised he hit it at all.

To their surprise, no fire came out past a few sparks that couldn’t catch hold of anything. “Len,” Rin said tugging at his arm. The boy flinched but looked back at her. “Now’s our chance,” she said pointing up ahead. Len tried to look but couldn’t see anything apart from the little groove in the ground where the dragon had been. “The way out, come on,” she said starting to run and taking him with her.

He stumbled a bit and felt his muscles screaming at him to stop and rest but he couldn’t. For being nearly dead, his sister had a lot of fight in her. The two were quick, managing to slip past any falling rocks and get around the massive beast that paid them no mind at all. Into the groove they dipped down and kept running towards the wall. Len frowned, there wasn’t an exit anywhere in sight, had his sister gone mad? “Rin, there’s nothing he-”

“There is! Just trust me!” She called back to him, forcing him to keep running. As the dragon thrashed about the cave shook and seemed more and more unstable. Eventually they hit into the far wall and the girl begun feeling around. “It’s here somewhere, I know it is.” She said moving around. Len just stood there watching but wasn’t sure what she was looking for. It all looked solid to him. She truly had gone mad in that cave…

Len looked back at the beast as it continued to whip its head around. Then he saw it in a flash of steal, the sword went flying somewhere near by. The boy wasted no time running for it as the dragon snorted and tried to recover. “Len!” Rin shouted back at him but he wasn’t listening. It wasn’t far, he could easily reach it. He caught it and went running back and that was when he noticed it. His sister’s hand was half in the wall, rippling as though it was going through stone-colored water.

He asked no questions as he grabbed her hand and dove right in. The two of them squeezed inside and instantly all the noise from inside the cave was gone. Their bodies felt heavy but in an odd sort of way. They moved and spoke as if natural but the feeling was very compressed. Len looked back at Rin for an explanation, “I think it’s a magical entrance they created in order to come down into this cave.” She explained.

“It’s better than jumping, that’s for sure.” Len muttered, remembering his throbbing limbs.

“We’ll be safe here,” Rin said coughing a bit, wiping away any dried blood. They both were a wreck. “We can stay and rest for a bit then leave.” She suggested as Len attached his sword back to his belt. The girl started to lean against the wall but Len shook his head and tugged her back into walking.

“No,” he said sternly. “My friends are still waiting for me.” He wasn’t even sure of that. Kaito was obviously alive but the others… “Besides, I’m pretty sure that thing isn’t going to stop.” Rin looked at Len desperately. He knew she was as tired as he was but either way she nodded and followed after him as he went deeper into the crevasse. “How far away is the exit?” He asked as he reached out to try and feel ahead. It was cool and once in a while he felt a breeze but he couldn’t actually see a way out. The entire field they were in was distorted and dark up ahead no matter how much closer they got.

“I’m not sure,” Rin said keeping up so well she almost stepped on Len’s heels. “I just discovered that it was here a little while ago. I’ve never been inside and I’ve never seen the way out. Do you think I would stay here if I had?” Good point. Len just nodded and he kept going. He felt stupid for asking really but he’d hoped if she knew it was here she’d know something about it. This tunnel could go on forever for all they knew. “There must be a way out though,” Rin assured as if able to hear her brothers doubts. “I think this is how they bring food and water and clothes and everything else. Maybe it’s even where they brought me…”

Len had never given it much thought. When he thought about offering the dragon its Diva, the boy had just gotten a picture of them tossing babies into the mountain. It seemed farfetched but it wasn’t like he had anything else to go off of. It wasn’t like he pictured magic as a main medium a dragon would use… “What are your friends like?” Rin asked after the silence begun eating at her. “They must be nice if they’re your friends.”

“They’re fine,” Len said not sure how to answer. He wouldn’t exactly call them ‘friends’ but that’s pretty much what they were; even if they weren’t the boys first choices. Friends were people you enjoyed being around, who understood you and stood by you through hell and back. Friends were the ones who you trusted with your very life. Then again, in way, that’s what the little group was weren’t they?

“I’ve never had friends before, of course,” Rin said softly. Len felt bad now. He’d taken so much for granted. The girl hadn’t even seen the sky before! He felt like a low life when he thought of all the times he’d glared at the rain clouds or cursed the plants for not growing. Rin could sing about flowers but she’d never smelled one before.

“Kaito is kind of strange,” the boy said suddenly. “He found me when I first started looking for you. He didn’t ask a lot of questions either, just said he’d come with me. It was nice because I didn’t like being alone.” Len remembered before Kaito got there. When it was just him. Sometimes he preferred the emptiness of being by himself, but having someone else there was just so much better.

“Gakupo is a scholar who use to work in the palace. He’s more serious than Kaito is and he likes to scold me but… I appreciate it more and more.” Like a much older brother or the father the boy never really had. “Meiko just joined us when we escaped the castle-”

“You escaped the castle?” Rin asked in somewhat of an awe. “I’ve had visions of the castle and the dragon had brought things back from it but… I always assumed it was difficult to get away from.”

Len laughed, “yeah well it wasn’t easy.” He said as he kept trying to feel up ahead. “It’s been a long and pretty bad journey to get here,” he said to the girl, though it sounded more like he was talking to himself. “I always knew it’d be hard but I wanted to save you. I knew you were alive.”

“Why did it matter to you so much though?” Rin asked frowning. He felt her grip slipping and he quickly held on tighter.

“Because you’re my other half,” Len said simply. “Without out, I’m just… I’m nothing.”

“I know how that feels,” Rin said. He was pleased when she gave his hand a gentle squeeze in reply. “I’m glad you came to get me.”

“Me too,” Len said forgetting all about any physical pain he felt. His shoulder was still shattered, his muscles were aching and sore, even his vision now was blurring but it didn’t matter. They were so close to getting out of there. “Don’t worry Rin. I’ll get you out of here even if it’s the last thing I do.” Len spoke the last part quietly, faltering when his hand hit something solid.

~

“Did it work?” Meiko asked when the entire cave was silenced. They all were hushed as they listened for any sign the twins were still alive. There had been a loud scream from the dragon, the rumbling of earth and then…

Nothing.

“I’m not sure,” Miku said softly, closing her eyes to try and concentrate more. Something felt off but she had no idea why. Kaito stood beside her, panting slightly. He hadn’t used that much magic in a long time, it was a miracle he hadn’t fainted from it really. “I can’t feel the dragon,” she said at last looking towards the others again.

“So it could be dead,” Meiko said with only a hint of relief.

“Somehow I doubt that.” Gakupo said shaking his head as he tried to listen. Nothing. There was nothing to go off of to know who was alive, dead or even both. “Is there some way to get down there?” He asked turning to one of the gaps in the ground, “aside from jumping?”

“I’m not sure,” Miku said again looking down. “The dragon can fly but… I don’t know anything other than that. I know others come once in a while to bring things to the Divas but I don’t know how they do it or even when.”

“Well that helps,” Meiko said shaking her head as she looked around. There had to be some way down right? Okay, so there didn’t have to be a way, but it would be nice if there was something. If the dragon really was dead… “How do they get out?” She asked to no one in particular. They all looked over at the red lady confused. “The twins,” she explained. “If they’re down there and the dragon is dead how do we get them out of there?”

“That’s a good question,” Kaito said with a sigh when he regained his composer. “I thought there was a way down for them to bring things to the Diva but… I don’t really know anything.” Why hadn’t he ever paid attention? Didn’t Gakupo know anything? “Gakupo. Isn’t there anyway down there? Something you read?” Gakupo said nothing so Kaito assumed it was a no. He turned to Miku, “there’s no way to know if they’re alive? Even a little bit?”

“Nothing I can think of,” Miku shook her head. “There…is a strong spell I know though. Or use to know anyway. Back when I was the Pythoness…” She frowned as the others glanced over at her. “It’s like a pulse. Sonar, rather. It’s a wave of magic that goes out. I can feel everyone in the area, where they are, the build of the mountain. Things like that. It’s just…really powerful. It takes a lot of magic.”

“You’re too weak right now,” Kaito muttered shaking his head also. “We just have to trust that Len will be back alive. With his sister.”

“What if they’re dead?” Meiko asked softly. “Do we just wait here forever for someone who might not even come back?”

“No,” Gakupo said glancing back the way they came. “No doubt Luka’s army will revive and come after us again. We’ll wait here for another day at the most. If he’s not back by then…” He trailed off and left it at that.

“I guess that’s fair-” Meiko tried as Kaito went over to the ledge.

“Len!” He called down it, only hearing his echo in return. “Hear that? You have a day to get back up here or we’re leaving without you! Stop playing around!” He shouted before coughing and leaning down on one knee.

“I don’t think he heard you,” Miku said softly.

Kaito just smiled and looked back at her, “no. He heard me. I know him. He’s good at listening.”

~

“Was that them?” Rin asked looking over at her brother as he pressed against the invisible wall. He grunted and groaned in frustration before pulling back and panting a bit.

He nodded slowly before looking up. The voice was quiet and distorted a tad but he knew it well enough by now. “Yeah. That sounded like Kaito,” he said quietly. He only prayed Gakupo and Meiko were safe as well. The Pythoness was defeated but that didn’t mean anything. The others could still be dead. “Looks like we’ve hit a dead end though,” Len said shaking his head. He had been at it for a while now. Pushing and kicking and attacking this stupid invisible wall and nothing was happening. He couldn’t even see the damn thing!

“Is there another way out?” Len asked in frustration. He heard Rin shake her head before he actually saw her do so. He cursed under his breath and reached out again. It just felt like a solid glass wall. It was cool to the touch but… It wasn’t moving. Who knew how thick it was or where it even lead. It was hopeless to think about it as an exit; but where was that damn breeze coming from? “Rin, you do feel that too right?” Len asked frowning. “That air?”

“Yes,” Rin nodded, “I’m not sure where though.”

Len nodded also, closing his eyes as he tried to feel anything else. A keyhole. A slip. A knot. A weak spot in the cool glassy surface. There was nothing though… “Why?” Len asked to no one. He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, resting his forehead against the wall. “We’ve come this far… Why can’t we get out?” He asked feeling some kind of emotion. Anger, sadness, guilt, he wasn’t sure which one. He just felt sick.

“Len,” Rin said softly as she reached out and rested her hand on his shoulder. He flinched but didn’t move away from her. “It’s not your fault. You’ve already done so much.”

“That’s just it!” Len found himself crying. Those were tears streaming down his cheeks weren’t they? He ignored them, “I don’t want this to be the end! I fought armies to get here. I defeated the Pythoness. I killed the dragon! After all that, this is what’s going to stop us from having our happy ending?” They were going to die there. There was nothing for them if they went back and there was no way to move forward. There was nothing anymore. This was the end.

Rin just stared at him for a while then smiled, “you’re right. You have done so much.” Len didn’t seem to be listening. “It is strange though,” Rin said reaching out and touching the invisible wall. It was cool to the touch but in a different way now. It was still just as solid though, “I was sure this was the way they got in and out…” She frowned and rubbed it gently. “Len. Who is in charge of what happens to this place? Out there? Is it the Pythoness?”

“What do you mean?” Len asked looking back at her. “I guess it’s the Pythoness… She controls the dragon and everything…”

“There must be someone else though,” Rin said confused. “If you defeated the Pythoness, and the dragon. Why can’t we get out? Do you think it’s some kind of strange security default? Make sure if anything happens, the Diva can’t escape?”

“Maybe,” Len said trying to think a moment. That would make sense. It would be unfair but it would make sense. Either way, they were still going to rot there.

~ Chapter Eleven

I’ve turned the tables on the gods.
The fates have laughed at me and I’ve laughed back.
Don’t tempt me.

- The Hero against the World

~ ~

“Len. I told you not to play with it,” his mother scolded him.

Len frowned but let go of the pendant, letting it drop back around his neck. “It itches,” he insisted. She made him wear it even to bed. What kind of mother was she? He could suffocate in his sleep from the stupid thing. She went over and began tucking him in, kissing his forehead before she was finished.

“I know. It’s very special though,” she insisted sitting on the edge of his bed. “It’s part of a set.”

“A set?” Len asked curling up into his pillow. He was only seven summers or so by this point. Hardly caring about legends and spells and magic.

“That’s right,” she said with a faint smile as she reached out and poked his nose playfully. He laughed of course, faltering back into his sheets. “There’s the Bass clef pendant that you have around your neck now. Then there’s the Treble clef pendant someone else has that is very important to her too. The two communicate to one another.”

Len had no idea what that meant especially since he was falling asleep. “It’s the third pendant though that is important. The Alto clef will be the one to save you in the future.” Len said nothing though before drifting off into a deep sleep.

~ ~

Rin had fallen asleep some time ago; probably too exhausted from all the running around they’d done. Not to mention the stressful singing. Len was sitting besides her thinking how ironic it was. He’d dreamt of seeing his sister and being with her through the good and bad times but this was ridiculous. They’d been down in that little hole for who knew how long. They had to have missed their hour deadline, just sitting and waiting. He was sure the others had gone by now. If the dragon was still alive, it hadn’t done anything big enough to notice.

Len was just staring into the blackness of the tunnel, disappointed in himself more than anything. He played with his pendant trying to think of why this would happen to them. “What’d we do to deserve this?” Len asked himself mindlessly as he twirled the pendant more and more, thinking of when he was still just a child. His mother had known that the two would one day find each other through the necklaces. Some how it seemed she’d always known about everything.

It wasn’t uncommon though. The child of an Oracle or scholar or wizard or something to that effect was often taken to be the new Diva. The way his mother talked, Len assumed she was an Oracle of sorts. Always saying things like ‘this will happen one day’ and sure enough it would. It didn’t mean anything now though. She was no Oracle and they were still going to be trapped their until death came biting at their ankles.

“Mom,” Len whispered softly glancing up, “what am I suppose to do now?”

~ ~

“They’re going to come for her you know,” she said to the blonde mother. “Because of who your husband was.”

“I know that,” she replied rocking her two babies to sleep. They were hardly a few days old. “It’s not his fault. Neither of us could ever have known.”

“I can help,” the other woman said with a smile reaching out and stroking one of the babies. She couldn’t tell which one it was though. “The Oracle has told me plenty. I know the outcome of this ordeal but… I might be able to help change it.”

“How?” The blonde one asked weakly. “They’ll take Rin away and I’ll never see her again.”

There was silence between the two a moment and then a small boy stepped forward with a book of sorts. He had hair the color of eggplant that was just barely long enough to be tied back in a horsetail. His clothes were too large for his body but he’d grow into them eventually. “Mother?” He asked staring up at the woman.

“Thank you Gakupo,” she smiled and reached down taking the book and opening it. “I’ve read about a set of pendants forged from the magic of the Pythoness herself. They have a gift about them. Two can communicate to one another in harmony while the third is merely a gateway.”

“I don’t understand,” the blonde one said frowning a bit.

“It means,” the woman pulled out two odd shaped music notes that dangled on silver chain. “That so long as your babies wear these, they will never be apart, in hopes that one day they will find each other again.”

The blonde mother took them, examined them a few times then looked back at the bundles in her arms. “Their lives will be full of strife…”

“Yes, but the necessary steps have begun to keep them safe and ensure they a peaceful future. Even after we’re long gone.” She flinched a bit by her own words. “Please. Make them wear these at all times.”

“I will,” the blonde mother said again then looked back at the other woman. “What about the third pendant though? The one that’s said to be a gateway?”

The woman smiled at that and reached down patting her son on his head, “don’t worry. It’s like I always tell you. It’s all taken care of.”

~ ~

“His time is up,” Gakupo sighed in annoyance as he stood up. His leg were stiff and throbbing still from the fight earlier. “He’s had his chance to be the hero.” He muttered looking around before taking a few steps.

“We can’t leave him like this though,” Meiko frowned as she stood also. “It’s not right. If it was us down there he wouldn’t hesitate to try everything physically possible to rescue us.”

“True,” Gakupo said softly rubbing his temples as though he was even more annoyed though it was hard to tell why. Kaito said nothing, only stared at the crevasses that lead downward. Miku hadn’t said anything in a long time and the blue haired man wondered if she hadn’t just fallen asleep. “My… My mother gave her life for this day.” Gakupo said suddenly.

The two turned to look at him. “No, she didn’t.” Meiko said softly, “she gave her life because she didn’t want to be imprisoned by the rulers of the kingdom who would have used her gifts for evil. She was a wise woman and wisdom is feared by those in power.”

Gakupo scoffed, “is that what they’re telling you now?” He walked around the interior of the mountain cave looking carefully at the walls and platforms, making sure each one was secured. “My mother wasn’t an Oracle but she was very close to the one that rules the kingdom now.”

“Luka?” Meiko frowned, “but she would have just been-”

“A child,” Gakupo nodded, “and much easier to persuade into spilling any secrets about the future.” He stopped by one stone in the wall, reaching out and felling it before shaking his head and moving on. “The Oracle’s gifts are strongest when they are still young. Fresh minds eager to grasp the unknown. My mother may have taken her own life, but it was in hopes I’d move forward to this day. Everything had been part of her original plan from the beginning. Kaito, she knew you would come looking for the Pythoness. Meiko, she knew you would turn against Luka and follow us from battle to battle after Teto’s death.” He stopped again feeling another part of the cave wall. “She knew I would come with Len if he told me his journey here. Every one of us has played a role in this day.”

“What day?” Kaito asked bitterly.

“The day we finish this whole damn thing,” Gakupo said reaching under his robes and pulling out a music note shaped pendant. “Tenor granted,” he said as the entire wall glowed a faint orange color. Everyone was now on their feet, including Miku who must not have been asleep after all. They all looked towards Gakupo for an explanation. “This whole mountain was carved from magic,” he explained as the walls returned to their normal color. “There was a secret entrance that lead down into the bottom of the pit to deliver the Diva the things she needed when she needed them. However, the only way to get down there, was with the use of this pendant.” He turned around and showed off the necklace.

“It’s like Len’s,” Kaito said confused.

“Yes,” Gakupo nodded putting it back in his robes. “The set. This pendant has bee passed down for generations through the castle but only the highest scholars are suppose to keep them. Others may use it but it must be returned back or else.” He didn’t bother to continue that train of thought. “I was hoping Len would find his own way out but it seems we’ve put too much faith in a mere child.” He pressed against the stone wall but it didn’t appear solid. Instead, his hand rippled right through it like it was immersed in water.

“Gakupo?” Meiko asked in shock. The group slowly made their way over to the older man.

He just gave a faint smile and nodded, “come on. Let’s get that brat out of here.”

~

Len just kept staring at the wall. He felt cold now and even he was starting to feel hungry and tired. How long had it been since he’d eaten a good meal? It seemed selfish compared to the hell his sister had gone through. He closed his eyes and felt his body go numb. He was slipping… He could easily let his mind drift off and then he could-

He snapped his eyes awake again. No! He couldn’t fall asleep. If he did, he might not wake up. He frowned at the thought and reached over to check the sleeping girl beside him. Good, she was still breathing. He let out a sigh of relief and stared up at the ceiling. She apparently had the stamina of a god. He wouldn’t have been able to go through all she did and make it this far. Then again, maybe he already had in his own way.

“I have to stay awake,” Len told himself though he wasn’t sure why. If they both fell asleep and died here, would it matter? He wanted to save her and he did. Maybe this was a fitting end to their journey after all. He closed his eyes again and opened his mouth deciding to push back any thoughts of death and sing like he’d done in the past. “The number one princess in the whole entire world, I promise to be by your side.”

When had he taken his sisters hand? Was it when they’d first sat down? He couldn’t remember. All he knew was that he could feel it now and gave it a gentle squeeze. “So please smile. Don’t show me sadness. In my point of view, we are one when we’re together.” He smiled a bit at his words, “you’ve got to be kidding if you think that I will get away from you.” He was drifting again. Maybe death wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“You’re kidding me,” a voice snapped Len from his peaceful thoughts. The boy jumped and turned seeing no one there; just that same invisible wall of nothingness. Though…it did feel a bit warmer all of a sudden. “We come all the way down here, thinking you’re fighting dragons and rescuing fair maidens and you’re sleeping!” That was Kaito’s voice wasn’t it?

Len was speechless as he felt the girl beside him stirring. “Len?” She asked rubbing her eyes with her free hand. “What’s going on.”

He didn’t bother to reply, only pulled them both up to their feet as he watched the dead end. There was more laughing and teasing he couldn’t quite understand and then… A hand went through. Len pushed Rin behind him just in case. Bit by bit the body emerged from the wall. Gakupo. Not far behind him was Meiko, Kaito and the Pythoness girl. “How-?” Len asked still fairly speechless.

“Magic,” was all Kaito with his usual grin. He paused a second only to glance around Len and look over at Rin. “This must be the Diva. Wow, she does look just like you.”

“Nice to meet you,” Rin replied shyly still a bit taken back also.

“That’s good and all,” Gakupo said glancing back, “but we should get out of here. I don’t know about all of you but I’m feeling a bit cramped.”

“Right,” Meiko said, shoving Kaito back through the wall. Miku merely followed close behind, still feeling a tad guilty for what she’d done, especially when she saw the two there. Gakupo waited for them to go before turning back to the twins.

“You’re not hurt I hope,” he said frowning.

“No. We’re fine,” Len said still very confused. “I don’t understand… The wall. It was solid. I tried everything.”

“Yes, I assumed as much,” Gakupo nodded. “There’s a magical ward on this place. If you know how to avoid it all, you can slip through the cracks and get out unharmed. If not, well, we have heard the stories of the failed heroes,” he turned and started to go but Len caught his arm.

“You did something didn’t you?” Len asked narrowing his eyes.

Gakupo didn’t look back. “Perhaps so. Perhaps not. One day I may tell you but for now, let’s just get you two out of here.” Len hesitated before letting the man go. Gakupo slipped into the darkness and vanished altogether. Then the blonde boy looked back at his sister, “Rin. Are you ready to get out of this place?”

The girl was hesitant but smiled and nodded slowly, “I was born ready.”

~

One by one the group emerged from the hole in the wall and back into the whole of the mountain. “Well that was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever done,” Kaito said looking himself over to make sure nothing had happened to him in the process.

“You’re telling me,” Meiko said looking back at Gakupo came out followed by the twins. “Well now, this is the dragon Diva?” The woman asked with a smirk as she looked at Rin, who was busy looking around curiously.

“This was the sky I saw every day?” She asked in awe. “I guess I really haven’t seen stars.”

“Allow us to take you them then milady,” Meiko said bowing. Rin was a bit confused by that and even the others were wondering what she was doing. “I failed in saving the last dragon Diva. I’m sorry… But I was glad I was able to help rescue at least you.”

Rin just stared a moment then nodded and curtsied back, “thank you. I am forever grateful to you.”

Meiko stood back up and looked towards the only exit she could find. “Well now that that’s over. Shall we?”

They all nodded and headed for it but they hardly had to take three steps before Miku stopped and held her head. A moment later, Rin did the same. Both girls flinched in pain and it was Len and Kaito who went to their side. “What is it?” Len snapped right away.

“The dragon,” Rin said through clenched teeth. “It…It’s not dead…not even close…!”

Miku winced and almost fell to her knees had it not been Kaito who caught her, “and it’s not very happy…” She added.

Suddenly, the entire mountain shook sending each one of them to the ground. “I thought it was dead!” Kaito shouted over the noise of the rumble. “Len killed it didn’t he?” He asked looking towards the boy who seemed just as confused if not more so.

“I thought I did,” Len said grabbing his sword that rested by his side. The blood stains were finally dry on the blade.

“You thought wrong,” Gakupo said narrowing his eyes, “takes more than that to kill a dragon. We have to get out of here before it takes down the entire mountain!” The roaring noise was heard from below them as the cave shook more and more, the walls were crumbling, the platform was breaking. “Run!” The man shouted making a run for the exit.

Kaito nodded and scooped Miku into his arms, following after the scholar. “Len!” Meiko shouted running over to the twins, “I can carry her.” She offered when she noticed both of them seemed exhausted. The boy nodded and helped get Rin up. Meiko held tightly to the girl as she made a break for the others. Len went right after her as the platform crashed down and out screeched the huge beast.

All of them turned to look upon it’s black scales and glowing red eyes. It screamed at them, clawing and snapping trying to get out of the hole. “Dammit!” Kaito shouted as they went running again. All but Len who was glaring at the dragon with the same intensity as before.

“Len!” Meiko shouted when they had reached the arch of the exit. “We have to get out of here now!”

Len said nothing for a long time, fist clenched around his sword handle. “Go!” He called back to the others before he stepped forward into a defensive stance. “I can’t let it escape.”

“No!” Rin shouted back at him but Meiko wasn’t about to let her go. “No, the cave is collapsing! Len, you have to run!”

Len didn’t look back at them though, “if I can hold it here long enough for the mountain to fall, then it will stay dead. Meiko, get my sister out of here,” he said before running towards the beast.

“No!” Rin screamed as Meiko nodded and bolted out of the cave. No one in the group looked back as the blonde haired girl screamed some more, reaching her hand out for her brother. “LEN!”

Her voice echoed through the mountain, over the rumbling and noise of the falling rocks. There were loud screeches coming from the dragon inside and a battle cry was heard from the boy. Rocks and boulders were falling from every direction, the group had to dodge to their best ability. “There!” Kaito shouted when he spotted the day light outside. No one stopped.

One by one they spilled out of the mountain and onto the path they’d followed in the first place. They collapsed into the grass, ducking in case any debris hit them. The whole ground shook for a long time and then everything was still. Everyone was still in shock at what had happened as Rin scurried to her feet weakly, cupping her mouth over her lips. “Len!” She shouted some more as the tears rolled down her cheeks. “Len…!”

~ Epilogue

A journey ended is a journey begun.

- Anonymous

~

“Mistress Megurine,” Ruko said bowing down before the Oracle. The woman turned to look down at the warrior frowning. Ruko made no eye contact, “forgive me. The men have faltered back and returned to better suit themselves to fend off the dragon but we fear they-”

“It’s too late now,” Luka said raising her hand to silence the girl. Ruko looked up confused as she turned and stared out the nearest window, expression blank and emotionless. “They’ve already completed their quest. The journey is over.”

“Mistress?” Ruko asked slowly rising, “I do not understand.”

“They’ve rescued the Diva and destroyed the dragon,” Luka explained with a little sigh, closing her eyes as she remembered her most recent visions. “There’s nothing left for us to do. We could arrest them, we could kill them, but it would do nothing. They’ve already finished…”

“I see,” Ruko frowned looking towards the window also. “Then this boy really was the one.”

“Perhaps,” Luka said opening her eyes again and offering a faint smile. “Heroes have to die eventually after all.”

-

“What do we do now?” Miku asked as they walked along the dirt road, heading back for the towns. No one had spoken for hours. They all had watched the mountain collapse in on itself. They’d all waited for Len to magically appear. They all listened when Rin screamed until her voice gave out. There was nothing left to do but leave and go on with their lives.

“Not sure,” Gakupo said frowning, holding his arm. “The dragon is dead. We’ve started the first ripple in a series of many. There will be no more Divas, no more need of a Pythoness, no more fear of the great beast. Whole kingdoms will have to learn how to live all over again.”

“What do we do though?” Miku asked softly, leaning against Kaito. He’d been carrying her for a while, even though she knew he was probably getting sore and tired from doing so. She told him she could walk on her own but he refused to put her down; afraid she’d vanish again. Then there was Meiko who was still carrying the fallen angel. Rin cried herself into exhaustion hours ago and even in sleep the tears rolled down her cheeks.

Gakupo hesitated before sucking in a sharp breath, “I have no idea.”

He considered going back to the palace. Maybe Luka would call off the guards. Maybe he’d be welcomed back as some sort of hero. He could live as a scholar again and not a runaway. It was a nice dream. Meiko could do the same. The two of them could return to the kingdom they’d fled and try to rebuild their lives but it would never be the same. Besides, there were too many bad memories there now.

“We go home,” Kaito said suddenly. His voice was solemn and full of a kind of heaviness the others hadn’t heard before. “We start over. We pretend that none of this nightmare ever happened.”

“Sounds good to me,” Meiko snorted under her breath, “but do you honestly think it’s going to be that easy?”

“When is anything ever that easy?” Kaito asked with a sigh.

-

“Rin!” Miku called, waving at the girl as she walked over. “There you are, I’ve been looking for you.”

“Hm?” Rin turned around and looked at the older girl as she approached. Both of them were much better looking than they were after the whole ordeal. Miku had returned to her old kind hearted self and was living her life to the best of her ability, though the guilt weigh deep in her heart still. Rin on the other hand… “I’m sorry,” she said with a weak smile, “I should have told you I was going out.”

“It’s fine,” Miku said waving her hand in the air. “What…are you doing anyway?”

Rin paused then turned back around looking up at the sky. “I was just looking at the clouds. They’re so pretty…”

“They are,” Miku nodded and looked up also. Her hair blew around her and she often thought of cutting it. “It’s been a week now, hasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Rin said softly. “I’m still not even sure what I’m doing here.”

“You’re living with me,” Miku said with a tiny laugh. Rin just sort of nodded. They had all gone their separate ways once they reached the cities. Gakupo decided to stay with Gumi and write about what he’d learned. Meiko had returned to the palace in hopes of stopping any kind of attack Luka had begun planning. They still hadn’t heard back from her. Kaito and Miku had taken Rin back to the village they grew up. Most of the villagers welcomed Miku back with open arms while some took a while to warm up to the idea of having the Pythoness living with them. Miku had taken Rin to live with her in her old cottage and after a day or two, Rin started to feel better. She started experiencing things like grass, the sky, different foods, hot water, things like that thanks to the two.

“Will Kaito be visiting tonight?” Rin asked thoughtfully watched the clouds wisp into nothing.

“I think he said he’d stop by,” Miku nodded. “I was going to make stew. Would you like that?”

“That sounds wonderful…” Rin said looking back at her with another smile. She didn’t let them fall, but Miku could see the tears brimming the girls eyes. “I haven’t tried stew yet.”

Life Is Not Ice Cream And Chansey Dances

Fandom: Pokémon

[Content notice: Contains mature sexual themes.]

When Cynthia said she wanted vanilla in the bedroom, she wasn’t talking about having more typical sex. She was saying they were out of chocolate.

The Champion wiped at her mouth with a cloth and rolled over, embracing Mitsumi. “You’re tense tonight,” she muttered, brushing against the other woman’s hair. “Chill not going away?”

Unconciously, Mitsumi rubbed her bare stomach where the ice cream had sat. It had been a small amount, of course, but it felt heavy in her mind. “It’s a little weird,” she said at last, slower than normal. She stared up at the dimly-lit ceiling for a moment before twisting out of Cynthia’s hold.

Cynthia pouted, flopping over and grabbing a pillow. “I expected you to have a bit more energy and you’re already falling asleep?”

Mitsumi’s only reply was to curl tighter, pulling the covers around her form until she was fully covered. She couldn’t sleep, but it was probably better to let Cynthia think she was.

The next morning, Mitsumi got up early. She had finally fallen asleep just as Cynthia was getting up, and dreamed of her lover getting dressed. Such an utterly mundane activity that she had been initially unsure that it had been a dream, until she recalled that it had ended with her luring Cynthia back to bed for some “special training”.

She showered, thinking of nothing in particular, and redressed in the nightclothes that had been tossed on the floor the night before. The sun was just starting to peek in through the window and already Mitsumi knew she wouldn’t feel up to going anywhere that day. At least she could work from home.

Jun had sent her some field videos of wild Chanseys, taken during his travels with Hareta. Someone had to keep an eye on that boy, and Jun was reliable for that as well as continuing his job as one of Rowans’ aides. Mitsumi had been a little jealous, missing the journey, but her relationship with Cynthia had just taken the more intense turn and she didn’t want to turn away.

“I should have gone with them,” she muttered as a video played, then turned away from the computer. “…I love her, don’t I?”

For breakfast, she made a quick smoothie, resembling the ones that had been stocked in the Team Galactic break room fridge for as long as she could remember. It was the first thing she had ever learned to make, back when she had just been brought into the fold, back when she was learning to destroy any opponent who got in her way but still had to stand on a stepstool to reach the countertop.

As she took a drink, she thought back on those days as she usually did. She was far too young to be a Galactic, both morally and by official policy, but they had made an exception for her. Cyrus himself had taken her in, and even in those days he commanded great obedience from everyone around him. Of course, she’d been too young as well to understand that. She didn’t fear him then because she didn’t understand how dangerous he was.

It was hard to imagine a future back then that didn’t involve Team Galactic. They were her life, her very breath, the blood in her veins, and to turn and leave that all behind had been unthinkable for everyone. Even now, after there was no more Team, after they had all gone their separate ways yet remained near each other, she could still feel the intense burning resistance to violating their beliefs.

The wild Chanseys in the video took her back to that. They lived lives of compassion, devoting themselves to the aid of others, and in the back of her mind, Mitsumi kept thinking about how wrong that was. “We’re all alone in the world,” she repeated under her breath, the statement that had defined her life in those days.

No matter that they had all stuck together after all was said and done, that they had opened themselves to the others in their lives, that even Cyrus was working to free himself from that mindset that had kept them all trapped. It had happened, and it had affected them all.

“Chaaaaansey!” sounded behind her, and she jolted. Cynthia laughed, slinging her trademark long coat over a chair. “How can you be glum watching a video of something so cheerful?”

Mitsumi shook her head, turning around towards her. “How was your training?”

“Don’t try to change the subject. What’s going on? You’ve been a sourpuss since last night. Are you getting sick?” Cynthia’s tone was surprisingly stern, considering her humor a moment ago. “Here, let me feel your forehead.”

Mitsumi squirmed away from Cynthia’s touch, facing the screen again. “I’m fine. Let me finish watching this. Jun said something unusual happens near the end.”

“Fine.” Cynthia lingered for a bit, shifting her weight from side to side as the Chanseys onscreen started to dance around. “Made another of those drinks, did you?” she asked the second the video was over, as she picked up the glass. “They smell like swampwater and taste like something died in it.”

Mitsumi took a moment to reply, writing up a summary of what Jun had sent and sending it to Rowan. “They’re nutritious.”

“Yeah, if they put you off food the rest of the day. You’re still frowning, you know. You’re probably the only person I know who can watch dancing Chanseys and still frown. I think even cranky old Rowan would crack a smile at that.”

The elderly professor wasn’t so much ‘cranky’ as he was staid, a distinction he was always quite clear on, but Mitsumi just nodded absently and took the glass from Cynthia, downing the remainder. “How was training?”

“Oh goodness, it’s so hot out! Garchomp was complaining so much, and someone tried to swipe my coat when I set it down!” As if suddenly reminded of the heat, she opened the freezer and got out the tub of ice cream from the night before. “Want any?”

But Mitsumi couldn’t think straight, and turned back to the screen.

“Mitsuuuuuumi~” Cynthia teased, bringing the ice cream closer, a spoon dripping with thick vanilla. “Open wiiiiiide~”

Mitsumi ducked her head, pulling away from the offered utensil with her mouth tightly shut.

“Oh come on!” the blonde pouted, licking the rapidly melting ice cream off the spoon before it could fall on the ground. “All of a sudden you hate ice cream?”

The younger woman squirmed in her seat. “Cynthia, stop it!”

Cynthia’s expression changed entirely. She was in Champion Mode, the serious woman the Sinnoh region revered, and she rested a hand on Mitsumi’s shoulder. “Mitsumi. Look at me.”

Mitsumi did as she was told, trailing her gaze up Cynthia’s bare arm up to her grey eyes. “…yeah?” she asked hesitantly.

“I know something’s going on. Are you uncomfortable with…us?” The last word was a bit softer than the others.

And Mitsumi’s gaze fell almost as soon as she had fixed it.

“…I see.” Cynthia wandered away a few steps to the couch, her hand now on the back in anticipation of needing to hold onto something unyielding.

“I love you!” Mitsumi insisted, following Cynthia over and embracing her from behind. She repeated it nuzzled against Cynthia’s back.

Cynthia sighed. “This is another ‘Galactic Thing’, isn’t it? They messed you up so bad, sweetie…” She turned around to embrace Mitsumi fully.

“It’s got to be,” Mitsumi muttered, “but I don’t really know how to put it in words.”

“Is it OK to kiss you at least?”

That brought a smile to Mitsumi’s lips, and right away, Cynthia was there too. But so was the taste of ice cream, and she pulled back far too suddenly for it to be romantic. She slumped down on the couch in shame. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Well, let’s try to figure it out.” Cynthia sat next to her and slung an arm over her shoulders. “You said that it’s probably a Galactic thing. Last time we talked about that was when we started dating.”

“Yeah…” Mitsumi pulled closer to Cynthia, snaking an arm behind her back and winding fingers in the Champion’s long hair.

“Is it still hard for you to be in a relationship?”

Team Galactic had banned any romance amongst its members, considering it needless waste. “Always,” Mitsumi sighed, “but I feel like this is something more complicated.”

Cynthia rubbed at Mitsumi’s far shoulder. “Hmm. It’s not your advantage, is it? Assimilating into a normal life can have drawbacks if you internalize the wrong things.”

Mitsumi shook her head. Her ‘advantage’ had been that she had never experienced any negative stigma for favoring women. All sexual orientations, Cyrus had preached, were equally unimportant and should be equally disregarded, as they were based in emotion.

“Well, that’s good. I think grandma’s just starting to come around to us. Took her long enough to stop talking about how I needed to stay away from big cities whenever I’d talk about girls,” Cynthia pouted.

Mitsumi only muttered, staring off towards a bookshelf although it was apparent that she wasn’t really looking at it.

“Do you…enjoy being with me?” Cynthia’s voice had lowered in volume, eyes turned floorward.

The planned enthusiastic reply choked in Mitsumi’s throat, and she could only provide “Of course.”

“Do you mean that?”

Mitsumi was silent, deep in thought, and broke the stillness with a pained “Yes. But it’s confusing.”

“Love is generally confusing. Or that’s what people say,” Cynthia whispered, inching close to Mitsumi’s ear. “I love you, and I really feel like you love me. If I’m mistaken, please let me know and we’ll call it an honest mistake. If you do, then I want to make it work. Please talk to me.” She brushed a stray dark green hair away from Mitsumi’s face. “I want to develop this with you.”

“I…” There weren’t any words. Mitsumi turned and kissed Cynthia again, far more passionately than before.

Cynthia smiled, her hand on the side of Mitsumi’s face. “I believe you.”

But Mitsumi was still silent, nuzzling against her lover and trying to form some wisdom from her scattered thoughts.

“Mitsumi, can you say something?”

Silence. Then finally “…I think it’s a Galactic thing” came, murmured against Cynthia’s shoulder.

“Mm? How so?”

Mitsumi pulled away, but only a bit. “When we…you and I, when we make love, I…” Her gaze fell, avoiding direct contact. “I really enjoy it. And the way I was raised, I…”

Cynthia rested a hand on Mitsumi’s leg. “I get it.”

“N-no. See, I love the petting. I love the nicknames. I love the elaborate situations. I even love the ice cream! But every time, I just hear those speeches in the back of my mind and I—”

This would continue and only make Mitsumi’s mood worse, and Cynthia wasn’t about to let that happen. “You enjoy it. Do you think there’s anything wrong with it?”

“Not really…”

With a sigh, Cynthia stood, leaning over Mitsumi with her arms on each side of the young woman. “Yes or no.”

Mitsumi finally looked back up. “No.”

“Do you want help getting over that utter crap you were taught back then?” Cynthia’s grey eyes narrowed.

With a gulp, Mitsumi smiled. “I do.”

“Good. Then I’ll get the ice cream.” With a quick kiss, she pulled Mitsumi up off the couch and into her arms. “The healing begins today!”

And Mitsumi laughed, feeling better already. It might be a long road to recovery, but she was at least already looking forward to the journey.

Goodness knows they’d have enough to eat along the way.

Talking is a Dangerous Activity

Fandom: Prince of Tennis

Kirihara peered left and right as he crested the small hill at the park. It was taking longer than he’d expected, tracking down his quarry; he hadn’t been in the library, the science lab, the clubhouse, the street courts or the river. Kirihara squashed the thought that perhaps Yanagi-sempai was slipping; no, that just wasn’t possible. Obviously the other data player simply had a flexible schedule this time of year.

There, finally, ahead of him, sitting on the ground under a tree, book resting on his bent leg, the heel of the other held about three or so inches off the ground, was the spiky haired, bespectacled, tennis player he had come, reluctantly, to find.

“Hey, Inui!” he called out as he drew near. “I have to…I mean, I would like to talk to you for a minute. You busy?”

The other boy looked up from what he was reading and pushed his glasses to the top of his nose. “Of course. I am studying for the high school entrance exams.”

Kirihara sneered at him. “Like that? What are you doing with your leg?”

Inui closed his book on his finger and tugged up the leg of his sweatpants to show an ankle weight. “Strength training. Just because I am studying and the third years have stepped down from the tennis club does not mean I should abandon it. One must constantly improve lest one is left behind, yes?”

The second year scratched his head, frowning. “I…guess? Our third years haven’t stepped down yet. Yukimura-buchou says it’s too early yet.”

“Ah. Well, as Seigaku’s buchou left for Germany to turn pro…our priorities are different from Rikkai’s,” Inui said. He opened his book again and returned to reading it.

Kirihara bristled at the brush off. “Hey! I came here to talk to you!”

“And you did,” Inui said, not looking up.

“N…” Kirihara made an aborted movement with his hands, took a deep breath to calm himself and tried again. “Yanagi-sempai suggested that I…come and apologize for my actions during our match in the National Finals.”

Inui looked up at that. “There is only a thirty-seven percent chance that your apology is sincere. Why should I accept it? *Are* you sorry for what you did?”

“For baiting Kaidou…no, not really,” Kirihara said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was trying to ruin his game so we could win. There is nothing wrong with that! ….however, how I went about it…put you in the hospital. Yanagi-sempai said that if you weren’t as tough as you were that I could have caused you permanent damage. He said I got lucky, another player…I could have killed them.”

“Ah.” Inui lowered his heel to the ground and changed position so he was sitting cross-legged. “Actually, another player would more than likely have forfeited the match long before that point. I have always been more stubborn that is really healthy according to my mother. Plus, I did not want to disappoint my kohei. He was counting on me.”

“Yeah,” Kirihara said. He brought both hands down to his sides and bowed. “I am very sorry I beat you half to death, Inui-san.”

He held that position, eyes on his shoes, until a hand rested on his shoulder. “I accept your apology, Kirihara,” Inui said.

Surprised that the other boy had moved without his noticing, Kirihara straightened up, then had to tilt his head back further to look Inui in the face. “Woah, you’re even taller than Yanagi-sempai.”

A faint smile flickered across the face dominated by black glasses that glinted in the afternoon’s light. “Yes, I am.”

“Why…why did you accept my apology?” Kirihara asked him. “’cause honestly, I didn’t expect you to. Not many people believe that I’ve really changed.”

“You forget? I was at the U-17 camp, as well. I saw the effects of your change first hand.” Inui tapped him lightly on the forehead with his knuckle. “The energy and drive inside you found a better outlet than that Devil Mode you used in the Nationals. I approve of this.”

“And so you forgive me, just like that?” Kirihara pressed. “I put you in the hospital. You nearly died.”

“Though the chances of you being sincere were only thirty-seven percent, I am fully convinced that you are. If you had pretended to regret your actions toward Kaidou, I would not have believed you. According to Renji, and my own data, of course, you have not used the Devil Mode since the U-17 camp,” Inui said.

“But you weren’t there when I…when Shiraishi-sempai helped me overcome it. You were off with Yanagi-sempai in the Mountain Camp.” Kirihara could not help but let a little of his resentment creep into his voice. “He…Yanagi-sempai withdrew so he could go off with you after you got sick and couldn’t play.”

“That was his choice. Though I admit, I was glad when I saw he had decided to go. I have missed him a great deal,” Inui said.

“Huh,” Kirihara said. “What if you hadn’t gotten sick? Would he have finished crushing me and I would have gone off to the Mountain Camp?”

“Let us just say that my going off to the Mountain Camp was a forgone conclusion,” Inui said. “Renji…”

Kirihara cocked his head to the side and peered up at the taller boy. “Wait…if you knew you’d get sick, why did you drink that stuff you made? I don’t understand that, letting yourself become a victim of your own juice.”

“Ah,” Inui said, his glasses glinting, “convenient that, yes? Struck down by my own experiment and sent away, rather than allowing Mizuki a first hand look at my data style.”

“O-okay. I understand not wanting another data player to get the scoop on you…but…you chose to go home instead,” Kirihara asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

Another smile flickered over Inui’s face. “At no point did I fear being sent home. A secret is only effective if no one knows it. The camp at the top of the mountain has been there for several years.”

“So…you decided to go there, rather than play against Mizuki?” Kirihara pressed again. The answers he was getting were not making sense.

Inui shrugged. “Renji was going to be there, so it seemed like a much better plan than staying.”

“You didn’t know that!” Kirihara paused. “Did you? I’ve never beaten him before and you couldn’t have known he would withdraw like that. Could you?”

“As soon as he picked you as his partner, I knew,” Inui told him

“But we all thought we were playing doubles,” Kirihara yelled.

Inui cocked his head at this. “All? No. It was obviously a trap. One both Tezuka and Atobe used to their advantage. At first I was a little surprised by Sanada, until I realized that Yukimura meant for him to keep an eye on those sent away.”

“I didn’t know it was a trap,” Kirihara muttered.

“Of course. Not everyone did,” Inui said. “Most of the established doubles teams did not, for example. It is a ninety-seven percent probability that that is due to the fact they think as a team rather than as individuals as the singles players do.”

Kirihara’s eyes went wide. “You think Niou-sempai and Yagyuu-sempai…?”

“I did specify, ‘most.’ Those that did know it for a trap and played their partner anyway did so primarily for two reasons. One, because if they did not, people would want to know why and that would have caused a great commotion. And two, because players like Niou, Yagyuu, Oshitari, they want to know who is best.” Inui smiled faintly again. “It is why Renji and I have only played against one another the one time.”

“Uhm…you and Yanagi-sempai have played against each other three times,” Kirihara said. “Once when you were little, once at Kantou and again in doubles with me and Kaidou.”

“The game at Kantou was merely the conclusion of the previous game,” Inui said. “The game at Nationals doesn’t count. That was…not a tennis match.”

Kirihara gave him a look. “I was there. We were holding rackets and there was a tennis ball. I’m pretty sure that made it a tennis match. There was even a guy keeping score!”

Inui rapped him on the forehead with his knuckle again. “You were trying to beat me to death with that tennis ball in order to provoke Kaidou. That makes it not a tennis match.”

“I said I was sorry,” Kirihara mumbled, hanging his head.

“Yes. Now you are. You certainly were not then,” Inui said.

Kirihara looked back up sharply. “I’ve grown. Mat…matard…”

“Matured. Yes, you have. It is the only reason I decided to accept your apology rather than spiking your water bottle with something…undetectable.” Inui smiled slightly, his glasses catching the light again.

Kirihara shuddered. “And I thought Yanagi-sempai could be creepy.”

“Before he was the Master, he was my doubles partner.” Inui paused. “I’d tell you stories, but the statute of limitations has not yet run out on most of them.”

“You make it sound like you two were like Niou-sempai and Yagyuu-sempai!” Kirihara laughed.

Inui smiled a little wider. “Oh, no. Neither of us were ever Gentlemen.”

Kirihara was quiet for a long moment after the shudder finished running down his spine. Perhaps this was the answer to a long standing problem… “Inui-sempai…you’re really smart, right? Maybe you could help me with something.”

“Flattery gets you my attention. What is your problem,” Inui asked.

“I want to play a prank on my sempai-tachi,” Kirihara said slowly. “…but it needs to be really clever or Yukimura-buchou will sigh at me and fukabuchou will make me run laps until the end of the term. I know Yanagi-sempai will figure it out, but if I could just catch Niou-sempai and Marui, I’d be happy.”

Inui thought for a moment then chuckled, “Fufufu. That is easy. Pull Yukimura aside before practice tomorrow morning and tell him, loud enough the other regulars can hear, that you are worried you won’t be able to be captain next year…”

“What?” Kirihara started shaking his head. “No wa…”

“…because you think you’re pregnant.”

“Wha…?” Kirihara stared, open-mouthed, at Inui. “Wha…how…that…that isn’t possible!”

Inui’s smile was decidedly sinister. “They still consider you the baby of the team, correct? I am ninety-eight percent certain that means that there is a standing order not to tell you where babies come from.”

Kirihara rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well it never stopped Niou-sempai. Fortunately my dad had already told me, or I’d be really confused.”

“And I was eight-nine percent certain that had happened, as well.” Inui raised his eyebrows. “Just…be, ‘upset,’ and…don’t give out all the details at once. Make them pry them out of you.”

“And what are the details supposed to be?” Kirihara wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to know. Niou’s misinformation aside, the talk his father had with him had left him feeling more than a little grossed out.

“Niou told you, I am almost a hundred percent certain, that pregnancy can occur if you kiss someone.”

Kirihara laughed. “You’re good,” he said.

Inui bowed his head slightly. “At first, they will assume that when you say you’ve, ‘done it,’ that means that you had sex. That will cause consternation right there. They will immediately want to know who you had sex with. Look confused, alarmed and maybe throw in a, ‘no! I’m not that kind of boy!’ and then tell them what Niou told you. At that point there will be the denials and backpedaling of Niou to absolve himself of the blame, which of course he will not be able to do. Saving the best for last, they will just start to feel relieved and explain to you that you cannot possibly be pregnant…when they realize that someone did kiss you.”

Kirihara laughed harder. “That’s evil, I like it. Except, what if they ask who kissed me? I…they won’t believe me if I give them a girl’s name, I’m pretty sure. And whoever I do name is going to be in world of hurt when my sempai-tachi get done with them. I can’t do that to some innocent guy!”

Inui leaned down and kissed him gently on the lips. “I can handle whatever they throw at me. As long as they give me a chance to explain, I’ll tell them it was a kiss of absolution when I accepted your apology. While I doubt Renji will completely buy that, he likes his revenge cold.”

Eyes wide open Kirihara stared at him. After a moment, he blinked, then blinked again. “Why…why did you do that?”

“I just explained,” Inui said. “Do you need me to go over it again?”

“N…no. That…that was my first kiss,” Kirihara said, flushing red and not looking at the taller boy.

Inui’s smile was a bit twisted. “It was mine as well. Of course, after your sempai-tachi get through with me, it may have also been my last.”

Stop Kiss

Fandom: Hetalia

[Content notice: Contains mature language.]

This is based on the play “Stop, Kiss” by Diana Son. The dialogue is pretty much the script; I just added all the action, just like a director would do with a play. I also changed character names and genders.

CHAPTER 1

Feliks’s apartment is a mess, clean but cluttered. Every flat surface is covered with stuff. And he knows where everything is by instinct if nothing else. He has no reason to clean up, no one ever comes over, they always go to Toris’ apartment on their fling nights.

Feliks keys up a new playlist on his computer, and Best of My Love starts playing as he gets up closing all the blinds before the vocals start. He lip-syncs along with the polish of someone who does private karaoke frequently.
Doesn’t take much to make me happy
and make me smile
As he sings he takes his bowl to the sink and washes his dinner dishes.
Never never will I feel discouraged
Cause our love’s no mystery
Demonstrating love and affection
That you give so openly yeah
I like the way ya make me about you baby
Want the whole wide world to see
Whoa whoa, you got the best of my love
Whoa whoa, you got the best of my love

Just as Feliks gets to the chorus the phone rings, and he jumps to turn off the music like a busted teenager.
“Hi Toris…yeah I know I’m, like, late, I totally forgot this person is coming to my house at —” Feliks checks his stylish watch, “shit!…Well I would, totally, bring him along but I, like, don’t even know him. He’s a friend of an old friend of someone I used to be frie— He just, like, moved to the city and I said that I’d — I can’t, what if he’s some big dud and we all have a miserable time… Exactly, you’ll all blame me. Give me half an hour, tops.” Just as Feliks hangs up the phone, his buzzer goes off. He dashes to press the speaker button.
“Yes?”
Through the little box came a cocky voice, “It’s Gilbert and —”
“Come on up.” Feliks cut him off, pushing the button that unlocks the front door. He looks around his apartment, suddenly seeing the mess which includes dirty socks, newspapers, Kleenex, his mail, several DVDs and a bra. He picks up the bra and shoots it into the bedroom just as the doorbell rings. He skips to the door and opens it, revealing a slightly taller man with white hair and red eyes holding a pet carrier.
“Hi” Feliks says, feeling stupid.
“You’re Feliks.”
“Yes.”
“I’m Gilbert, and this is Gilbird.” The taller man says, nodding to the carrier, “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
Feliks motions to the couch, “Please uh sit—” cutting himself off as he notices the mess residing on the couch in question.
“Some apartment.”
“I was cleaning.” The blond says, as he pushes a pile of stuff off the couch onto the floor in the corner.
“It’s huge—and the neighborhood—” Gilbert says nonchalantly, hiding his amazement behind his usual cocky attitude, and sits on the couch mindless of the mess.
Seeing where he sat, Feliks says, “You can’t be comfortable.”
“Oh I am.”
“Are you sure?” Feliks counters, eyebrow cocked.
“Very.”
“I’m just—…let me get rid of this stuff.” Feliks stammers, grabbing an armful of junk and heads into the bedroom. As soon as he clears the room, Gilbert pulls a large key ring of sharp pointy keys and a candle out from under himself with a grimace. He hides the candle among the junk on the floor and places the keys inconspicuously on the coffee table, under a month old newspaper. He then clears some space on the couch so that Feliks can sit when he returns.
“Coffee!” Feliks calls from the bedroom door as he enters, holding a can of the stuff which he apparently found in the bedroom.
Blink. “—would be great. Listen, this is so nice of you—” Glibert tracked the perky blond as he passed into the kitchen area and started the coffee.
“I was thinking about getting a cat anyway. This’ll totally give me a chance to see if I can hack it.” Feliks responded, brushing off the thanks, while putting some water on to boil.
“That’s how I feel about New York.”
“Oh yes.”
“How long have you been here?” Gilbert asks as he gets up and joins Feliks in the kitchen.
“Eleven years.” Was the response, as Feliks was measuring the proper amount of coffee grounds into the French Press he used for coffee.
“I lived in St. Louis my whole life. My parents live like, half an hour away. I go there for dinner when it’s not even anybody’s birthday. Things there — it’s been, it is so —”
“Easy?”
“So easy.”
“It’s hard here.”
“Good — great, I can’t wait.” Gilbert exclaimed.
“Yeah, you uh— what do you…do?” Feliks paused while reaching for a couple of coffee mugs.
“I teach. Third grade.” Gilbert said.
“Well it won’t be hard finding a job.” Feliks said after getting over the fact that this cocky man was a teacher, he didn’t look like a teacher, ripped jeans and a band t-shirt didn’t seem like a third grade teacher’s uniform.
“I already have one.” Gilbert smirked.
“Where?”
“P.S. 32 in the Bronx.”
“What was the school like that you came from?” Felix asked, waiting for the water to boil.
“Society of Friends, a Quaker school.”
This caught Feliks off-guard and he burst into laughter, trying to picture this man who seemed like he stepped off of a punk rock CD cover, teaching in a Quaker school. “I’m, like, not…I’m, totally, not laughing at you, I’m laughing around…”
“It’s obviously — It’s very… but I can do good work there.” Gilbert shrugged off the pole’s response.
“I’m sure you’re a good teacher.” Feliks said in apology.
“No you don’t know, but I am.”
There was an awkward pause as the water came to a boil and Feliks poured it into the decanter with the grounds and placed the lid on. Feliks just had to fill the silence, “Where in the Bronx?”
“Tremont.” Was the short reply, Gilbert seemed lost in thought.
“Is that where…Taft, is it Taft?” The blonde said, remembering something from the news awhile back.
“Taft High School?”
“You’ve heard of it?” Feliks asked, checking on the coffee, determining that it was ready.
“Mm hm.” Was the pensive response.
Feliks just continued, not realizing that his guest was disturbed by the topic, “You know there was a guy who taught there, this rich white guy—”
“Yes I know.” Gilbert cut him off.
There was a pause as Feliks poured their coffee into the mismatched mugs.
“He got killed—” Feliks started, not able to give up that topic.
“By a student. I’m here on a fellowship set up in his name.” Gilbert interrupted the blonde, giving a little insight into his pensiveness.
“How long is the fellowship?”
“Two years.”
Feliks hands one of the coffee mugs to Gilbert, “Well, congratulations —”
“Thank you.” Gilbert said, accepting the mug.
“Best of luck—” Gilbert just nods, “and … if it gets too rough — like, go home.”
Feliks touches his mug to Gilbert’s, but Gilbert doesn’t move, just staring into the black liquid.
“What brought you to New York?” Gilbert asked quietly.
Feliks takes a big breath, preparing for the long and interesting story that he then realizes that he doesn’t have, instead giving the short, truth, “College.”
“And what keeps you?”
“Keeps me from what?”
“What do you do?“
“I…ruin things for everyone else.” Feliks shrugs and moves toward the couch, seeking someplace to sit down.
“You’re Rudolph Giuliani?” Gilbert snorted into his coffee.
Feliks threw a look over his shoulder, “I’m a traffic reporter for a twenty-four-hour news radio station.”
“Helicopters!” Gilbert said, coming out of his slump, and looking impressed.
“The inbound land at the Holland Tunnel is closed due to a car accident,” Feliks mimed, using his coffee mug as a microphone, “The Brooklyn-bound land of the Williamsburg Bridge is under construction through 2012. The D Train is not running due to a track fire. You can’t get in. You can’t get out. You can’t get around. I’ll be back in ten minutes to tell you that nothing has changed.”
“Does that get to you?” Gilbert asks as he walks over to the window.
Feliks shrugs, “It’s a living.” And plops down on the couch.
Gilbert sips his coffee and finally takes a good look at the apartment. “How long have you lived in this apartment?”
“Five years — well, two by myself — it’s a funny — not haha — story.” Feliks says, interrupting himself.
“It’s okay.” The taller man said, shrugging as if to tell the blonde that he didn’t have to tell.
“I moved in here with my boyfriend, Ivan. This was his aunt’s apartment, she lived here for twenty years.”
“Your rent must be—”
“Lucky.”
“You are.”
“Well, I got the apartment, he got … my sister.” Feliks said, full of hurt.
“Oh.”
“They live in LA now. It’s perfect.” Feliks said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Well at least i don’t mean to be crass but—” Gilbert said tentatively.
“Yes, no, well I … like the apartment.” Feliks answered, not quite sure of his answer.
“It’s as big as mine and I’m sharing it with two other people.”
“Are they — Did you…move here with any of them?” Feliks asked of the man who was now leaning on the back of the couch.
“No, they came with the apartment. They’re a couple. It’s kinda awkward but, he’s sweet, she’s sweet, they seem to have a —” Gilbert describes wistfully.
“—Sweet?” Feliks interjects, with a grin.
“—relationshipthey’refine.” Gilbert finishes embarrassed.
Feliks nods, “It’s awkward.”
“Rents are so — Everything is so—”
“It’s impossible to live here.” Feliks confirms. Gilbert takes the moment to study Feliks, realizing something about the vivacious blonde.
“You love it.“
“You know, Gilbert, I’ve actually been to St. Louis and it’s a quaint, pretty city but — what’s the point of that? Everyone’s still got their cars all geared up with Clubs and car alarms and computerized keys. And you have to drive all the way across town to get to the good cheap placed to eat. And drive I mean you’re in a city and you have to drive to get around?” Feliks starts calm but it grows into almost a rant, and drive is almost a swear word.
“Where did you grow up?”
“Tiny town upstate.”
“Industrial?”
“Countrified suburb. Tractor display in the middle of the mall.” Feliks said with a smirk.
“Pretty, though?” Gilbert asked, trying to place the pieces.
“I can’t connect with mountains, trees, the little animals — they snub me. You know how you can be with two other people and you’re all having a great time. Then the person sitting next to you says something in French and the two of them burst in laughter, best laugh anyone’s had all night. And you’re left out because you took Spanish in the seventh grade, not French. That’s what nature does to me. Speaks French to the other people at the table.” While Feliks is speaking, Gilbert sneaks around and sits in the space on the couch he cleared earlier.
“I hate jazz.”
“You do?” Feliks asks, puzzled by this non-sequitor.
“I don’t usually say that out loud because then people think I don’t have a soul or something but I don’t like the way it sounds. I don’t like saxophones.” Gilbert explained.
“My sister played the saxophone.”
“I’m sorry —”
“I hate my sister.”
“The one who—”
“Yeah.”
“I hate your sister too.”
Feliks smiles, really smiles at Gilbert, who slowly mirrors the blonde. Gilbert realizing that they’re smiling at each other after a moment, and he looks away embarrassed.
“So, do your friends thing you’re crazy?” Feliks asked the other man, to break the tension.
“Pff. Forget it. And my parents and Elizabeth.”
“Huh?”
“—my ex. I mean I’ve never lived away from them. Even when I was in college I came home every weekend.” The white-haired man revealed.
“Close family.” Feliks remarked, taking one last swig of his coffee.
“It’s…” He pauses searching for the right word, “a cult. It’s embarrassing. I should’ve moved…I mean, you were what, eighteen?”
“Don’t look at me. I was going to go to one of those colleges that advertise on matchbook covers. My guidance counselor filled out my application to NYU.” Feliks shrugged off the admiration.
“I had to interview five times to get this fellowship. By the fourth one I had a rabbit’s foot, rosary beads, crystals, a tiger’s tooth and a Polynesian tiki all in my bag—now that I got this fellowship I have every god to pay.” Gilbert explained. Upon hearing this Feliks began digging into one of the piles under the coffee table, extracting a Magic 8 Ball, which he hands to Gilbert.
“What should I ask it?” Gilbert asks the blonde.
“Something whose answer you won’t take too seriously?” Always the pragmatist.
Gilberts says to the ball, “Was moving to New York a good idea?” and gives it a good shake, puzzled by the result, “It’s sort of in between two of them.”
“That means yes.” The pair exchange another smile. Then Gilbert stands up, stretching.
“I should go, I’m taking up too much of your—”
Feliks looks at his watch. “I told some friends I would meet them, otherwise I wish—”
“You should’ve said—”
“No—No—”
“I didn’t mean to keep—”
“What’re you doing this weekend?” Feliks finally asked.
“I don’t know. Unpacking. But then I gotta do something New Yorky, don’t I?” Gilbert responded with his cocky grin.
“Do you want to come over and I’ll take you around the neighborhood? Show you some fun places to go to and eat—”
“Yes!”
“An you can hang out here, spend some time with… is it Gilbird?”
Gilbert rushed to the carrier, surprised that he forgot about his cat, “Gilbird, forgive me. He hates being in this thing.”
“Let him out.”
Gilbert opens the door, “He may be a little shy at first, in a new place with a new person—”
“You could come and visit him. Just let me know. I hope you’ll feel—”
“Thanks, Feliks.” Gilbert said, hugging the smaller man.
“For nothing, for what.” Feliks said, incoherently into the other man’s shoulder. Gilbert released him and exited, leaving the blonde standing in the middle of his apartment with a gray tabby staring at him with eyes that read, ‘Feed me!’
AN: Gilbird is a cat, named Gilbird. I don’t know why, he just is.
Feliks used to date Ivan. But they broke up and Ivan married Poland’s sister (Czech)

CHAPTER 2

It was a stark place, the hospital examination room that Feliks now sat in, buttoning the last few buttons on his shirt. The blonde detective standing in front of him had enough eyebrows for three people, Feliks thought to himself. The detective had introduced himself as Detective Kirkland, but Feliks didn’t want to remember anything at that moment.

“Was he coming on to you, trying to pick you up?” The detective asked, a slight English accent flavoring his speech.

“He was just saying stuff, guy stuff, stupid kind of—” Feliks responded, his voice dead like he didn’t want to remember the stuff the detective was forcing him to.

“What did you do?” Bushy-brows continued.

“I—I wanted to leave—” Feliks crossed his arms over his stomach protectively.

“Your boyfriend?”

“My friend—Gilbert…said…something—”

“What.”

“‘Leave us alone’ or something.” Feliks dragged from his memory.

“And that’s what set him off?”

“N—n—yeah. Well, Gil said — but then they guy said something back and Gil told him … he said something — upset the guy.” Feliks said almost incoherently.

“What’d Mr. Beilschmidt say?”

“He sai—I think—” Feliks mumbled.

“What.” The detective was starting to get impatient.

“Gil told him to fuck off.” Feliks stated, amazement tingling his mostly vacant voice, “Then the guy hit Gil.”

“He hit Mr. Beilschmidt with his fist?”

“He hit Gil in his back then the guy grabbed Gil away—” Feliks voice started to reflect the panic that he’d felt when it happened.

“Grabbed Mr. Beilschmidt from you?”

“I—I was holding on to Gil’s arm with my hand like this—” Feliks grabs his own elbow to illustrate, “I wanted us to leave. But then the guy grabbed Gil and started banging Gil’s head against the building. And then he smashed Gil’s head against his knee — like one of those wrestlers — that’s when Gil lost consciousness — and then the guy smashed Gil again.” Feliks folds his arms over his stomach again, remembering the fear he felt. Detective Kirkland added some notes to his report, and noticed some things he wanted to check again.

“This was at Bleecker and West 11th — that little park.” The detective stated, not really a question.

“Yes.” Feliks vowed to himself that he would never go back there ever again.

“At four-fifteen in the morning?”

“Yes.”

“What were you doing there?”

Feliks shakes his head as if to clear it a little, “Just…walking around.”

“Which bar were you at?” Detective Kirkland cut to the chase.

“Excuse me?” Feliks’ eyes popped up to meet the eyes below those forests of eyebrows.

“Four-fifteen, that’s closing time.”

Feliks, caught in the detective’s logic, responded, “Well we had been…we were at the White Horse Tavern.”

“The White Horse. On Hudson Street.” The detective confirmed.

“Yes.”

“Was there a good crowd there?”

“…Yeah? Pretty crowded.”

“Did anyone at the White Horse try to pick you up, buy you or your friend a drink?”

“No.”

“Did you talk to anyone?”

“Just to each other mostly.” Feliks cracked a tiny smile, remembering their conversation.

“What did the bartender look like?”

“Excuse me?” Feliks asked, coming out of his reverie.

“Bartender.”

“…It was a man.”

“Short, stocky guy? Salt and pepper hair?” The detective supplied, obviously describing one of the bartenders at the bar.

“No.”

“Kind of tall, skinny guy with a receding hairline? I know a couple of guys there.”

“I didn’t really get a good look at him—,” Feliks admitted, “Gil ordered the drinks. But I think he was tall.”

“I’ll go talk to him.” Detective Kirkland said, glad to be getting somewhere, “Could be someone followed you from the bar. Maybe there was someone suspicious acting that you didn’t notice. Bartender might of seen something you didn’t or talked to someone. What’d the bad guy look like?”

“He was tall.”

“Like the bartender.”

“He was slender — sort of, like he swam.” Feliks pushed himself to try to remember what he’d rather forget.

“Was he black?” Feliks shook his head. “Hispanic?”

“It was dark, I couldn’t—”

“Short hair, long hair—” The detective prompted.

“Long. Wavy, blonde.” The detail stood out in Feliks’ mind.

“You remember what he was wearing?”

Finally a subject that Feliks could remember, “He had a leather jacket…jeans…some kind of boots. He was twenty something, maybe mid.”

“Like a college kid? Frat boy?”

“No.”

“Like a punk?”

“No.”

“Like what then?”

Feliks took a moment to try to place it, “…I don’t know.”

“Any markings on the jacket? A name or symbol?”

“No.”

“So he sees a good-looking couple walking — were you drunk?”

“Not at all.”

“—he gives a line to the ‘girl’” Detective Kirkland glances at Feliks, who just shrugs it off, “the guy tells him to fuck off and he beats the guy into a coma. Anything else you want to tell me?” The Detective summed up the story, hoping that the smaller man would add to the story.

“That’s—that’s what I…remember.”

“Doctor done with you?”

“I think.”

“All right, I need you to go somewhere with me right now and look at some pictures.”

“Can you bring them here?” Feliks asserting himself for the first time with the detective.

“I need to take you there.”

“Because, my friend—if my friend…” Feliks’ voice trembled with worry.

“They say he’s out of the woods in terms of life or—” Detective Kirkland says reassuringly”

“But if he wakes up—” Feliks interrupted the detective.

CHAPTER 3

Feliks and Gilbert had just returned from getting coffee at Feliks’ favorite little cafe and exploring the neighborhood.

“I mean that’s the way I am with the kids.” Gilbert was telling stories about his students. Feliks takes his jacket and hangs it up on the rack next to the door.

“Sure, with kids it’s okay.” Feliks responds over his shoulder as the white-haired man went to sit down on the now junk free couch.

“Why just them?” Gilbert asked, as he slumped down on the couch, “Listen, every day when I walk by this park this guy, he’s all cracked out, says something to me, you know, something nasty and I just lower my head and walk by.”

“Yep.” Feliks joined him on the couch.

“But yesterday, one of my students, Natalia, is waiting for me outside the school and says she wants to walk me to the subway. So I say, ‘Sure,’ thinking she has a problem she wants to tell me about. So we’re walking and we pass by the park and I’m worried. ‘Is this crack head gonna mention my penis in front of this eight-year-old girl?’ Sure enough, it’s ‘dick this’ and ‘balls that’ and Natalia says, ‘This is my teacher, watch your mouth.’ An the guy shuts up.”

“Still—”

“Freaking eight-year-old girl. I should be able to do that for myself.” Gilbert was agitated, talking with his hands.

“The best thing to do is walk on by.” Feliks said, speaking into his hands.

“But it worked.” Suddenly, the phone rings. Gilbert looks at the phone, but Feliks remains staring at his hands.

“Next time, just walk on by.” Feliks looks at Gilbert, his eyes vacant as if remembering something he doesn’t want to.

“Why, what’s ever happened to you?” Gilbert asked, concerned for his new friend.

“Nothing and that’s why.” Feliks’ answering machine clicks on, answering the phone.

“Hey Feliks, it’s Toris. Your light is on, I know you’re there. Tino and Berwald and I are at the Sinatra bar, where are you?” Feliks moves like he’s about to pick up the phone, but stops himself. “Anyways, we’ll be here for a while, so some hang out. ‘Bye.” Toris hung up the phone, and the answering machine clicks off.

Gilbert says, “I should go,” moving like he’s about to get up. Feliks grabs his arm.

“No no, they’ll be there for hours.”

“I’ve taken up your whole—” Gilbert protested.

“Are you hungry?” Feliks said, suddenly peppy, “We could order something. There’s Polish, Indian, Cuban, there’s a pretty good Vietnamese—”

“Are you sure you don’—”Gilbert said talking over the blond, then interrupting himself, “I’ve never had Vietnamese—”

“I’ll show you the menu.” Feliks popped up, heading to the kitchen, “Something to drink? Beer?”

“Yes to beer.” Gilbert said with a chuckle. A moment later, Feliks returns with two beers, and hands one to Gilbert. Gilbert nods toward the phone, “Were those friends from work?”

“Oh no, the people at my job are a bunch of stiffs—can you imagine?” Feliks said as he sat back on the couch, taking a swig from his beer, “They listen to the same news reports every ten minutes for eight hours a day. They repeat themselves even in regular conversations. No, Toris — the guy on the phone — Tino, Berwald…Matthias, Lukas, Eduard — we were all friends in college and now we’re stuck to each other. I think we’re someone’s science experiment, we just don’t know it. A study in over dependency.”

“Is Toris your boyfriend?” Gilbert had the decency to look a little embarrassed as he asked. Feliks let him stew a moment as he handed the take-out menu to him.

“I like the noodle dishes, they’re on the back.” Feliks takes another swig from his beer, “Toris and I …are friends. Who sleep together. But date other people. Sometimes for long periods of time. We’ve been doing this since we were…twenty. Although he never likes anyone I’m dating, he’s unabashedly— and I admit I can get jealous when he’s— but at least I try to hide it, I’m pretty good at it too. It’s only after they’ve broken up that I—Anyway, we’d probably get married.” Gilbert grabs the Magic 8 ball off of the coffee table, giving it a shake. He raised his eyebrow at the result, and looked at Feliks. “You know if it were legal in this country.”

“It’s stuck between two again.” Gilbert explained.

“Why’s that keep happening to you?” Feliks laughed.

“Me? I think you have it rigged.” Feliks grabs the ball from him, giving it his own shake. It is once again between answers. Gilbert tries to get a look, but Feliks flips it back onto the table before he can.

Feliks admits defeat, “Okay, okay.”

Gilbert leaned back against the couch, “All my friends are married or getting engaged, having babies or wishing they were — and lately when I hear about it, I think — why?”

“Why not?” Feliks asked.

“Marriage. Why would you say to anyone, ‘I will stay with you even if I outgrow you.’” Gilbert took a big swig of his beer.

It took Feliks a moment to remember something from their first meeting, “Elizabeth,” he said, in a low voice. It seemed like a whole minute before Gilbert nodded. “Did you leave her to come here?”

“…No.” was the reluctant, but honest response.

“Mm…C-”

“In what?” Gilbert asked, caught off guard.

“Acting.” Gilbert looked away from the piercing green gaze burrowing into his head. “Sorry,” Feliks apologized.

“No no—”

“I’m prying—”

“No, that’s not why—”

“I hope I didn’t—”

“No, it’s okay.” Gilbert asserted, catching the green eyes again.

“Did you decide what you wanted to order?” Feliks asked, trying to change the topic and divert the eerie red eyes from his own.

“I moved out from our apartment — we lived together — and moved in with my parents about a month ago. I came here from there.” Gilbert wouldn’t let the blond out of knowing the truth he asked for.

“How—how long?”

“Seven years.”

“Seven… so you must still be—”

“—Finally.” Gilbert interrupted, “Finally where I want to be. I’ll stay in New York for two years and then I’m going to take off.”

“Let me guess: India.” Feliks laughed.

“A for effort, but no. Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Micronesia—”

“All the countries that sound like skin rashes?” Feliks continued to laugh.

“Lizzy said, ‘What about Anesthesia?’ What time is it?” Gilbert asked.

“Almost six.” Feliks answered after checking his watch.

“Hm.”

“What?”

“Oh, she left a message on my machine saying he was going to call at six. She wants to come visit. She manages a restaurant in St. Louis so she wants to come and check out some of the special places here.” Gilbert explained, not getting up.

“You’d better hurry.”

“I couldn’t make it in fifteen minutes.”

“You could if you took a cab.” Feliks countered.

Gilbert mentally chewed on that, trying to form a counter argument, “But then I wouldn’t have Vietnamese food.”

“We could do it another time.”

“I just started this beer.” Gilbert said, nailing the last pin in the argument.

“You wouldn’t want to waste a beer.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“Cheers.” As they clink bottles, a loud rhythmic clomping sound starts emanating from the ceiling, startling Gilbert. Feliks doesn’t seem to notice, pointing to an item on the menu, “I always get this. It’s not to spicy.”

“What is that?” Gilbert asked, looking at the ceiling.

“Crispy squid in a little salt and —”

“No, what is that?“

“Huh?” Feliks asked, not getting it at first, “Oh. Every Thursday and Saturday at six.”

“What.”

“I think he teaches horses how to Riverdance.” Which is exactly what it sounds like, although it’s probably a workout of some sort.

“Have you complained?”

“It happens at exactly the same time twice a week for an hour. I just make sure I’m out or doing something loud.” Feliks explained with a shrug.

Gilbert jumped up, “Let’s go up there.”

“No, no —”

“Why not?”

“We gotta stay here and wait for the food.”

“We haven’t ordered it yet.”

“Yeah so what do you want?” Feliks asked as he reached for the phone.

“Chicken.”

“What kind of chicken?”

“You’re chicken.”

“No I’m not. I’m smart.”

“All right, I’ll go.” Gilbert gave up on trying to get Feliks to come with him and turned toward the door. Feliks grabbed after him.

“Gilbert. Come on, don’t. Please.” Feliks pleaded, letting his green eyes meet Gilbert’s red ones.

“Okay.”

“I’m gonna order. What do you want?”

“Come on, let’s go!” Gilbert dashed out the door, Feliks chasing him once he realized what Gilbert was going to do..

CHAPTER 4

The interview room at the police station was a stark room, not meant to offer comfort for the people there. The slightly built, blonde man sitting at the table could feel this, although it could be the cold demeanor of the detective that was sitting on the other side of the table. Matthew Williams felt constrained by tailored suit that he was wearing.

He loosed his tie a micron and responded to the previous question, “He called them shit-packing fagots.”

“Come on, why would he call them that?” Detective Kirkland asked jotting a quick note in his book.

“Two men in a West Village park at four in the morning? What’s the chance that they’re not gay?” The smaller man shot back at him.

“You tell me. You live in the West Village?”

“My wife and I have lived there for eight years.” Mr. Williams conceded.

“Like the neighborhood?”

“I sure do.”

“Lots of clubs and bars there,” the detective stated, obviously fishing.

“They even have ones for straight people.” Matthew shot back at him.

“Is that why you live there?”

“My wife and I have a beautiful apartment, Detective Kirkland. In a safe building on an otherwise quiet street. The fact that it’s Graceland for gay people doesn’t matter to me.” The smaller man answered crisply, somehow implying that it did matter to the detective.

Detective Kirkland took a moment to review his notes and asked, “So what were these guys doing?”

“I didn’t see—”

“Were they making out, rubbing up against each other?” A hint of disgust tinged the detective’s voice.

“I didn’t see anything till I heard the other one screaming. I went to the window then I called 911.” Mr. Williams explained, growing colder towards the detective.

“What’d you see then?”

“He was beating on the both of them. I yelled down that I called the cops,” The slender blonde related, “and I threw a couple flowerpots at him. My spider plants—”

Detective Kirkland interrupted him, “So the screams woke you up?”

“I was in bed but up. Reading.” The Canadian man explained.

“Four-thirty in the morning?”

“I’m a fitful sleeper.”

“You ever take anything?” The detective asked.

“No.”

“So you weren’t groggy or half asleep?”

“No.”

“And you’re sure you heard him call them fagots.”

“I’m sure.”

“And your wife?” Detective Kirkland asked, but Mr. Williams was quiet so he asked again, “Your wife?”

“She missed all the excitement.” Was the crisp reply.

“What’d she—sleep right through it?” Detective Kirkland asked incredulously, the other didn’t meet his eyes. “Oh…she wasn’t home. Four-thirty in the—is she a doctor?”

“No.”

“…Investment banker?”

“Ha!” Matthew barked.

“Fire chief?”

“She’s a book editor, Detective Kirkland.” Matthew responded, voice full of disdain for his wife, and her “job”.

“I didn’t know book editors worked so late.”

“They don’t.”

“Was she…out having drinks with some friends?” Detective Kirkland asked, trying to be tactful.

“She was obviously out, wasn’t she.”

“So you were waiting up for her.”

“I’m a fitful sleeper, Detective. Have been since before I married her and those two guys are lucky that I am and that I was up and that I did something.” Mr. Williams nearly spat at the detective.

“You called 911.”

“And my flowerpots.” Tinges of grief and pride were in the Canadian’s voice.

“Did you hit him?”

“They fell near him. He stopped and took off.”

“You stopped him.” Detective Kirkland raised one of his substantial eyebrows, doubting whether this mousey man could dissuade a violent attacker.

“Well it wasn’t the cops, took thirty minutes for someone to show up. You’d think it was Harlem, not the West Village.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Feliks’ apartment is quiet, that is until he bursts through the door with a shopping bag from an off-beat clothing store and a bouquet of fresh flowers. The peppy blonde man is humming to himself as he sets down the shopping bag in the middle of the floor and heads to the kitchen to grab a vase for the flowers. He takes a minute to choose the right vase from among the several he owns and then places the flowers in the new vase on the kitchen table. Feliks then dances his way to the bedroom, snatching up his shopping on the way. The polish man twirled his way through his bedroom, stopping in front of the antique full length mirror that stands in the corner. Dipping a hand into the bag, he pulls out one of his purchases, a slinky little women’s top and holds it up, measuring the effect in the mirror.

“Too slutty,” he mutters to himself and tosses the garment across the room. He then pulls the next garment out of the bag, a rather dull button down shirt, and holds it up like the last one.

“Too butch,” was the comment on this one, and it went flying toward the bathroom. Seeing that there wasn’t anything else in the bag, Feliks surveyed his room. His eyes landed on a short skirt, which he grabbed and tries it on. He can’t quite get it over his butt, so he pulls it off and tosses over his shoulder and it flies through the door into the main room. He pulls back on the jeans he was wearing earlier. As he’s buttoning his fly, inspiration strikes and he pulls a t-shirt out of his dresser and puts it on. It looks like one of the shirts Gilbert would wear, a black indie band shirt that fits like a glove.

As Feliks is surveying himself in the mirror, the door buzzer buzzes. He hurries out of the bedroom, and hits the buzzer without asking who it is on her way to the flowers which he fusses over rearranging them in the vase. In his excitement, he knocks over the vase, spilling water over the table and onto the floor. Casting about for something to mop up the mess, he spies the errant skirt. Grabbing it Feliks starts mopping up the spilt water on the table. Before he can get to the water on the floor, there’s a knock at the door. The blonde starts, panicked over the puddle, but before he can get to the door it opens and Toris walks in.

“Hey Feliks, when did they paint the —- whoops!” he says as he enters, and steps in the puddle.

“Toris,” Feliks says, surprised to see his best friend, but he plays it off like it’s about the puddle.

Looking down at the puddle, the brown-haired man asks, “Did you get a puppy?”

“Yeah, right,” the pole grabbed the skirt that he’d been using to mop up off the floor.

“So you’re all right, huh?” Toris asked of his best friend, taking his jacket off, hanging it on the rack.

“Yeah, totally.” Feliks gathered the rescued flowers together, jamming them back into the vase.

“I haven’t heard from you in a while.” The darker man elaborated as he crossed to the couch.

“I’m fine, fine…” Feliks said as he went into the kitchen and tossed the skirt into the trash, “Just been busy.”

“Berwald said he’d called you about that book you were looking for, you didn’t call him back.” Toris tossed over his shoulder.

“…I forgot.” Feliks came back into the room, with the vase now full of water and the rescued flowers, which he placed back on the table.

“He got that job, you know.”

“No, I didn’t!” Feliks exclaimed, happy for their friend, yet surprised that he hadn’t heard the news.

Toris stretched out on the couch, propping his legs over one of the arms and his head on a stack of pillows, “Yeah, he’s really excited.” Feliks was finally free to glare at his best friend. Toris continued talking, “We’re gonna take him out on Friday night, so try not to be ‘fine but busy’ that night, okay?” The brunette grabbed the remote off the coffee table, and turned the TV on.

“I’ll remember. Um, Toris—” Feliks’ voice was dripping with disapproval, Toris didn’t get it as he checked his watch.

“I know, I know, we can watch your show. I just want to check to see what the score is.” He remarked as he dialed in the sports channel to the TV.

“I have plans for tonight.” Feliks was growing more exasperated with his best friend, who just couldn’t read the signs in front of his face.

“Oh yeah, what?” Toris asked, expecting that the blonde’s plans were of the stay home with a good book type.

“I’m meeting someone for dinner.” The Lithuanian was caught of guard but happy for his friend. He turned off the TV and sat up to look at Feliks.

“You have a date?”

“No!”

“With who?”

“It’s not a date, I’m just meeting my friend Gilbert for dinner.” Feliks explained, suddenly shy. It was hard to talk about this with his on-again-off-again best friend-with-benefits.

“Who the hell is Gilbert?” A unexpected wave of jealousy hit Toris.

“I told you, that friend of a friend of a—” Seeing that the other man wasn’t getting it, Feliks refreshed his memory, “He’s new in town, I’m taking care of his cat—”

“I thought you said he was a big loser—”

“I said I didn’t know, but now I do—he’s not.” Feliks was defensive of his new friend.

“So what is he?” Toris asked, brotherly care and curiosity driving his question.

“What.” The blonde almost got whiplash from the change of direction in the conversation.

“What’s he do?”

“He teaches up in the Bronx.”

“Oh, so he’s a nut.”

“There’s something wrong with us.” Feliks chuckled.

“Why?”

“Because that’s what I thought when he told me.”

“You have to wonder about people who want to do stuff like that.” Toris said, glad to have defused the potential fight, “What does he want to do—save a life? Give a kid a chance? Or just feel good about trying?”

“She won a fellowship. She competed to get this job.” Feliks laughed, sitting down beside the other man.

“To teach in the Bronx? What’d the losers get?” Toris joked, but before Feliks could retort the door buzzed. Feliks pops off the sofa and his the buzzer to let them in. “You don’t ask who it is anymore?”

“It’s him.”

“You thought it was him when you buzzed me in.” The brunette accused.

“You’re right, that was a mistake.” Feliks admitted as he took Toris’ jacket off the rack and opens it for him just as there is a knock at the door, apparently Gilbert. “Okay. Please leave now.”

“Why?” Toris asked, still sitting on the couch.

“Because I gotta go.”

The taller man stood up, “I’ll walk out with you.”

“But I’m not leaving yet.”

“Huh?” Toris asked, trying to follow the blonde’s logic. There’s another knock at the door, Feliks growls at the other man, tossing the jacket at him, and unlocks the door, letting Gilbert enter.

“Hey,” Feliks greeted the red-eyed man.

“Hi, here, these are …” There was uncharacteristic shyness in Gilbert’s voice as he held out a bouquet of baby roses to the blonde.

“Thank you,” Feliks took the flowers, “They’re so—” He said, as he ran a finger over the tiny blossoms.

“They’re babies.” Feliks leaned in to kiss Gilbert’s cheek, but shyness caught him and he pulled back. The white-haired man took the cue late and sticks his head out as the blonde was pulling back. Seeing that Gilbert was reciprocating, Feliks responds leaning back in for the kiss, but Gilbert has already reeled in like a turtle. Feliks gives up, sparing the pair from anymore awkwardness, turning instead to the table. He takes the old flowers out of the vase and puts the roses in.

“I was just going to throw these out.” the blonde, a slight blush on his cheeks.

Gilbert had recovered from the kiss debacle, following Feliks to the kitchen doorway, “Hey, did you see they’re filming a movie or something on the next block? Do you think we could stop on our way to the restaurant and watch for a while?”

“It’s NYPD Blue—” Toris said as he stepped out of the bedroom where he hid while the other two were dancing around the kiss. Gilbert was startled by his sudden appearance. “Oop—didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No no, you didn’t.” The Prussian waved it off, as the other man crossed and extended his hand.

“I’m Toris.”

“Oh Toris,” Gilbert shook his hand, “I heard so much about you!”

The brunette was stuck because he couldn’t say the same thing back, “…Nice to meet you.”

Feliks reemerged from the kitchen and found the other two staring at each other, “Oh, sorry. Gilbert, this is Toris. Toris, this is—”

“We did this.” Toris interrupted.

“Good.” Feliks turned to Gilbert, “We should go.”

“Where’re you guys having dinner?” Toris asked, the nosy best friend.

Feliks tries to slip it past him, “Vong.”

Toris glances at the blonde’s outfit, “Dressed like that?”

“I didn’t have time—”

“You look great,” Gilbert consoled.

“Well, tell me what you get.” Toris asked.

“Have you ever been?” Gilbert asked.

“Out of my league.”

Gilbert turned to Feliks, who was puttering about his outfit, “Is it expensive? I don’t want you to—”

“It’s not expensive.” Feliks assured him.

“You’re treating?” Toris asked, intrigued, “Then I wanna—”

“You still owe me for my birthday.” The blonde shot back at him.

“Let’s go dutch, Feliks,” Gilbert suggested, not comfortable with his friend treating him to an expensive meal.

“It’s my treat.” Feliks asserted.

“What’s the occasion?” Toris asked. After a moment of silence it was clear that there wasn’t one.

Quick on his feet Gilbert supplied one, “Actually, we’re celebrating the fact that today Natasha, one of my students, wrote her name for the very first time.”

Feliks looked down at his outfit, making a decision, “I’m changing.” He ran into the bedroom.

“That’s right, you’re a teacher.”

“Mm hm.” Gilbert nodded.

“Kindergarten?” Toris asked.

“Third grade.”

“And this kid wrote her name for the first time?”

“Perfectly.” Pride for his student filled Gilbert, it was these small victories that got him into teaching.

“Isn’t that—”

“Wonderful?”

“…Yeah, isn’t it?” The pair were spared anymore conversation by the entrance of Feliks, who was now wearing a slightly dressy shirt.

“We should go, our reservation’s at eight o’clock.” He said to Gilbert.

“Do we have time to stop by? The NYPD—” Gilbert asked.

“Sure.” Gilbert headed toward the door.

“Okay, well um, ‘bye. Nice to meet you.” Toris said.

“Don’t you want to come with us and watch them filming?” Gilbert asked. Toris tossed a quick look at Feliks, who shook his head just as quickly, none of which Gilbert caught.

“Mmm, I think I’ll wait until it’s on TV.”

Feliks ushered the whole group out the door, but whispered in Toris’ ear as she did, “Meanie.”

“Never take me to Vong.” He whispered back to the blonde.

Gilbert called to the both of them from the elevator, Feliks waved back then closed and locked his door.

CHAPTER SIX

This small, sparse room looked just like every interview room ever shown in a crime show. Plain cinderblock walls provided no escape for the people who visited it. This is why Feliks was currently cradling his head in his arms on the table. The glass of water before him sat untouched. He was wearing a set of sweats that he’d thrown on in the ten minutes the police officer who’d escorted him home had allowed before taking him to the police station. The blonde glanced up when he heard the door open revealing Detective Kirkland.

“Hey, thanks for coming in. You want some coffee?” The officer asks.

“Thank you, I’m fine.” Feliks mumbled, as the Englishman flipped through the pages on the notepad he’d brought in with him.

“We were talking about the White Horse Tavern last time, right? On Hudson Street?”

“Yes.” The Pole’s blonde haired swayed indicating that he’d nodded as well.

“That’s a famous bar, you know? Has a long literary tradition. They say Dylan Thomas died waiting for a drink there.” Arthur was trying to lighten the mood.

“I hadn’t heard.” Feliks continued to mumble.

“I talked to the bartender there.” The Detective got down to business, “I told you I wanted to ask him if he noticed anyone suspicious there that night. Maybe someone paying attention to you and your friend that you didn’t notice.”

“Yes, you said.”

“I went in and talked to Stacy, she said she didn’t remember you and your friend coming in.”

“It was pretty crowded.” Feliks offered as a reason. Detective Kirkland gave him a moment to see if he’d catch the discrepancy.

When Feliks gave no motion of speaking again, the Investigator asked,” Do you remember telling me that the bartender at the White Horse Tavern that night was a tall guy?”

“Gil ordered the drinks.” The smaller man provided, his voice still devoid of emotion.

“So you didn’t get a good look at the bartender.”

“I didn’t.”

“Not even enough to tell if it was a girl or a guy.” The detective asked, his sizable eyebrows meeting in the middle of his forehead.

“I’m sorry.” Feliks responded, his eyes tracing an invisible pattern on the table.

Arthur Kirkland could tell he’d get no more out of the other man on that point and decided to move on, “So after you leave the White Horse, you and your friend go for a walk. You end up in that park area outside the playground. And you’re…doing what?” He prompted once it was obvious that Feliks wouldn’t continue on his own.

“We were sitting on one of the benches, talking to each other…when this guy says something.” Feliks says, continuing to talk to the table, like he’s reciting from a text book.

“What’d he say?”

“Something like, ‘Hey, you want to party—.”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t.”

“Gilbert said something.”

“Yes.”

“So Gilbert provoked him.” The detective concluded.

“What!?” Feliks’ head popped up, full of life now that he was defending Gilbert.

“Gilbert told him to ‘fuck off,’ and that’s when the guy hit Mr. Beilschmidt, right?”

“No.” Feliks said, shaking his head emphatically.

“I mean, if the two of you had ignored him or walked away, this wouldn’t have happened, would it?” Detective Kirkland explained.

“If he hadn’t started—”Feliks started, pushing his chair away from the table.

“But Gilbert had to say something and that’s what got him pissed, that’s why the guy wanted to hit him. Why did he say something?” The cop pushed, hoping to find a way to pin this on the victim.

“He started it, he—”

“All right. He must have said something first—-something that upset Gilbert. What upset him so much?” Detective Kirkland continued to push.

“He was bothering—-” Feliks paused, not able to bring himself to say what the attacker said.

“What did he say? Mr. Beilschmidt said, ‘Leave us alone,’ and then the guy said what?” Feliks doesn’t respond to the Englishman’s direct pushing, “Did the guy call him something?”

“What?” Feliks asked, being pulled out of the trance he’d gone into while remembering the incident.

“Did he call her something?” Arthur repeated himself, “Like a name?”

“No.”

“What’s a name that might upset Gilbert?” The Detective fished.

“I don’t know.”

“How about queer?”

“No.”

“The guy didn’t call Gilbert queer?”

“I don’t —-”

“A shit-packing queer?” Feliks glances at the detective, wondering where he got that phrase.

“No.”

“What’d he say, then—”

“He shouldn’t've—”

“What’d he call Gilbert?” The detective pushed.

“He called—”

“What?”

“A fucking—”

“Say it!” Arthur Kirkland yelled at Feliks, trying to get him to commit.

“Fucking faggot! Shit-packing faggots—both of us.” The pole yelled back at the Englishman.

“Why would he say that, why would he call you that? A nice ‘couple’ sitting on a park bench talking, why would he call you faggots?”

Feliks paused before he admitted, “Because we were kissing.” Detective Kirkland nodded to himself jotting down a note. “It was the first—- We didn’t know he was there. Until he said something. ‘Hey baby, same some of that for me.’ Gilbert told him to leave me, his boyfriend, alone. I couldn’t believe he—then he offered to pay us. He said he’d give us fifty bucks if we went to a motel with him and let him watch. He said we could do what ever we wanted to—- turns him on just to watch.” Now that he was telling it, he couldn’t stop, it was just coming up like word vomit. “I grabbed Gil’s arm and started walking away. He came after us, calling us fucking faggots—shit-packing faggots. Gil told him to fuck off. I couldn’t believe— he came up and punched Gil in the back, then grabbed him and pulled him away. I yelled for someone to call the police. The guy pushed Gil against the building. The guy told Gil to watch his dick-licking mouth. But the guy had his hand over Gil’s mouth, he couldn’t— Gil just made these mangled—Gil was trying to breathe. I came up behind the guy and grabbed his hair—he turned and punched me in the stomach. I threw up, it got him. Gil tried to get away but the guy grabbed her and started banging Gil’s head against his knee. I tried to hold his arms back but he was stronger— he knocked Gil out. He pushed me to the ground and started kicking me. Someone yelled something—’Cops are coming’— and he took off in the opposite direction. West. He was limping. He hurt his knee.” Feliks took a moment to gather himself, and looked Detective Kirkland in the eye and said, “That’s what happened.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was late, and Gilbert was reclined on Felik’s couch, listening to the sounds the blonde was making in the kitchen, while he pondered the playing cards he had in his hand. He downed the wine that remained in his glass before placing a card on the discard pile that was on the coffee table next to the empty wine bottle. He was wishing that they weren’t out of wine, it was so good, when a hand appeared pouring some more wine into his glass. Feliks set the new bottle next to the old one and then plopped on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. He picked a new card off the draw pile and picked up his cards.

Gilbert looked across at the blonde, who was intently studying his cards, and asked, “Okay. If you’re in someone else’s bathroom and they have the toilet paper coming out the bottom instead of the top—”

“I hate that.” Feliks interrupted, not looking up from his cards.

“Do you change it or leave it the way it is?”

Blue eyes opened in surprise meeting the red ones that were staring at him, “What do you mean change it? You’d change somebody else’s toilet roll?”

The albino shrugged breaking the eye contact, “If I was gonna use it a couple times.” Feliks snorted derisively, before Gilbert prompted him, “All right, you go next.”

“So if you were driving down a highway and say a pothole in the road ahead what would you do, straddle or swerve?”

“Straddle. You?” Gilbert asked.

“Straddle.”

“Swerve.” Gilbert accused of Feliks.

“Nah ah.” The blonde retorted.

“Yes, you would.” Gilbert said, his red eyes teasing.

“Cat in the road.” Feliks moved on, not falling for Gilbert’s ploy.

“Gilbird!—say a rabbit.” But Gilbert fell for Feliks’ change of subject.

“Okay, a rabbit. Straddle, swerve or brake?” The pole restated the question.

“Straddle a rabbit?” Gilbert asked, wondering if it was possible.

“Sport utility vehicle — four-wheel drive, you could.” Feliks offered, then placed a card from his hand on the discard pile, and took a sip of his wine.

“Screech to a brake, check the rabbit, then—smoke. You?” Gilbert answered.

“Brake.”

“Swerve.” Gilbert accused again.

“Why do you keep saying that?” Feliks asked, a little huffy.

“This is you.” Gilbert sat and gripped an imaginary steering wheel. He bugged his eyes out and pulled the imaginary wheel hard to the right, then quickly back to the right. He then started laughing.

Feliks threw his cards down, which only fueled Gilbert’s laughter, “These cards are driving me nuts.”

“One more hand, please.” Gilbert turned his piercing red eyes on the blue ones that were looking at him. Feliks picked his cards back up.

“Can I ask you something about your job?”

“Yep.” smugness tinged Gilbert’s response, he knew he one round.

“Why did you want it?” Feliks asked.

“You mean this fellowship?”

“Public school, the Bronx—teaching?”

“Instead of private school, St. Louis—teaching?” Gilbert echoed the blonde’s phrasing, teasing him a little.

“That’s what you’re used to, right?”

Gilbert took a breath before explaining, “It’s where I worked for five years, I never got used to it. I mean, I never went to private school. We all went to the cruddy public school—I mean it’s cruddy compared to the private school, it’s the Sorbonne compared to where I teach now. But in a private school…”Gilbert paused, trying to put it in words, “I mean, what am I giving them? They have more than everything.”

“And the Bronx?”

“These kids—you know who I was when I was their age? I was the kid who had the right answer, knew I had the right answer but would never raise my hand. Hoping that the teacher would call on me anyway. Those are my favorite kids to teach. And here? Now? I got a classroom full of them.” Gilbert took a drink of his wine, but Feliks wouldn’t meet his eyes. The blonde was looking at the discard pile.

“Did you pick a card? You have to pick a card.”

Gilbert leaned over and pulled a card off the top of the draw pile, “You should come and meet them one day.”

“Yeah, okay.” Feliks snorted, half laughing.

“I’ll bet you’ve never even been to the Bronx.”

“I go every day.” Feliks asserted.

“Fly over.” The albino corrected.

“That’s more than most New Yorkers.” The blonde retorted.

Gilbert studied the man who was seated opposite of him and was fiddling with his cards, “Can I ask you about your job?”

Feliks froze, ice blooming in his gut, “Go ahead.”

“Why the traffic?”

“Why the traffic indeed.”

“I mean, as opposed to news reporting or other kinds of journalism.” Gilbert supposed.

“I’m not a journalist. I never worked in radio or TV before I got that job.” Feliks admitted.

Gilbert was puzzled, “So how’d you get it?”

“My boyfriend Ivan’s uncle worked at the station.”

“Oh.”

“I mean, it’s the traffic, it’s not even—the weather. You just ride around in a helicopter and tell people what the cars are doing.” Feliks ranted, getting down on himself.

“The helicopter part is pretty great, right?” Gilbert tried to find something to cheer up his friend.

“Yeah, how great?” Feliks’ voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Well if you don’t like it you should get another job.”

“I can’t.” Gilbert offered his imitation of Feliks swerving again, “I don’t get that.”

“What time is it?” Gilbert asked, stifling a yawn.

Feliks checked his watch, “Two-thirty.”

“Already? Is the subway okay this time of night?” Gilbert asked of the experienced New Yorker.

“You should take a cab.” The blonde advised.

“How much will that be?”

“About ten bucks?” Feliks estimated.

“I’ll take the train.” Gilbert decided.

“I’ll give you the money—”Feliks started.

Gilbert interrupted him, “I have it, it’s just too much. It’s only four or five stops on the train.”

Feliks was uncomfortable with his friend taking the subway at this time of night and was racking his brain for any other option, when his eyes fell on the sofa an idea popped into his head. “Listen you can…” The blonde was nervous all of a sudden, “you know, you’re welcome to stay…” he nudged the sofa with his foot, “this pulls out to be a sofa bed…you can take a train in the morning, when it’s safe. I’m not getting up for anything in particular.”

“Maybe Gilbird will come sleep with me.”

“Yes! You can reconcile with your cat!” Feliks was glad that he found something that would keep the other man safe.

“He’s holding a grudge. He never comes out when I’m here.” Gilbert whined, taking a swig of his wine.

“It took a few days before he started to sleep with me.” Feliks reassured the albino.

“Lucky.” Feliks almost choked on his wine, and stole a furtive glance at the man sitting on his couch.

“I’m sure he’ll sleep with you tonight.”

“Yeah.”

Feliks got up, clearing stuff off the coffee table so it could be moved out of the way. “Here, let me just get those—” he said, moving towards the cushions. Gilbert helped, throwing the cushions on the floor behind the couch. Together they pull out the bed. “I think it’s comfortable,” Feliks excused, “I haven’t slept on it myself—because I live here—but if it’s not comfortable enough then I’ll switch beds with you. In fact, should we just do that? You sleep in my room and I’ll sleep out here?” The blonde rambled nervously.

Gilbert laughed to himself, “No, no, this’ll be fine.”

Feliks bounces on the sofa bed a couple times then gets up, “I think it’s comfortable. Is there anything else you need?”

“I think I’m all set.”

“All right. Sleep tight.”

“Goodnight.” The albino replied. The pair just stood there for a moment. Finally, Feliks smiled shyly and walked into his bedroom. Gilbert yawned and then reached up to unbutton his work shirt. He’d just shrugged out of it when Feliks reentered with a T-shirt.

“Do you need a tee-whoop.” Feliks covered his eyes with a hand

“Oh—I have one.” Gilbert pulls one out of his backpack which was propped up against the side of the couch. “We did face painting today so I—”

“I’m sorry.” Feliks apologized, snatching a peek through his fingers before Gilbert put his shirt on.

“It’s okay.”

“Goodnight,’ The blonde sent over his shoulder as he went back into his room.

“Sweet dreams.” Gilbert slid into bed and turned out the lamp that was next to the couch. He lied there a moment before,”psss psss pssss pss pss psss.” He lifted his head to look for his cat, “Gillllbirrrrrd.” When there was no sign from the feline, Gilbert dropped his head back down on the pillow and waited another minute, “Come on you grudge holder. Psss pss psss.” Still no sign of the cat. Finally he called to Feliks, “Is he in there with you?”

“Uh uh. He’s not out there with you?” Feliks called back.

“No.”

Feliks appeared in the doorway in his pink, pony pajamas and leaned against, “Is he under your bed?”

Gilbert leaned off the bed, and peered under the bed, “No.” Feliks shrugs at him when he became upright again. “Will you do you me a favor?” Gilbert asked, “For just like a minute?”

“Sure.”

“Would you just lay in bed here for just a minute to see if he comes.” Gilbert suggested.

“Okay,” Feliks crossed the room to the bed.

“Since he’s been sleeping with you.” Gilbert elaborated. Feliks gets into the other side of the bed, next to Gilbert, and pulls the covers up.

“I guess we have to convince him we’re sleeping.”

“Oh, right.” They both slide down, and lay down. Feliks wiggles a bit, getting comfortable.

“This bed is comfortable.” Feliks remarked.

“Isn’t it?”

“I never laid on it before.”

“It’s comfortable.” Gilbert stated.

“I got it secondhand.” Feliks admitted.

“Really?”

“A hundred and fifty bucks.”

“That’s cheap.”

“It’s comfortable.” Feliks repeated himself, wonder in his voice. They just laid there for a minute before Gilbert realized something.

“Are your feet hot?” The albino asked.

“What?” Feliks was confused by this non-sequitor.

“My feet get hot when I sleep.” Gilbert admitted.

“Even in winter?”

“Yeah.”

“Take them out.” Feliks suggested.

“I usually move the sheet so that it goes the other way, you know, the short way—” Gilbert explained.

“Okay.” Gilbert got up, pulled the sheet out so that he could turn it around so that both of their feet were exposed, then he laid back down.

They spent another moment in silence before Gilbert asked, “Do you see him?”

Feliks startled, he’d been looking at Gilbert, “Who?”

“Gilbird.”

“Not yet.” They spent another minute or so just laying there staring at the ceiling. “Huh?” Feliks asked, when there was no response, he continued, “Are you asleep?” Still no response, so Feliks turned to face Gilbert, “You’re not asleep already, are you?” Silence was the only response. Feliks turned his back to Gilbert and pulled his feet under the covers.

Slowly a pair of red eyes opened and turned to look at the back of the blonde head that was next to him.

CHAPTER 8

The endless knocking rang through Felik’s apartment, rousing him from his bed. He shuffled across the apartment, yawning as he did. He’s wearing his pink, pony pajamas and looks like he needs to sleep for at least 12 hours. He looks through the peephole, and upon seeing who it is he calls, “All right Toris, I hear you!” Feliks unlocks the door and Toris bursts in, wearing the white button-down and black vest that make up his bartending uniform.

“How long have you been home?” Toris yelled at the blonde.

“Lower your voice.” Feliks mumbled, aware that many of his neighbors would be trying to sleep, and he was starting a headache.

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” The taller man asked at a more reasonable volume but still with all the intensity of his previous question.

“I don’t know.”

“You wanna know how fucked up and worried about you everyone is right now?” The Lithuanian asked of his rather unresponsive friend.

“No.” Feliks sat down at his dining table, watching his friend pace around the apartment with blank eyes.

“You wanna know how I heard?”

“No.”

“You wanna know exactly what drink I was making at the moment I heard your name on the goddamn TV?” Toris gestured to the offending appliance.

“No, I don’t.”

“Dirty martini,” Toris got lost in his rant, “TV’s on in the background. I hear about this gay bashing, two men attacked, and I sort of pay attention, not really. I’m making this drink and thinking about how I gotta run downstairs and get some more peanuts. And then I feel my ears close and my face gets all hot, like I just swallowed a mouthful of hot peppers. So I turn to the TV, but now they’re talking about some apartment fire. So I switch the channel and they’re just starting the story. Gay bashing. Man in a coma. Feliks Lukasiewicz, they totally butchered your name…”

“I’m not in a coma.” Feliks interrupted.

“What?” Toris was caught off guard by the response.

“Gilbert’s in a coma.”

“How do I know that?”

“What was I—” Feliks started.

“How do I know anything but what I see on the goddamn—” Toris interrupted.

“What did you want — me to call you from the hospital?” Feliks threw back at him.

“Yes!”

“What would I say? On a pay phone. In the hospital. Gilbert lying in a room swollen and blue, face cracked open, knocked out, not responding to anything but the barest reflex — all because…because—” Feliks’ voice cracked and he got up and moved toward the kitchen.

“Come and get me. That’s what you could’ve said.” Toris noticed the slow, tentative way the blonde was moving. “Are you hurt? Did a doctor look at you?”

“Gilbert’s hurt.” Feliks stated, adding to himself, nothing else matters.

“Nothing happened to you?” When Feliks didn’t respond, Toris moved toward him. Feliks took a quick step away, and flinched in pain, “Feliks—”

“Bruises.” The blonde admitted.

“Where.”

“Cracked rib.”

“Let me see.” Toris said.

“There’s nothing to see.” Feliks asserted.

After an awkward silence, Toris asked quietly, “Do you want me to call anyone?”

“No.”

The brunette cast about for the next option, settling on, “Do you want me to spend the night?”

“No.”

“Do you want me to go?”

Feliks looked up from the stain on the table he’d been staring at, to meet the other man’s gaze, “No.” He gathered the courage to ask the question that had been swimming in his head, “Toris, do you remember the first time we kissed?”

The man had to think about it a second, “No.”

“Me either.” Feliks admitted, “You know, I would stand at the door with Gilbert and say ‘goodnight,’ ‘take care,’ ‘see ya tomorrow,’ ‘get home safe—’ When what I really wanted to do was plant him a big, fat, wet one. Square on the lips. Nothing confusing about it. He wouldn’t have to think ‘Maybe Feliks meant to kiss me on the cheek and … missed.’ You know, just right there. Not between friends. Not a friendly kiss at all. Bigger. So he’d know. He’d know for sure. That I was answering him. Gilbert is always asking me, ‘What do you want, Feliks?’ And finally, I let him know. I answered.”

CHAPTER 9

There was a coziness to Feliks’ apartment this evening. He was feeling domestic, puttering around the kitchen wearing an apron. The blonde was humming to himself, pleased that he was making dinner. He started when the oven timer went off and hurried to the oven. As Feliks opened the oven door, a wall of smoke billowed forth from the oven. Silently swearing to himself, the polish man quickly pulled the roasting pan out of the smoky abyss and placed it on the counter. As the smoke dissipates, what might have been a chicken emerges in the pan, the luckless bird is charred beyond recognition. As Feliks ponders the lack of his cooking skills, there’s a knock at the door. Startled once again, the blonde hurries to the door and looks through the peephole. It’s Gilbert. “Gswno,” Feliks swears under his breath as he whips back to the kitchen, pulling off his apron, to hide the evidence of his culinary mishap.

The blonde whirlwind hurries back to open the door, hoping that Gilbert isn’t getting impatient. He puts a smile on his face and pulls open the door.

As Gilbert enters, the taller man says, “The kids talked about you the rest of the day, you were hilarious.”

The albino put his jacket on the rack as Feliks asked, “How’d you get in?” Feliks didn’t remember buzzing his friend through the front door.

“Huh? Oh, there was this woman with a baby carriage. I held the door for her, then squeezed in behind her.” Gilbert caught a whiff of the erstwhile poultry, and stated, “It smells like something in here.”

“Like what?” Feliks asked, deciding to play dumb.

“Like someone vomited in sawdust.” Gilbert characterized the smell, causing Feliks to glare at him, but the Prussian didn’t notice it as he remembered something. “Oh— I brought you this—” He pulled a bottle of wine out of his bag, which he’d set under his jacket, and handed it to the blonde, “For coming in and talking to the kids.”

Feliks set the bottle on the dining table, “It’s a little early for me.”

“It’s…” Gilbert checked his watch, “almost six.”

“Go ahead, you have some.”

“Don’t open it for me.”

“Okay.”

Gilbert paused, staring at the blonde who’d planted himself in front of the kitchen door which was uncharacteristically closed, “So what’d you do the rest of the day?”

“Nothing.” Feliks shrugged.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.” Feliks repeated, not meeting the red eyes that were trained on him.

Gilbert sat down in the chair opposite of the blonde, “You know Lili, the girl with the purple ribbon in her hair today? She used to say ‘nothing’ just like that. Until I squeezed an answer out of her.” He had picked up one of the forks and was twirling it between his fingers.

“Those kids adore you.” Feliks stated as he slipped into the other chair.

“Do you think?” Gilbert was now trying to balance the fork on a finger.

“You have a knack for them.”

“Thank you.”

“It was humiliating for me.” Feliks admitted, picking nonexistent lint off of the table cloth.

“Why?”

“Standing up there talking about my idiotic job.”

“You ride in a helicopter, Feliks, what could be cooler than that?” Gilbert turned the fork into a helicopter flying it over the table.

“Have you noticed? The only thing you ever praise about my job is that I ride in a helicopter?” Feliks was piercing the other man with his gaze, his green eyes full of bluntness. Gilbert’s breath caught in his throat. Feliks continued without waiting, “But that doesn’t even matter. Standing up in front of those kids today telling them about what I do I thought — why should these kids care about traffic, their families don’t have cars. I don’t have a car. No one I care about has a car. Who am I helping?”

“People with cars.” Gilbert provided, trying to be helpful.

“Who are they? Why do they live in New York City? Why have a car when you hear every ten minutes on the radio that the traffic is so bad?”

“Maybe you should look for another job?”

“Whose uncle’s gonna get it for me this time?” Feliks spat back at the other man.

“You could get a job based on your experience.”

“As a traffic reporter?”

“What do you want to do instead?” Gilbert asked.

“I don’t know.” Feliks hadn’t ever thought about it, even though he hated his job.

“All right. Come on, we can think about this.” Gilbert treated this like a math problem one of his students said that they couldn’t solve, “What do you like?”

“I don’t want to do this.” Feliks pushed back his chair and rose, turning to the kitchen but realized that he couldn’t open the door without revealing the disaster area, and turned back to the other man like a trapped cat.

“You know a lot about food…you have a great taste in restaurants—”

“I don’t—” Feliks’ eyes were darting, looking for a way to dissuade the line of thought that Gilbert was going down without revealing his own weakness, and failed miserably, “I really don’t want to do this.”

“You should become a chef!” Gilbert looked like he’d discovered the holy grail. And Feliks looked like he’d just discovered he’d gone to school in his underwear again.

Thankfully the upstairs neighbor started his tap-dance for elephants class, or what ever it was that caused that horrible racket, and Feliks darted to the door, grabbing his jacket, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“You could go to cooking school—” Gilbert was pleased with the idea.

“Let’s see what’s playing at the three-dollar movie theatre.” Feliks suggested, trying to break Gilbert’s concentration.

“You obviously have some kind of talent for food—” Feliks tossed Gilbert’s jacket at the man, somehow missing the table and yet hitting the man in the face.

His thought successfully broken by the wind of the jacket which had brought another whiff of failed cookery, “God, what is that smell?”

“I think someone downstairs was trying to cook something.” Feliks supplied, crossing his fingers in his pocket.

Gilbert grimaced as he got up, “You think that smell is related to food?”

Feliks opened the door and waved his friend through. He glanced at the kitchen before closing the apartment door, “Barely.”

AN: Gswno: Polish, “Shit”.

CHAPTER 10

The hospital was rarely a pleasant place to be. Feliks hated the building for all the pain he’d felt there. But he was standing in a hospital room now, this time of his own choosing. Where else would he be when Gilbert was still here. Feliks had been standing at the foot of the bed for some time, watching his friend, looking for some sign that Gilbert would be ok. Feliks was wondering if there was something he could do to help. Feliks remembered something, barely smiling to himself.

Feliks looked over his shoulder, checking if there were any nurses watching him. Seeing that the coast is clear, he untucks the bottom of the sheet and rolls it back to reveal Gilbert’s feet. Feliks then tucks the sheet in on the sides so it’ll stay that way.
.
CHAPTER 11

Feliks was wearing his best suit, with a bright pink tie. He was currently pacing around his apartment. Gilbert was half an hour late. The blonde was impatiently thumbing through a book when the buzzer rang. Feliks tossed the book on the coffee table and rushed to buzz back, grabbing his coat from the rack. A moment later there’s a knock at the door and he opens it to reveal Gilbert, soaked to the knees and holding a sodden newspaper.

“Wow, it’s really starting to come down now.” Gilbert said, waving his newspaper as evidence.

“That means it’s gonna be hard to get a cab.” Feliks quipped, irritation more then evident.

Gilbert looked at his watch, “We still have time.”

“Not really.” Feliks said, trying to turn Gilbert around.

“We can be a little late, can’t we?” Gilbert pushed past the blonde into the apartment.

“Gil, I asked you to be here by 5:30,” the Pole scolded.

“I know, I’m sorry, I lost track of time.” Gilbert shrugged out of his coat, revealing slacks and a plain button-up shirt, no tie, obviously his work attire, “Let me just stand next to the radiator for a second.”

Feliks eyed his friend’s attire, trying to understand what he was seeing, “Is that what you’re wearing?”

Gilbert was rubbing his hands together over the radiator in the corner; he looked down at his clothes, trying to figure out what was wrong, “Yeah…What?”

“Nothing.”

“I mean, is this a dress-up event?” Gilbert asked, Feliks shrugged in reply, “What are you wearing?”

“Just…” Feliks shrugged again, “clothes.”

“Let me see.”

“It’s just … what I wore to a friend’s wedding.” Feliks shrugged again.

“Let me see?” Gilbert asked, in full puppy-eyes mode. The blonde opened his coat, revealing his outfit, a slight blush on his cheeks. “Oh, you look great,” Feliks closed his jacket. “I’m underdressed.” Gilbert stated, motioning apologetically to his clothes.

“We don’t have time to stop by your place.” Feliks offered as an excuse.

“Can I borrow something of yours?” Gilbert asked, they were nearly the same size after all.

“Let’s just forget it, I don’t want to go.” Feliks plopped down on the couch still in his coat.

Gilbert turned, now warming his back, to face the other man, “I thought you had to.”

“Technically,” Feliks huffed.

“Isn’t your station getting an award?”

“They are, I’m not.” The blonde grumbled.

“So do you want to go or not?” Gilbert asked, getting to the bottom of it.

“I have to.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Gilbert moved to the door, grabbing his jacket. When it was obvious that Feliks wasn’t gonna follow, he turned around as asked, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Feliks huffed again.

Gilbert just stood there, staring at his friend for a moment. “Why are you still sitting down?” A shrug was the only response he got. Gilbert sighed to himself, and decided to do something to cheer up his friend. “Let’s see what you’ve got in your closet,” Gilbert announced as he moved toward the closet. Feliks didn’t even twitch as he sat moodily on the couch. Gilbert came back, holding a hanger with a dark red jacket, that had a phoenix embroidered on the back. “Could I wear this?”

Feliks glanced at the garment in question, “I wore that to a reception last week.”

“You did, I didn’t.”

“People will recognize it.”

“Do you care?” Gilbert asked, but Feliks just shrugged in response. “Feliks, what the hell.”

“I don’t know.”

“Okay. Just tell me. What do you want?” Gilbert asked, straightforward, demanding an answer.

“I have to go to this thing.” Feliks stated, as if reminding himself.

“Do you not want me to go? Is that it?”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” Feliks mumbled.

Gilbert crouched in front of his friend, making him meet his eye, “Feliks, will you say what you want?”

“I have to go, I have to.”

“So, let’s go.” Gilbert said, trying to pull the blonde off the couch.

Feliks looked up at his friend, “What are you going to wear?”

“What?”

Feliks stood up, “I have to go to this thing and I want you to go with me but I don’t want you to wear what you’re wearing and I don’t want you to wear my clothes.” Feliks grabbed the jacket off the coffee table where Gilbert had set it, “What will people think if we walk in together and you’re wearing my clothes?”

It was the Prussian’s turn to sit on the couch, “I’m not going,” he said huffily.

“Now this.” Feliks threw up his hands.

“I’m tired, I’m underdressed,” Gilbert explained, “I’m not going to know anyone there except for you — forget it.” He put his feet up on the coffee table for emphasis.

“Gil, I asked you to go to this thing with me a week ago; I told you it was an awards ceremony, why didn’t you dress like you were going to school?” Now that his cork had been popped, Feliks was going off on his friend.

“You didn’t make it sound like it was that big a deal.”

“An awards ceremony?” Feliks yelled.

“If you had wanted me to get dressed up, you should’ve told me.”

“I told you to be here at 5:30, you couldn’t manage that.” The blonde quipped back.

“What’s the big deal — you don’t even like your job.” Gilbert changed tactics.

“I don’t like my job the way you love your job but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t come at the time I asked you to, wearing something appropriate.” Feliks was nearly foaming at the mouth.

“Obviously this is more important than you—-” Gilbert started but was interrupted by the tap-dancing horse upstairs.

“There’s my cue,” Feliks said, “I’m leaving now, I don’t care what you do.” The blonde moved toward the door.

“Yeah go, get chased out of your own apartment again.” Gilbert sniped.

“What?” Feliks stopped, slowly turning around.

“Better to plan your life around someone else’s schedule than have to face them and tell them what you have every right—” Gilbert explained, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“What do you care?” Feliks stalked toward the other man, “What do you care? This is my apartment—”

“You’re pathetic, Feliks—”

Feliks pulled off his coat and threw it at Gilbert, “Fuck it, I’ll stay right here then.”

“Perfect.”

“You can leave.” The blonde shot back with a glare.

“Glad to.” Gilbert replied, standing up.

“I’m busy tomorrow so forget about the museum.” Feliks moved toward the door.

“Yeah, I’m busy too.”

Feliks opened the door as Gilbert grabbed his coat. The Prussian stalked out of the door, whipping his coat over his shoulders. Feliks slammed the door after him.

CHAPTER 12

As hospital waiting rooms go, it was average. The same uncomfortable chairs and old magazines that you’d find anywhere else. In the corner there was a slight woman, with long, dark-brown hair and no-nonsense green eyes. She was currently thumbing through a two-year-old copy of Newsweek. She glanced up when she heard someone enter the room. She smiled politely at the blonde man, not recognizing him immediately. Then it hit her, and she glanced back up.

“His parents?” Feliks asked her.

“Anne and Johan are in there now, yeah.” Elizabeta replied.

There’s a moment of quiet as the blonde plops down in a chair opposite. “They’re strict about that—the hospital. Two at a time.” Feliks broke the quiet.

“Noah’s ark.” Elizabeta said dryly.

“Excuse me?” Feliks said, puzzled by her response.

“Two at a—” She shakes her head a little, “—stupid.”

They lapsed back into the awkward silence of two people who’s only connection was tentative at best. Feliks tossed through his tired brain for something to say, as he couldn’t stand the silence.

“Did you—” he started, “was your flight okay?” Feliks settled on small talk.

“There were like six peanuts in the whole—” The brunette started, sarcasm being her fall back, but she stopped, rubbing a hand over her eyes, “Flight was fine, fine. Thank you.”

“His parents, are they—how are they?” Feliks asked.

“Anne is…wrecked, and Jo—-they’re…” Elizabeta tried to put it into words, “I mean Gilly’s their only child.”

“I know.”

“They never wanted him to come here—”

“I know.”

“The doctor said he can’t be moved until he regains consciousness.” She told him, a bit blunt, breaking the blond out of his introspectiveness.

“They want to move him?” Feliks asked, scared to lose Gil.

“Mm hm.” Elizabeta nodded.

“Back to St. Louis?” Feliks asked, confirming his worst fears.

“To Chesterfield, where Anne and Jo live. It’s about twenty minutes outside.” Elizabeta elaborated.

Feliks took a moment to digest what he just heard, “But what—what if she doesn’t want to do?” He asked, not quite meeting her eyes.

“Why wouldn’t he?” She asked, surprised by even the option of Gilbert not returning home.

“Because of the fellowship, he wanted—” Feliks swallowed back the frog in his throat, “He worked so hard to get, and the kids—”

“His old school would take him back in a heartbeat.” The woman replied.

“His old school, but he—” Feliks couldn’t accept that Gilbert would go back to that posh school.

Elizabeta was horrible at reading emotions and offered, “But—I mean we have no idea when he’ll be able to go back to work—or if. The doctors can’t say. There could be permanent…she’ll need rehabilitation, maybe home care—” Elizabeta was a realist and blunt about it.

“I know.”

“He needs his family. And they need to take care of him.” Elizabeta explained. The silence between them grew, and she realized she needed to do something to help the Polish man. “There was a response.”

Feliks looked up from his shoes, thinking he’d misheard, “Excuse me?”

“The doctor. He said Gilly responded to—he told him to squeeze his hand and he…squeezed.” Elizabeta explained.

“He did?” Feliks asked, hoping beyond hope.

“Yeah.”

“He did!” Feliks cracked a grin for the first time in days

“Fucking A.” Elizabeta smiled back.

“Amazing!”

“I thought you’d want to know.”

Feliks looks up and meets Elizabeta’s eye, “Thank you.” Feliks gulped before continuing, “Gil…Gil told me…nice things…about you—so many…” The blonde stumbled over the words.

Elizabeta had the decency to look embarrassed, “He didn’t tell me anything about you.” Feliks dropped his gaze, “He said you were a friend.”

Feliks mumbled to his shoes, just loud enough for the woman to hear, “I am his friend.”

The brunette cast about for something, “And that you knew good restaurants to go to—,” She glanced toward Feliks, “That’s all Gilly told me about you.”

“I see.”

“Gilly and I—” Elizabeta started.

“He told me.” Feliks cut her off.

“We lived together for—” She started again.

“Yes.”

“I still—” Elizabeta admitted.

“Yes.”

“I’d like—I’d like you to tell me what happened that night.” Elizabeta asked quietly. When it became obvious that Feliks wasn’t going to answer, she added, “Please.”

“I’m sorry.” Feliks said.

“What.” the woman said.

“I can’t.”

“Why can’t you?” She asked, voice tainted with anger.

“Everything you need to know has been in the papers, on the TV—” Feliks tried to brush her off.

“I’ve seen the newspapers and the TV.”

“Then you know every—”

“No, I don’t know everything.” Elizabeth hissed at the blonde, “I know what time it happened, I know where, and I know that you were there. And now you’re here and Gilly is in there. That’s the part I want to know about. Why is he in there?”

“I wish it was me but it isn’t.” Feliks admitted.

“Why isn’t it?” Elizabeta demanded, and when she didn’t get an answer she adds, “Were you hurt?“

“You don’t know what fucking happened.” He hissed back in her face.

“Tell me!” She ordered, but Feliks turned away, “Why couldn’t you protect him?”

“He was big, he was stronger—I tried—” Feliks had tears in his eyes.

“How big?”

“I tried.“

“Stronger than me?” She forced him around, forced him to face her, “Could I have— Hey, was he stronger than me?”

“No!” Feliks yells in her face.

Elizabeta released him, and took a step back, “Why was he protecting you?”

Feliks met her eyes, letting them talk for him.

CHAPTER 13

Feliks was in his bedroom just putzing around in his closet when the phone rang. He struggled out of the jungle that was his closet, by the time he emerged his answering machine had picked up. Feliks dashed across the room to snatch up the phone

“Hello?” The only response was the phone’s dial tone. The blonde put the phone back on the hanger, but hoverer over the phone as he made a decision. He jerked the handset up again and quickly punches in three numbers before hanging up again. The phone seemed to stare back at him accusingly. He picked it up again and entered seven numbers before hanging up. This time he picked up the phone and set in on the floor in front of the couch.

“Gilbird, please?” He asked, kneeling down to peer under the couch, “Come on, you’ve known him longer than I have. I’ll dial his number for you. Tell him I—tell him I thought about—just tell him to come over.” When Gilbird doesn’t come out, Feliks grabbed up the phone and snapped, “If you were a dog you’d do it.”

The blonde punched seven numbers into his phone, and put the phone to his ear, “Hi Toris, it’s me—” Feliks sat on the couch, “what. Did you just call here—why not?” He fiddled with the junk that was on his coffee table, “Yeah, Vong was great. I got the sea bass with cardamom, Gil got the grilled lamb chops with coriander—” A spot on the table caught his eye, “yeah he eats meat, why wouldn’t he? I don’t know what you’re talking about—” A loud grumble issued from Feliks’ stomach, “Listen, what are you doing for dinner? ‘Cause I just walked by Tomoe and noticed there’s no line.” Feliks frowned at his friend’s response, and whined, “Come on, I totally need a sushi fix.” The Lithuanian man gave in, “All right, if you get there first just tell them—I know you know. Okay ‘bye.” Feliks pushed the button to end the call and placed the phone back on the floor.

“Okay Gilbird, second chance.”

CHAPTER 14

Feliks stuck his head in the door to Gilbert’s hospital room. Once he saw that he was alone, the blonde walked in and stood next to the bed. He looked down and said conversationally, “They’re finished building that building across from your apartment.” There wasn’t even a twitch from Gilbert,

“Wake up now.” Feliks said in the same volume.
Feliks looked down at his friend, “Gilbert. Can you hear me?” His green eyes were watery, as he pleaded, “Open your eyes.” Gilbert didn’t even twitch, “Open your eyes, Gil.” When there still wasn’t a response from the Prussian, Feliks couldn’t stand to look at the blank face anymore. He turned away, looking at the beeps from the various machines.

“They’re gonna start you on physical therapy tomorrow. Just little stuff, range of motion, something to get your blood moving.” Feliks glanced around the room, looking for something to distract himself, his eyes caught on the pile of cards, “You’ve gotten all these cards and letters, I’ll read some to you later.” The blonde set down the letter he’d picked up, a caught a glimpse of the people out in the waiting room, “You know your parents are here. They’re doing their best — I think they’re doing okay, considering. You getting better makes them feel better — yeah.”

Feliks had gotten his feelings under control and looked back toward Gilbert, “They look at me…your parents look at me… like I’m some dirty old man.” Feliks paused to see if there was a response, none. “And the newspapers, the TV, the radio — my station, my own station, when they ran the news about the attack, they identified me — “Traffic reporter for this station.” Now everybody — the guy at the deli — I used to be the blueberry muffin guy, now I’m the gay traffic reporter whose lover got beat up. And I’ve gotten letters — from two women—their girlfriends were killed during attacks—and they wrote me these heartbreaking letters telling me what they’ve been through…and they tell me to speak truth to power and I don’t know what that means, Gil. Do you? Do you know me?” Feliks leaned over Gilbert to look at his face for any sign. “Do you know who I am?”

As Feliks watched the albino’s face, he could see little movements, like ripples from a creature emerging from the deep. As he stared in amazement, two red jewels opened up and met his eyes. “Oh my God. Hi.” Feliks choked out before enveloping the other man in a hug.

CHAPTER 15

The evening light poured in the big window in Feliks’ apartment. The blonde shuffled from the bed room headed toward the kitchen. He was wearing only a plain white t-shirt and his pink boxer-briefs. As he got to the kitchen, Feliks stretched his neck, wincing as he found a sore spot, and pulled two glasses out of the cabinet. The Pole filled one glass from a bottle he pulled out of the fridge and then downed it as he filled the second one. As he was drinking, Toris appeared from the bed room, wearing jeans and holding his black t-shirt in his hand. The brunette pulled his shirt on as he crossed the room. Feliks handed him the second glass, which he took a sip of.

“Deer park?” Toris asked, eyeing the bottle on the counter.

“You can’t tell.”

“Tastes like plastic.” The Lithuanian complained.

“You want Evian, you buy it.”

“Not Evian, Vermont Natural Springs.”

“It’s Deer Park or Dos Equips, Toris. That’s what I’ve got.” Feliks was in a particularly bitchy mood.

“Dos Equips, please.” Feliks pulls the requested beer out of the fridge and hands it to his friend.

“You got any snacks?” The brunette asked as he popped the top off of his beer.

Feliks wracked his brain trying to think of what may be habituating in his cabinets, “I think I have some wasabi peas.”

“Those green—”

“Taste like sushi—” Feliks started to clarify, but Toris caught sight of the clock and interrupted him.

“Oh, sudas.“

“What.”

“I have to go.” Toris took a swig off of his beer and set it on the table as he went back to the bedroom to get the rest of his clothes.

“Where?” Feliks asked.

“It’s someone’s birthday at work so a bunch of people are going out to that Japanese tapas place on Ninth Street afterwards, I promised I’d meet them.” Toris answered from the bedroom.

“Blow them off.” The blonde suggested, leaning against the door frame watching Toris search for his sock, not helping because he didn’t want to be alone.

“I can’t.” Was the response from the taller man, as he fished his sock off of the ceiling fan.

“Come on. We’ll go to Aggie’s in the morning for breakfast. Banana pancakes.” Felik’s eyes were wet, as he pleaded with his friend.

Toris walked up to his friend, and placed a hand on the blonde’s cheek, “I’m sorry, Feliks. I made these plans before you called.”

Feliks pulled away from the hand, moving toward the dining table, “Whose birthday?”

Toris sat in the chair across from the couch and started pulling on his socks and shoes, “This new girl at work. I don’t think you’ve met her.”

“Let me guess. She’s an actress.” Feliks rolled his eyes.

“She’s classically trained.” Toris tied his shoe, and looked for the other one. Feliks picked up the errant shoe and tossed it at the other man, who luckily caught it just before it beaned him in the head.

“You’ve gotta get out of the restaurant business, Toris. Broaden your dating pool.”

Toris put on the second shoe, ignoring this quip. “I’ll call— I’ll see you on Wednesday, at Tino’s, right? He’s having everyone over for dinner.”

“Yeah, I put it down.” Feliks replied, as the brunette stood up and crossed to the door.

Toris gave the blonde a quick kiss on the lips, “Bye.” He then proceeded to leave.

Feliks felt like slamming the door on him, but gently closed it so as not to disturb the neighbors. He then moved back to the kitchen, where he spotted Toris’ beer on the counter. Feliks grabbed it up and poured it out into the sink. Just as he tossed the bottle in the trash there was a knock at the door.

“I didn’t lock it.” Feliks called as he picked up the water glass and downed it as well.

“I saw your light on—” A familiar, gravely voice surprised Feliks. The blonde whirled around, subconsciously pulling his t-shirt down. Green eyes met red ones.

“I—I’m not—I didn’t know it was you.” Feliks stumbled over his own words.

Gilbert let his eyes wander down the length of Feliks’ legs and back up, with an angry smirk, “I saw him—he didn’t notice me.”

“Just…just give me a second.” Feliks pushed Gilbert gently back out into the hall, and closed the door before rushing to the bedroom. He emerged a moment later wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Feliks opened the door to reveal Gilbert again, carrying a bottle of wine.

Gilbert offered the wine like a peace offering, “I think— I think you’ll like this kind.” The blonde took the bottle and waved the albino in, Gilbert tentatively entered, sitting gingerly on the couch.

“I’ll get us some glasses.” Feliks stated, moving toward the kitchen.

“You don’t have to open it now—it’s late, I just wanted to—” Gilbert stood and followed the other man into the kitchen. “Apologize, Feliks.” Feliks stopped searching for his corkscrew, piercing the Prussian with an emerald gaze. “You’ve been so good to me since I came here. I’m embarrassed that I acted, that I said—”

“That I’m a loser?” Feliks spat at him.

“I didn’t—” Gilbert sputtered.

“That I’m pathetic.”

“You’re not pathetic.” Gilbert asserted, grabbing the blonde’s hands, meeting the hostile green eyes.

Feliks tried to stand his ground but those ruby eyes of Gilbert’s just bored strait into his soul and demanded the truth. Feliks broke his gaze, looking down at their hands, “I do, I know—I sometimes…swerve.” Feliks removed his hands from Gilbert’s and reached into the cabinet for the wine glasses, “I was thinking…you know, when I was little, my parents made me take tennis lessons — I’m not an athlete — neither are my parents, I don’t know why—because the lessons were free!” Feliks handed the corkscrew to Gilbert so he could open the wine. “And it was summer, and my parents didn’t want me sitting around the house doing nothing, which is what they thought I was doing—which was…true. So, they made me take these lessons, even though I was a klutz. And I tried—but I was a natural klutz.” Feliks took the now open bottle from Gilbert. “Still, at the end of the summer we all had to play in these championships and compete against the kids from the other classes. So for the first round, I get pitted against this kid who obviously took tennis lessons because she wanted to be a really good tennis player. I can’t even return her serves. The match takes like ten minutes.” Feliks poured the wine into the glasses he had found. “Afterwards, my parents can barely speak, they feel so bad. They take me to Dairy Queen, tell me to order whatever I want—I get the triple banana split, and for the rest of the summer they let me sit around and watch Love Boat reruns, which is all I wanted to do anyways.” Feliks paused, and took a sip from one of the wine glasses, the other he handed to Gilbert.

“It was a good show.” Gilbert replied.

“But lately, I feel like…there’s something…worth…winning.” Feliks spoke into his wine glass.

“Feliks, I know that neither you nor I have ever—well at least I know that I haven’t, I’ve never really asked—”

“By the way, I did get an award.” The blonde interrupted.

“What?” Gilbert was caught off guard by the sudden subject change.

“An award for traffic reporting—who knew?”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m sorry, I interrupted—”

“Did you know?”

“What?”

“You knew you were going to get an award, didn’t you?” Gilbert accused.

“I swear I didn’t.”

“Is that why you were so—”

Feliks stopped him with a glance, “Gil, I could never have known. Trust me.” Gilbert couldn’t avoid those green eyes.

“Did they call you up on the dais and everything?”

“Just like the Oscars.” Feliks chuckled, taking a sip of his wine.

“I wish I had seen.” Gilbert placed his hand on the one Feliks had on the counter.

“I wish you’da been there.” Feliks flipped his hand over to grasp Gilbert’s, they both took a sip of their wine. “You want to see it?”

“Yes!” Gilbert emphatically responded.

Feliks moved to shuffle through a pile of papers on the kitchen table, “I thought I stuck it in here.”

The albino set down his wine glass on the counter and moved to the couch, “Sometimes I find stuff in here,” he whispered. Feeling down behind the cushions, Gilbert’s hand finds something vaguely plaque shaped which he pulled out, “I found something.”

Feliks plopped the stack of paper back on the table and exclaimed, “There it is!”

Gilbert turned the plaque over in his hands, and read the engraving. He then moved to the bookcase that stood behind the couch, placing it amongst some photographs that he pushed back to make room. “Put it here, okay?”

“Not there.” Feliks fluttered behind the taller man.

“Why not?” Gilbert turned to confront the blonde.

“Everyone will see it.” A blush flushed Feliks’ cheeks.

“Just keep it there.” When the green-eyed man reached for the plaque, Gilbert said, “Stop it.” Feliks pulled his hand back, but quickly tried to reach over the Prussian’s shoulder to get the plaque again. Gilbert swatted the hand down, “I mean it.” Feliks pouted but backed up. Gilbert took the plaque down, inspected it and used his shirt tail to polish the fingerprints off of it and placed it back up on the shelf. A rush of pride filled Gilbert’s chest as he glanced at the small blonde man who earned this award.

AN: sudas (pron. sh-ooh duhs) = Shit. Lithuanian.

CHAPTER 16

It was midmorning when Feliks ventured back to the hospital. There was a nurse scribbling on Gilbert’s chart when Feliks entered. She looked up at the intrusion, and seeing who it was she smiled. Feliks smiled back, but his whole attention was at the white-haired man in the bed. “Any good news?” Felik’s asked the nurse.

“He’s stable.”

“I guess that’s good news.”

“His bruises are healing.” The nurse said, gesturing with the clipboard.

Feliks looked at Gilbert’s sleeping face, noting the now yellowing bruises. “Yes.”

“Can tell he’s a handsome guy.”

“Yeah.” Feliks brushed some hair off of Gilbert’s face.

“He’s a schoolteacher?” The nurse asked.

“He is.”

“Where?”

“In the Bronx.” Feliks looked over at the nurse, “Third grade. He has thirty-five kids. He knew all of their names by the end of the first day.” Pride tinged Feliks’ voice.

“Takes a lot to be a public school teacher in New York City.”

“He’s got it.”

“Those kids are lucky.”

“They know it.” Feliks replied smiling at the nurse.

The nurse moved over to the other side of the bed, “I’m gonna give him his bath now.”

“Oh, all right.” Feliks mumbled, and moved toward the door.

“I’ll show you so you can do it.” The nurse offered, Feliks stopped. And turned to the nurse, a slight blush on his cheeks.

“Oh—that’s very—but I don’t think I should, I’ve never—” Feliks sputtered.

“You’ve seen the worst of him. Most of his bruises are on his face. His body looks fine. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” The nurse explained, pushing her wavy blonde hair behind her ear, next to the red bow.

“I don’t know if he’d want me to.”

“It won’t hurt my feelings, you know. I’m sure he’d like it better if you do it.”

Feliks thought about her proposition, “…Right now, though, I have to go.” Feliks tapped his watch, and turned back to the door. “The time. But…thank you.” He flashed a smile at the nurse and then glanced at Gilbert again before leaving.

CHAPTER 17

They burst into Feliks’ apartment. Gilbert’s arms were full of grocery bags, while Feliks was juggling his keys, jacket and a bag from a music store.

“Which airport is she flying into?” the blonde tossed over his shoulder as he hung up his coat.

“JFK.” Gilbert replied, as he plopped the bags onto the table.

“At eleven in the morning.”

“Eleven-thirty.” Gilbert confirmed.

“Have the car service pick you up at around ten-thirty, tell them to take the BQE to the LIE to the Van Wyck— that’ll get you to the airport by eleven.” Feliks advised, trading the bag of CDs for Gilbert’s jacket. “But tell the driver to take the Midtown Tunnel back: it’ll cost you three-fifty but the Manhattan-bound traffic on the Williamsburg Bridge will be too heavy.”

“Check.” Gilbert said as he started poking through the CDs. “Do you ever go out dancing?”

“Sometimes I do— my friend Tino goes to this club on Wednesday nights, and sometimes he invites a bunch of us guys to go.” Feliks emptied the grocery bag on the counter and sorting them.

“I’d like to go sometime.”

Feliks peered over at Gilbert, wondering where the other man was going with this, “sure…”

“Will you let me know next time you go?”

“Yeah…” Feliks loaded up his arms with produce to go to the kitchen.

Gilbert was fidgeting with the CD he’d picked up, “Have you ever…asked someone to dance?”

Feliks tossed the vegetables in the crisper drawer in the fridge, “We kind of stick to each other —us friends. Tino usually knows a bunch of guys there, and I’ve met them.”

“You ever meet a guy there, that seemed…” Gilbert paused, clumsily searching for the right word, “interesting…to you?”

Feliks peered at the back of his friend’s head over the door of the fridge, “…No. Not there.” Feliks went back to the table, and picked up a box of pasta, “Have you?”

“What?” Gilbert stared at the blonde.

“In St. Louis, do they—or have you been to?”

“We have a couple places like that but I’ve never been. My friend Antonio says that only college guys go to the clubs and bars; older gays just stay home and read. That’s what everyone in St. Louis does, stays home and brews their own beer or does there email.” Gilbert explained.

Feliks just stared at the pasta, pretending to read the label, for a moment. “But I mean, have you ever…?”

“Of course, right? I mean, right? I mean I can’t imagine any man who’s never felt attracted—” Gilbert mumbled down at the CD.

“Right!”

“It’s just, I mean if you’ve never—”

“You want a beer?” Feliks asked, changing the subject to avoid the awkward conversation that was developing.

“Love one.”

Feliks headed back to the fridge, “I hope I have some.”

“What time is it?” Gilbert asked.

The blonde glanced at the clock on the stove, “Just about six.”

“Scheisse.”

“What?”

“I promised my roommates I’d clean the apartment by the time they came back from their trip, and they’re gonna be home in an hour.” Gilbert popped out of the chair and went to get his jacket.

“Just—wait here a couple more minutes.”

“I really should go.”

“Just wait one minute.” Feliks stood in front of the door so that the Prussian couldn’t leave.

“Why?”

“I wanna…show you something.”

“Feliks—”

“Take my watch.” The blonde pulled off his watch and handed it over, “What time is it now?”

Gilbert looked at the watch, “Five fifty-nine.”

“And how many seconds?”

The albino wondered where the other man was going with this, “Thirty-eight seconds.”

“And what day is today?”

“Thursday.”

“What time is it now?”

“Five fifty-nine and fifty seconds.”

“So count ‘em.” Feliks demanded.

“What?”

“Count ‘em down. Five seconds, four—”

“Four, three, two, one — what?” Gilbert counted it down, and then looked at Feliks wondering if the man was off his rocker. Feliks just pointed up at the ceiling with a smug look on his face. “It’s quiet. It’s Thursday at six! And it’s quiet!” Gilbert grabbed Feilks and hugged him, twirling the blonde around. They stayed that way until Feliks let go. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Feliks replied, a slight blush on his cheeks.

“Um, see ya.” Gilbert said as he moved to the door to let himself out.

“Okay. ‘Bye.” Once Gilbert was gone, Feliks ambled over to the couch, flopped face down into it and screamed into a pillow.

CHAPTER 18

Feliks had passed by this coffee shop thousands of times without even noticing it was there. It exuded a conservative vibe for being in the West Village. It seemed like someone had cloned a Starbucks, dragged it thirty years into the past and left it there to it’s own devices. Feliks took a deep breath and walked through the door. Feliks looked over the crowd of hipsters who were just there to be ironic, and spotted the only man who looked like he belonged in the place.

“Mr. Williams?” Feliks called.

A blond head popped up from the newspaper he was reading, a single curl bouncing out in front of his face, “Yes.”

The Pole pushed his way back towards wear the other man was seated. Feliks instinctively checked out what the other man was wearing. A sweater that looked like it belonged on someone’s’ grandmother, seemed rather out of place for a young man who looked like he was in his late twenties. Feliks mentally shook his head, and extended his hand, “I’m sorry I’m late. I came straight—”

Matthew shook his hand, and interrupted him in a fit of politeness, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I don’t have to meet my wife until eight.” Feliks slid into the empty chair on the opposite side of the table, “Should we order something? Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee would be great.” There were dark circles under the emerald eyes.

“How are you doing?” Matthew had picked up on the exhaustion that oozed out of Feliks despite the Pole’s efforts to suppress it.

“I’m okay.” It was a automatic response to a question that was usually asked out of politeness.

The other man’s bright blue eyes quickly evaluated Feliks’ condition. Once a nurse always a nurse, even if you didn’t work anymore. Matthew came to the conclusion that Feliks’ probably knew his limits better than he did, but raised an eyebrow and asked, “Yeah?”

Feliks didn’t meet the blue eyes that were reading his face without staring, “I want to thank you for…” Feliks ran a hand through his unusually messy hair and swallowed the knot that had developed in his throat, “what you did, Mr. Williams.”

“I only did what I should’ve.” Matthew’s innate modesty caused a jab of irritation in Feliks’ gut.

“Not everybody—” Feliks started but trickled off, realizing it was futile to argue that point with the man on the other side of the table.

“How’s your boyfriend?” Matthew’s caring nature had kicked in again.

“Gilbert—he’s better.” Feliks had started when he heard Gilbert referred to as his boyfriend, it wasn’t something he had really thought was possible. He had fantasized about it naturally, but it was so strange to hear it from a stranger. “Alert and responding. We just have to wait and see what kind of effect. How much and what.”

“I read in the paper he’s from Kansas or something.”

“St. Louis. Missouri.” Feliks corrected, wondering where Kansas came from for a moment. Then his knowledge of geography came back to him, “Kansas City is in Missouri, but Gil’s from St. Louis.”

“I’m from outside Winnipeg myself, although I’ve been here for ten years.” Suddenly, the politeness made sense to Feliks, the meek man opposite of him was Canadian, and from the Mid-West to boot. “When I moved here I would smile at strangers on the subway, give quarters to beggars on the street.”

“Gilbert gives a dollar.” Feliks had a small smile on his face.

“So I can imagine what it must’ve seemed like to him. Small-town boy in the big city—seeing men dressed as women, women holding hands—must’ve seemed like a gay paradise to him.”

Feliks couldn’t quite bring himself to explain that Gilbert wasn’t gay. He cast about for something to say, “St. Louis is not a small town.” It was lame, but it was the only thing he came up with.

Matthew may seem like an airhead most of the time, but he was good at reading moods, even if he was soft spoken. He tactfully changed the subject, aiming for something safer, “What hospital is he at?”

“St. Vincent’s.”

“How are the doctors there? Are you pleased with them?”

“It’s hard to say.” Feliks took a breath so he could figure out how to say what he meant, “You want them to do everything—you just want them to make him better. But they do what they can. I think they’re okay.” It sounded lame to Feliks but Matthew was nodding his head in understanding.

“I know they have limited visiting hours, but a situation like this, they must let you stay all day.”

“I have to go to my job—” Feliks didn’t want to seem like he was always hovering over Gilbert and thus derelict in his responsibilities.

“Of course. Of course you do.” Matthew thought that if it was a loved one of his in the hospital he’d be there 24/7 despite work, and couldn’t quite understand anyone doing anything else.

“But I do visit every day.” Feliks excused, wondering why he cared what this man thought of him.

“It must be exhausting for you.”

“Well, his family’s here—”

“Are you close with them?”

“No…” Feliks wondered how he was gonna explain the situation, “Not close.”

“I know what it’s like with in-laws. It took years before mine…” Matthew trickled off, noting the weird face that Feliks was making. “Have you and Gilbert been together long?”

“Um…no.”

“Oh, I’m sorry I thought you two were—”

“I know.”

“Here I’ve been going on and on as if—”

“Yes, you were.” Feliks was tired and he became super bitchy when he was tired.

“So you’re not really—”

Feliks stood up and grabbed his bag, “No, like I said I go there every—”

“But you’re not really involved.”

Feliks knew he didn’t have to defend himself to the blue-eyed man, and just walked out of the cafe. Matthew just sat there confused, his assumptions once again landed his foot in his mouth. But he didn’t know how to react to the revelation that his happy little fantasy wasn’t.

AN: I realize that Matthew’s in-laws include Felik’s ex (Russia) and they could’ve met before. But let us assume that Ivan isn’t the type to introduce his partners to his family, even if they’re living in his uncle’s apartment. Or that Ukraine wasn’t talking to her brother for some reason while he was dating Feliks.

CHAPTER 19

It was your average evening, Toris was wearing jeans and a plain white shirt, something like a mix of casual and work clothes. He was trying to decide whether or not to tuck in his shirt in front of the full length mirror Feliks had propped up next to the bedroom door. The brunette had just decided to wear his shirt untucked and was pulling it out of his waistband. Feliks posed in the doorway, he was wearing a red dress that hugged curves that he’d created.

Toris glanced at his friend, “I’m a little strapped ’cause business was slow last night.”

“Just don’t worry about it.” Feliks leaned against the door frame.

“I brought fifty bucks.”

“That’ll get you a salad.” Feliks chuckled.

That startled the Lithuanian, he glanced over at the blonde, “How expensive is this place?”

“Expensive.”

“Why do we have to go to a place like that?” Toris complained, ever the skinflint, as he straitened his shirt, “Why can’t we just go to Benny’s Burritos and drink a bunch of margaritas.”

“I told you, I’m gonna pay for the whole thing, so stop stressing about it.” Seeing that Toris was done with the mirror, Feliks pushed him out of the way to check himself.

“Okay Mr. Traffic Reporter of the Universe or whatever you are, I’m gonna get the lobster.” Toris wasn’t one to give up a free meal and had decided to push it as far as he could.

Feliks knew what his friend was up to and provided him with an even better option, “They have venison.” The brunette closed his eyes in pleasure at the thought of a excessive dinner. Feliks turned to his friend, “Does this dress make me look fat?”

“I can not, will not, ever answer that question.” Toris answered solemnly as he went to sit down on the couch.

“I’m changing.” Feliks announced and headed back to the bedroom.

“What are you so uptight about?”

“I’m not uptight.” Feliks called from his closet.

“That’s the third time you’ve changed.” Toris retorted, “Who is this person anyway?”

“Gil’s ex.”

“Why do you need to look so good for her?”

The blonde re-emerged from the bedroom, this time dressed in a pink plaid skirt and a button up shirt. “It’s a nice restaurant.” Feliks started tweaking his outfit in front of the mirror.

“Are the others gonna be dressed up? You told me I could wear jeans.” Toris accused.

“Because I knew you’d wear jeans anyways.” Green eyes flashed as Feliks glanced at Toris in the mirror.

Toris got up and wrapped his arms around the blondes waist. Feliks pulled away, “So how wanes the birthday party the other night?” Feliks’ voice was cold.

“Fine.”

“Did the birthday girl get everything she asked for?” Feliks was trying to sound calm, but there was still ice in his voice.

“You want to talk about this?”

“No.”

“Cool.” Toris returned to his seat on the couch and Feliks turned back to the mirror. The blonde was trying to decide what accessories to wear, but there was still a thought eating at his mind.

“Did you fuck her before or after midnight?”

“Nice.”

“I’m just wondering about the technicality—” Feliks started to explain himself.

“Listen, I’m not like you and that guy—” The brunette interrupted him.

“Who?”

“Who was that guy with the nose ring that you—” Toris was teasing his friend.

“Hey—”

“In the bathroom of the—”

“Hey—”

“With no protection.”

Thankfully Feliks was saved by the door buzzer, he pushed the button and asked Toris, “I told you that?”

“I asked.” Toris shrugged.

“We should start keeping more to ourselves.”

“Too late.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not?”

“Makes me feel old.” Feliks complained.

“We are old.”

“You are.” Feliks shot back at his friend just as a knock came on the door, the blonde opened it and Gilbert entered, obviously alone. Feliks took a moment to look down the hall which was conspicuously empty. “…hi.”

“Hey, how’s it going.” Toris greeted the newcomer from the couch.

“Hi.” Gilbert said in an uncharacteristically small voice.

“Where’s Elizabeta?” The Polish man asked of his new friend.

“She…uh, left.” Gilbert answered and looked at Feliks, “You look beautiful. You too, Toris.”

“She left New York?”

“Yeah, she changed her flight. She left a couple of hours ago. I told her to tell the driver to take the Van Wyck.” Gilbert elaborated, he sounded like he needed a drink.

“Something happen at work?” Feliks asked, concerned for his friend.

“No it— I asked her to leave.”

Feliks moved closer to Gilbert, as if to hug him, “Oh, um—” The blonde glanced at Toris, who was watching the other two, so Feliks stopped short of hugging the white haired man, “Listen, we don’t have to go out—”

“Yeah, no, if you’re upset—” Toris chimed in as well.

“No, it’s fine, I want to go out. I want to get to know Toris.” Gilbert protested.

“Are you—did something happen—” Feliks glanced at the Lithuanian again, wishing he wasn’t there. “I mean, you don’t have to—” Toris stood up and placed himself behind Feliks, placing his hands on the blonde’s shoulders. Feliks glanced down at them like two dead toads dropped onto his shoulders.

Gilbert sighed and ran his hand through his hair, “She was being so—she was criticizing everything. ‘Your apartment’s too small. It’s in a bad neighborhood. Your school is dangerous. It’s too far away.’ All she could talk about was how dirty and dangerous everything is.”

“…Well” Feliks didn’t know quite how to put to.

“It is.” Toris said.

“What?” Gilbert burst out, “Compared to St. Louis? I don’t want to live there. I’ve started something here, and I — that’s what—because it’s…I love…New York!”

“Let’s go eat.” Feliks said.

“Are you sure?” Toris asked Gilbert.

“Yeah.”

“Great! Let’s go!” The brunette opened the door for Gilbert, then looked back to see that Feliks was lingering in the apartment still.

“I’ll catch up with you.” Feliks explained.

“Okay,” On the way out, Toris told Gilbert, “They have venison you know.”

“You mean Bambi?”

As the door closed behind the other two, Feliks moved over to the coffee table, where the Magic 8 Ball sat. He picked it up and gave it a shake, he turned it over. The answer made him smile. He set the ball down gently on the couch so the answer wasn’t disturbed. He moved back to the door to catch up to his friends.

CHAPTER 20

Gilbert was sitting in a wheelchair, staring out the window, not really seeing the view. Elizaveta was in the chair next to him, reading from a book.

“‘And then ninety-eight kilometers’ —that’s sixty-one miles— ‘north of Wilcannia is a lunar landscape.’ That looks lunar, doesn’t it?” She held the book over so Gilbert could look at the picture, he didn’t glance at it, she didn’t notice, “‘Some of the locals don’t mind showing off the interiors of their white-walled subterranean settlements’ —You’ll want to sign up early for that tour, gonna be a regular Who concert trying to—” She glanced at the non-responsive man next to her, cleared her throat and continued, “As I was saying, ‘Looping around about one hundred and sixty kilometers’ —that’s a hundred miles to you and me— ‘a road leads to Mootwingee, a surprising patch of greenness in the barren Bynguano—’ Australia is an English-speaking country, isn’t it?” The brunette lady fingered through the rest of the book, and rubbed her fatigued eyes, “You know, I’m dying to see how this ends but can we—”

Gilbert nodded slightly. Elizaveta stretched and set down the book on the table next to the flowers and cards that now adorned most of the flat surfaces in the room. Her eyes caught on a particular card, “Did you see this?” She picked it up and handed it to her ex, it was a handmade card from his old students, “You got a card from your old class at Friends.” Pointing to a couple of signatures, “See, there’s Peter and Vash and Romano—your favorite, the anti-Christ. He writes, ‘I hope you feel bitter and come bark soon.’ I see your replacement is letting his spelling skills slip.” Gilbert tentatively took the card. While the couple were looking at the card, Feliks started into the room but halted when he saw the familiar way the other two were. The blonde backed up and watched from outside.

Elizaveta continued, obviously speaking of friends back in St. Louis, “I’ve been talking to Feliciano and Ludwig a lot, keeping them updated. Feliciano’s been letting everyone know what’s going on. Roderich’s called— it’s frustrating for them not to be able to see you. They picture the worst, all they have are the images in their heads from reading the newspaper articles. It’ll be better for them when they can see you.” Elizaveta stood and stretched, bracing herself for broaching a new, hard topic. Gilbert sensed what he was going to say, his parents had been talking about it all week. They thought he hadn’t heard their whisperings but he had. “The doctor says we can move you soon. Your parents and I have been talking. I agree that you should stay with them after you get out of rehab. You’re welcome to stay at our old place, of course, if you want to, I would take off from work so that I could—well, I’m going to take off from work anyway.” She paused to let the idea stick, “Just because you’re coming back home I’m not going to be the way it was. I know you went to New York because you wanted to change things.” The brunette leaned down, placed her hand on Gilbert’s cheek, “You do want to go home— don’t you?” Gilbert couldn’t help the feeling of dread that hit him in the pit of his stomach; tears leaked out of his eyes at the thought of leaving New York.

Feliks had watched all of this, with his own dread building. He made a choice, and turned on his heal. The blonde marched over to the Nurses’ Station, finding the nurse that had helped him a few days earlier, “Excuse me.”

The nurse looked up from the chart she’d been scribbling in, recognizing the man standing in front of her, “You’re back.”

“Do you have time now? To show me how to do it?” Feliks’ asked, his green eyes flashing with determination.

CHAPTER 21

Feliks and Gilbert entered the apartment; Feliks pulled off his jacket, tossing it on the table as Gilbert flipped the switch for the lights.

“Uugggh, I’m so full, it hurts to move.” Feliks stretched, “What do you want to do, we could watch a movie if you—”

“Let’s uh…” Gilbert interrupted his blonde friend, “let’s go out, let’s go somewhere.” The need to be active just rolled off the Prussian man, after all he hadn’t even removed his jacket.”

“Where do you want to go?” Feliks asked as he leaned against the back of the couch.

“There’s a bar.” Gilbert was uncharacteristically nervous as he asked, “In the West Village. Henrietta’s, you ever been?”

“Once.” Feliks quirked an eyebrow, Henrietta’s was a notorious gay bar, not exactly the place he’d expect Gilbert to suggest.

“Will you go with me?”

Feliks looked down at his outfit, his pink plaid skirt didn’t exactly leave his sexual orientation in question, “Like this?”

“We could change.” Gilbert caught the blonde’s feeling of trepidation, but miss-read it as concern for Feliks’ own appearance rather than what people would say of Gilbert, “Friday night, it’s supposed to be a good night.”

“Okay. Good for what?”

“There’s supposed to be a lot of people there.”

Feliks nodded, it was Friday night there should be tons of people in the bars, but he didn’t realize what that really meant, “Okay, let’s go.”

“You change, and then we can stop by my place, and then we’ll go.” Gilbert’s face now hosted a smirk for the ages, glad that his plans were working out.

Feliks hadn’t moved from where he lounged, “We don’t—you can borrow some of my clothes.” He offered, trying to streamline their plans.

“Really?” Gilbert was startled by the thought of wear the blonde’s clothes, slowly he warmed to the idea and his smirk came back, “That’s great.” They stood there, neither one of them making a move towards the bedroom. “You go ahead and change and I’ll…change next. I’ll wear whatever’s next.” Gilbert offered.

Feliks hadn’t quite decided if he really needed to change or not and slowly pushed off the couch, “I’ll go change.”

“Maybe we’ll like it there—” Gilbert stated, a wash of doubt had hit him.

Feliks suddenly thought that Gilbert looked like a lost puppy, “Yeah, okay.” He reassured his friend.

“Let’s just—”

“We’ll go, we’ll hang out, have a drink.” Feliks asserted, not letting the Prussian back out now, it was his suggestion after all.

“Yes! You know, maybe meet people.” Gilbert perked up.

Feliks pierced his friend with a startled glance, “Are you—I mean, do you…want to meet people?” It was a loaded question, but Feliks didn’t care, he hadn’t realized that Gilbert was like that.

“Yes!—” Gilbert exclaimed and Feliks’ face sunk in disappointment, seeing this the silver-haired man quickly backpedaled, “No! I want to meet people to—meet people maybe make friends, but, no, I don’t want to meet someone, some stranger—” He finally realized what Feliks thought he had meant.

“We’ll just go.”

“It’s just a bar.”

“With a bunch of gays in it.” Feliks didn’t know if Gilbert knew that gay bars weren’t like normal bars.

Gilbert closed the gap between the two of them, “And us,” he said quietly. Green eyes rose to meet red. They both just stood there hoping the other would make a move.

CHAPTER 22

Gilbert was sitting in his wheelchair, once again staring out his hospital room window. He was just letting the view engulf his mind so he wouldn’t have to think. He was so absorbed in his meditation that he didn’t notice when Feliks entered. The blonde was carrying a small duffle bag slung over his shoulder. Feliks called so as not to startle the other man too much, “Gil.” The Prussian jumped a little and turned his chair to face his visitor. Gilbert’s eyes smiled when he saw who it was.

Feliks set his bag on the foot of the bed, “I brought you stuff to change into,” he said as he unzipped the bag and pulled some clothes out. The Pole set the clothes on his friend’s lap, “We’re gonna do this. Watch me. You gotta listen to me too,” he explained. Feliks went behind Gilbert in order to undo the man’s gown, “Okay, we’re gonna start with the left side because we’re taking things off. And now the right.” Gilbert was now sitting without a shirt on, though his legs were still covered by the gown. Feliks reached down, picking up the shirt that he had chosen, a dark green button-up number, “Nice shirt, huh? Did I pick out a nice shirt for you? Okay, you’re gonna need to sit up a little for me.” Gilbert sat up so that the blonde could slide the shirt behind his back after they got the right sleeve on. Feliks reached awkwardly around the other man, trying to get the shirt in the right place without losing the first sleeve and thus making the whole operation more difficult, “If I can just—” Gilbert’s face turned into a grimace, “—am I hurting you? I’m sorry, Gil — I’m sorry—” Feliks took a breath and rubbed his neck, forcing himself to relax and then held out the left sleeve for Gilbert, “This one you can do.” Gilbert started forcing his arm down the tube of fabric, “Push—Push—keep breathing, and push—” The moment Gilbert’s fingers emerged from the sleeve, Feliks said, “It’s a girl,” trying to keep the mood light, and then bent over to button up the shirt, “Let’s keep you warm. It’s cold in this place.”

Feliks took a moment to breath after getting his friend half dressed, the next part would be more difficult as anyone who had tried to put on pants while sitting knew well. Feliks had thoughtfully packed a pair of sweats so neither of them would have to deal with flys, zippers and buttons. He now picked them up off of Gilbert’s lap, kneeling in front of the chair, and lifted the man’s right foot off the footrest, “We’re gonna do this together. I’ll do this one,” Feliks jiggled the foot he held lightly, “That one you can do.” Gilbert tried to lift his left leg but it spasemed and he couldn’t hold it up for more than the time it takes to blink, “Oh—Oh. Okay. Okay.” Feliks panicked for the briefest of moments, then pulled himself together, he was the only one here now so he’d have to face it. He flipped both of the foot pads up, then scrunched up the right leg of the pants and wrangled it on over the foot. “We gotta work together on this one, okay?” The blonde set his hand on Gilbert’s left leg to illustrate and then scrunched up the left pant leg. Gilbert lifted his leg, it still shook but not as bad as before, “Are you helping me?” Feliks glanced up at the other man’s face in surprise, noting the look of determination on the Prussian’s face, “Yes. You are.” The blonde quickly slid the pant leg on and pushed the pants up as far as he could before Gilbert’s strength gave out.

“Now, the shoes go last.” Feliks stood and fished a pair of easy slip-on shoes out of the bag. “Like this.” Feliks slid the man’s right foot into the shoe, he then set the other shoe on the floor. Gilbert slid his foot in the remaining shoe, “And like that.” Feliks grinned up at the red eyes that were peering back at him in pride. Feliks pushed Gilbert’s feet closer to him and then stood up, “Now you’re gonna stand up.” He caught the look of worry that passed over those usually so confident eyes, “I’m gonna help.” Feliks placed his hands under Gilbert’s arms, “One, two, three—” Feliks lifted the other man, startled at how light he’d gotten in the hospital. He got Gilbert balanced and pulled up the man’s pants and the gently set him back into the chair.

Feliks looked into his friend’s eyes, “I can do this, you see?” Gilbert slowly nodded. “Choose me,” Feliks’ voice just a hair from pleading. He couldn’t even think of his friend leaving him. Gilbert’s red eyes caught his green ones and then the silver-haired man smiled, his first in the hospital. It wasn’t his usual cock-sure smirk, but a true heartfelt smile that brought warmth to Feliks. Overcome with emotion, Feliks suddenly but gently hugged his friend.

CHAPTER 23

The New York street was oddly barren of human life. It was 4am but this was New York, the city that never sleeps. Well, it was empty until Feliks and Gilbert turned a corner onto it, just leaving Henrietta’s.

“What was I thinking?” Gilbert asked his friend.

“That was like—going to a birthday party when you don’t know the person whose birthday it is.” Feliks offered, the bar had been awkward to say the least.

“I don’t know why I was expecting…I don’t know what I was expecting.” Gilbert ran a hand through his hair, tussling the silver locks. “What time is it?”

Feliks glanced at his watch, “Around four.”

“So late.”

“Should we go…go somewhere—” Feliks stuttered, suddenly awkward, “where do you want to go?”

The Prussian man hadn’t thought that far when he suggested they leave the bar, “I don’t know—”

“Let’s just…” Feliks felt oddly shy, “keep walking.” He just wanted to enjoy the company, not wanting to worry about anything else.

“Sure.” The pair walked about half of a block in silence.

“How do you eat corn on the cob. Around the world or typewriter style?” Feliks asked, breaking the silence and picking up their game of weird facts.

“Typewriter.” Gilbert stated, suppressing a laugh.

“Me too.”

“What kind of person eats around the world?”

“I don’t know.”

“I mean, what is that based on? You read left to right, right?” Gilbert asked, logic dictating.

“I do.”

“So you should eat your corn that way too.”

Feilks pondered that a moment, “Do you think in Egypt they eat right to left?”

“I don’t know.”

“Fascinating question, though.” It also employed that they possibly ate corn around the world style in Japan, and other places where they read top to bottom.

As they turned another corner, it was Gilbert’s turn to ask a question. On the other side of the street there was a line of people waiting to get into a night club, “Do you wait in line or on line?”

“Oh. Now I wait on line. But I used to wait in.” Feliks answered, it was weird quirk of New York lingo.

“But physically, you’re in a line, not on one, right?” Gilbert asserted.

“Yeah, stick by your guns. I caved in.”

“You say on. I say in.” Gilbert stated.

Thinking about caving gave the blonde a boost of confidence and he caved to one of his desires, “What about this?” He took Gilbert’s face in his hands and planted a firm kiss right on his lips. Barely a moment later, they pulled apart.

“Huh.” Gilbert looked poleaxes, he hadn’t been expecting that, at least not tonight.

“What?” Feliks’ cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

“You just did that.” It wasn’t a question nor a rejection, Gilbert was just trying to figure out what happened.

“Yes I did.” Green eyes held a mix of bashfulness and confidence that was immensely sexy to Gilbert.

“Awesome.” This time Gilbert slid his hands up to cup Feliks’ cheeks, and he leaned in to kiss him again. But this time they angled their heads the same way and bumped noses.

“Whoop—”

“Sorry—”

Feliks dropped his hands down and wrapped his arms around Gilbert’s waist, pulling the other man close to him. There was a bit of resistance before Gilbert let himself be pulled in, “Do you think we should—”

Fierce green eyes caught red ones, Feliks’ voice had dropped down into a register that Gilbert hadn’t heard before and shot pleasure right though him, “I don’t want to go anywhere, I don’t want to change anything. Let’s just—”

“Okay.” Was the only word Gilbert’s mind could come up with.

“Try again.” Feliks rumbled, before he closed the short gap, placing his lips on the Prussians. It was a kiss for the ages, one for the history books, Gilbert thought for a split second before allowing himself to be swept up into it.

Five Mistakes

Fandom: D.Gray-Man

“Are we there yet, Master?”

The question made Cross want to bang his head against something hard, but since there was nothing around, he settled for slapping his forehead. “We just left town five minutes ago.” He let out a puff of smoke, making the young child beside him cough violently. Somehow, the idiot didn’t seem to handle his smoking habits very well. Ah, such a pity, because he was going to put up with it for the next few years…

When Cross didn’t answer his apprentice’s question directly, the child asked once more, this time a little louder. “Are we there yet, Master?”

The two went on like this for the next twenty minutes, Allen growing louder each and every time. Finally, Cross learned his first mistake.

“Master!” the child screamed, “are we there yet?”

Cross winced. The idiot was loud. “No, idiot.”

This time, only a couple of seconds passed. “Are we there yet?”

Cross, this time, ignored him completely.

“Are we there yet, Master?”

How Mana had put up with the brat was a mystery no one would ever know.

“Are we there yet?”

His second mistake: “Sorry, idiot, I’m deaf.”

To Cross’ horror, the kid actually started talking with his hands. Of course, the General had no idea what the kid was saying, and just stared dully. Silently, he raised his hand and waved. The brat was an idiot; he couldn’t possibly know that much Sign Language. How had he learned it, anyway?

This was his third mistake.

“Master, are you sure you’re deaf? You don’t have very good expressions…”

“Who cares if I have good expressions?”

“Expressions set your tone, Master. If you’re deaf, you should know this.”

“Do me a favor, idiot, and use Sign Language. It’s a bit hard to read a shrimp’s lips from this height…”

His forth mistake. He spent the next hour nodding along as the kid spoke to him. This didn’t last very long, however, as the kid grew irritate not too long after the hour passed.

“Master! How come you’re not answering me?”

“Wha…? Sorry, I wasn’t looking at your hands…”

“I was asking if we were there yet!”

Would God be upset if he shot the kid down with Judgment? The kid was hopeless with everything!

“Yes!” Cross yelled, finally on edge. His fingers twitched as they slowly inched towards where Judgment was tucked away.

“No we’re not.”

Cross fell over Anime-style. Now the annoying idiot decided to realize this?

“Master, you shouldn’t lie. Mana said it’s a terrible sin.”

And that was his fifth mistake.

Num Num

Fandom: D.Gray-man

Allen Walker was not quite sure how it had transpired, but he and his group were lost in a forest. And not just any forest -no, it just had to be a tropical one. His group for this particular mission included the ever sulking Kanda, the ever hyper Lavi, and finally, the ever present Link. Oh, and Timcampy of course; because no mission was complete with out his fluttery friend. As the day grew on, he found that tempers were running higher than usual, likely due to a mixture of the heat, humidity, and that the forest was actively trying to kill them.

Wandering through an unknown tropical rainforest is, contrary to popular belief, not very fun. Especially when you have a long-haired samurai in your party who local fauna found moderately tasty. Kanda had spent the majority of the day being attacked by not only a myriad of bugs, but also a squirrel, much to Allen’s amusement. They wandered in circles, the grumble of Allen’s stomach and Timcampy’s wings beating the only sound as the sun beat overhead the exhausted and irritated men.

As the sun set and the forest grew dark, the travelers chose to walk closer together rather than be separated by the trees and shrubs; this meant that most of the time they were now walking in a line rather than fanned out. Things had been calming down, and thankfully cooling down by this point to allow a normal amount of grumbling from Kanda, and the sound of Lavi’s chipper voice rambling on as he led the line. Link, as per usual, ended the train and was silent.

Allen was thinking longingly of getting back home and to Jerry’s kitchen, and was therefore caught off guard when Kanda stopped in front of him. Luckily for Allen and his hair, he managed to avoid running into Kanda and instead bumped into Link, who gave him a glare rather than a close shave.

“What’s wrong Lavi?” Allen called quietly, unable to make out what was in front of his red-haired friend. “Step in quicksand again?” That had not been a fun half an hour trying to get the panicking boy out of the ground.

“Um, guys?” Lavi replied uncertainly. “I think we went the wrong way…” Allen moved forward to see what the hold up was, and nearly speared his nose on …well, a spear. Allen tried to step back, but couldn’t as a something sharp -he assumed it to be yet another spear- poked his back. He focused instead on the spear pointed at his face, or rather the man holding said pointy object. The man looked to be middle aged, his face and body cleverly painted to match the surrounding trees, his clothes plain and sparse.

He barked out something in a language Allen didn’t recognize. The other spear wielding man grabbed Allen roughly by the elbows and yanked his arms back. The white-haired Exorcist yelped and stumbled back, feeling something gooey slink down his arm. He turned his neck around with a crick to see a form of green slime covering his arms. He tried to pull his arms apart, only to find them snap back into place like rubber; with a sense of panic, he tried to activate his Innocence, only to find that it too wouldn’t work.

The sounds of small scuffles around him suggested that the others were also getting the green goo treatment. The spearmen started walking them forward towards what Allen could only make out as a lightening in the dense darkness of the forest.

“What’d we do?” mumbled a voice to his left. Allen looked to see a furious Kanda being marched next to him, with a bruise darkening on his face.

“Walked in their forest?” suggested Lavi behind them.

Kanda tried to turn back to glare at him but couldn’t on account of the spears and all, so he instead loudly grumbled “Stupid Rabbit” and marched on.

After a few minutes of walking in almost complete silence as their captors occasionally barked orders to each other, they finally stumbled into an open space, lit by fire. Allen winced as the bright light hit his eyes; as they adjusted, he was astounded to see a village laid out in front of him.

“Was there…was there supposed to be a village here?” Allen asked uncertainly.

“Hmm, I dunno, let me check my map,” Lavi replied sarcastically. “Oh wait, my arms are covered in slime.”

“I thought Bean Sprout lost the map!” Kanda shot back.

“It’s Allen!” The two started shouting at each other, with Lavi trying in vain to stop them (Link had the sense not to argue in a life-or-death situation).

“Silence!” came a shout. All four heads turned to the speaker, a man with an incredibly feathery head-dress.

“Wait, you speak English?” asked Link. The man looked at them confused before turning to a spindly man at his side who told him something in the strange language.

Lavi seemed to perk up, saying something in the same tongue. The man with the hat, who Allen assumed was the leader, turned his attention to and started a conversation with Lavi.

They went back in forth, seeming to argue for a good ten minutes. Kanda grew bored and started looking around the village, probably figuring his odds for breaking loose and killing them all, Allen imagined. Allen himself was getting a serious crick in his neck from trying to watch Lavi and the headman behind him. He silently wished he was in Link’s place, as said blond man watched with rapt attention.

Allen got his wish as his guards/captors turned him around to face the man and Lavi, who’d stop talking. Lavi was a slightly pale shade of green. “Well,” he started. “It seems we’ve entered ground sacred to their tribe. We are to be,” he paused, trying to think of a word to use, “given to the forest?” he finished uneasily.

His comrades looked at him in disbelief. “Given as in killed?” Kanda asked. Lavi nodded solemnly. Kanda rounded on Allen. “This is all your fault Bean Sprout!” he spat.

“What?!” Allen screeched incredulously. “How is it my fault?”

“If you in all your Bean Sprout stupidity hadn’t lost the map, we wouldn’t even be here,” Kanda snarled.

The headman stuck out a hand suddenly, and rattled something off to Lavi. The red-head’s expression turned to interest. They quickly conversed more. Allen wished he knew the language -having Lavi as your only translation was very disconcerting. His expression as he finished the conversation was even more disconcerting to the point of Allen feeling the urge to run, screaming into the hills. But as he was bound with green sticky stuff and surrounded by angry people with sharp objects pointed at him, he thought better of it.

“I have made a compromise,” Lavi declared. “We get to go free.”

Allen sighed in relief, watching as the forest people walked around to his comrades and sprinkled some kind of dust on the green stuff, dissolving it. His relief was short lived however, when they stopped sprinkling with him still bound. “Um, Lavi,” he croaked as they began pushing him closer to the center fire, “Can you tell them to let me go?”

Lavi shook his head looking remorseful. “No can do buddy. They’re letting us go in exchange for you.”

“What?” squawked Allen. “You traded me?” He looked frantically at Link. “You’re gonna stop this right?”

“It’s not part of my job.” He shrugged.

Allen blanched as he was dragged ever closer to the fire, which was appearing to be different colors. “You guys can’t just let them take me prisoner!”

“Actually, you’re not a prisoner,” replied Lavi with a apologetic smile as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. “You’re dinner.”

Allen turned positively green. “Dinner,” he repeated in a stony tone. He looked back to the fire that he’d been stopped by. Silently, he watched as a gigantic pot was brought out to it and set on a spit placed over the fire; some water splashed out, causing the fire to sizzle.

Allen turned suddenly and started running full blast towards the forest. The people who were planning to eat him grabbed him by the arms and carried him back to the fire as he still tried to run in midair. “Lavi you stupid -!” what would probably have been a break in gentleman protocol was cut short as he was unceremoniously dropped into the pot.

Chocking on water, he resurfaced to find Lavi holding out his hands defensively. “Sorry man, but it’s really Yuu’s fault. If he hadn’t called you Bean Sprout…”

“They think I’m a Bean Sprout?!” Allen cried out incredulously. “Tell them I’m not! Lavi, TELL THEM I’M NOT!” he shouted.

“No can do.” Lavi shrugged before pulling his hammer out and flying away with Link and Kanda in tow.

Allen stared at the spot they’d been with a sort of confused horror. Then simply horror as people came up and started chopping vegetables into his pot. “Noooo!” he cried, “I’m not a Bean Sprout! I’m a person!”

He watched with utmost terror as the surrounding people started to chant. As it wasn’t in a language he new, Allen ignored it until he could actually make out the words; disbelief struck him like a ton of bricks marked with debt.

“Num Num, Num Num~” chanted the people. They continued on as they put various seasonings into the pot.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Allen deadpanned. Instead of giving up, he tried in vain to free himself of his bonds. If I get outta here, I’m gluing Lavi to the ceiling with this stuff, he thought venomously.

The flames looked oddly purple now, but Allen wasn’t too concerned with that; what really concerned him was the giant lid people were carrying out, presumably to go on the giant pot. Faces blurred together into a laughing mass, chanting “Num Num, Num Num!” with a growing tempo.

Allen gave one last scream as the lid closed over him…and bolted upright in bed with a cry of “Noo!”

Link looked up at him bewildered, his glasses slipping down his nose as his pen dropped onto the paperwork he’d been filling out. “Walker?”

Allen looked around, confused, and jumped about a foot in the air as the door flew open with a bang. Lavi stood grinning in the doorway “Good morning Bean Sprout~!” he called in a singsong voice.

Allen screamed out “Don’t eat me!”, jumped up, and ran screaming out of the room past a stunned Lavi.

With a sigh, Link slowly stood up and followed the trail Allen had taken. As he passed Lavi to fetch his charge, he muttered “No more chocolate before bed.”

Face Your Future

Fandom: Black Butler

Ceil was walking down the hall of his large mansion on the way to his study. Sebastian promised there would be tea and sweets waiting for the master once he arrived. As he walked Ceil was wondering what sort of sweets his faithful butler had made for him this time.

He stopped, looking around puzzled. This hallway wasn’t familiar. And he had walked all over the mansion in the two years he had lived here. And every hallway had windows to let the light of day in, and lit by candle during the night. When Ceil had left the dining room after finishing his breakfast the sun was shining in the late morning.

But in this unfamiliar hall it could’ve been the dead of night.

Ceil could smell the dust and cobwebs that layered the floor and walls. And he could faintly hear small creatures scurrying on the tiles. This couldn’t be his mansion.

Somewhere deep in the darkness a light shined nearly blinding the young master, even though it was very faint. He walked toward the light, barely making out the pictures that hung on the walls. Even those weren’t familiar. People and places he had never seen before, and some looked as though they didn’t even exist.

Something tripped the young master and he fell to the floor, clouds of dust rising on impact. Ceil groaned in pain and also in annoyance, rolling onto his back. What kind of joke was this supposed to be? I thought demons didn’t have a sense of humor. . .

Ceil’s breathing stopped. He was below the square of light that was hanging on the wall. A. . . picture frame?

The young earl scrambled to get up, brushing dust off as he went. He stared at it for a moment trying to discern the picture that hung on the wall. What was it? Was it some trick?

Agitation boiled up in the young boy. “Sebastian!” he called into the dark ends of the hall. “Sebastian! What sort of joke is this? Do you hear me, Sebastian?”

His butler did not appear form the darkness.

“Damn demon,” he mumbled under his breath. If he used the contract to call Sebastian to him the demon would have no choice but to come. Then this ridiculous joke would end. Ceil raised his hand to remove the eye patch, but only to draw it away appalled.

He was shaking. Shaking with fear, he realized.

Ceil clenched the hand into a tight fist to stop the shaking. But when that didn’t work he held it against his chest as if he was injured. His jewel blue eye jumped around the hall while he tried to gain control of his breathing again. The last thing he needed was another asthma attack.

But why would he, the Earl of Phantomhive, The Queen’s Watchdog, the Aristocrat of Evil, the boy who was dragged through darkness into the very depths of Hell, be afraid?

“Ceil,”

The young boy’s eye snapped back to the picture hanging on the wall where the breathy whisper came from.

“Ceil, please. Come closer,” It said.

The boy gulped, taking a single step closer the picture. “Wh-who are you?” he asked trying to sound fearless, yet faltering just slightly. Never once in his young life had a picture talked to him, nor him talking back.

“You need to look closer.” The deep, manly voice answered. Then chuckled when Ceil just stood there. “I’m nothing you need to be afraid of. It’s silly to fear yourself, don’t you think?”

“Myself?” Ceil asked dazed. Then his eye narrowed in annoyance. “Stop speaking in riddles and answer my question,” He demanded, sounding less like a frightened boy and more like the head of the manor. “Who are you?” He stalked closer to get a better look, just as the picture had asked.

“Well Ceil, I . . .” The light dimmed the closer Ceil got. Only when he was standing in front of the picture did he clearly see what the portrait was of, and gasped. “am you.”

He took a faltering step back and raised an arm in defense, staring wide eyed at. . . himself. He was older looking. His shoulders were broad and wide. And the boyish features were gone, face thinned out with age; a man. He looked very much like his father Vincent. But what caught Ceil’s attention the most was his eyes. Eyes. Both were present on the face, neither of them concealed by an eye patch.

Neither held the contract of a devil.

The man in the image smiled at Ceil. “Yes Ceil, I am you. But you don’t need to be afraid because I don’t exist.”

“What?” Ceil lowered his arm.

“My name is Ceil Phantomhive, head of the Phantomhive estate. I am you.” The smile disappeared and his eyes grew sad. “But you will never be me.”

“I told you not to speak in riddles!” the younger Ceil lashed out. “Now say what you mean!”

“We never did like puzzles . . .” The corners of the man’s mouth twitched in a barely there smile. “I think it would be better to show you what I mean.” he stepped back and to the side disappearing from sight.

Ceil charged forward ready to order the man to come back, but only to stumble back again at the images he was seeing. He was seeing the mansion burning, the crimson flames licking at the sky. Higher and higher as if to burn the stars along with his home. He saw himself running through halls in search of his mother and father in the flames. He saw Tanaka, ordering him to leave immediately and getting shot. He saw strange people tying him up and throwing him into a cage. He saw men and women in white cursing him and branding him with the mark of the beast. He could feel his skin seer when the hot iron made contact with his ribs. And no matter how much he screamed, no matter how much he begged they wouldn’t stop and kept torturing and laughing at him. Like watching a pig being slaughtered.

Ceil gripped his head in pain. He remembered very well what had happened to him during that month, but it was different watching it over again as if it had happened only mere seconds ago. “Please,” he pleaded. “Stop. Make it . . . Stop.” His head pounded. He felt sick.

Then there was a gentle touch to his head. It felt so familiar to Ceil, felt so much like his father’s, he didn’t resist. Instead he closed his eyes and allowed the cooling hand to ease away his headache.

“I know it’s painful, Ceil. I went through it as well. But you must watch the rest.”

When Ceil had opened his eyes again he saw his ten year old self in a dark cage, huddled into the corner. He remembered he wanted to be as far away as possible from anyone who opened the cage door. So . . . So he would have a few seconds to pray before his thoughts were filled with pain again.
But something didn’t seem right about the image he was seeing. What he saw was the night he summoned the demon he now called “Sebastian”. But there the young Ceil sat. Saying nothing, doing nothing. Only staring at the metal floor. Why wasn’t he taking hold of the spider’s thread?

“The spider’s thread . . . An interesting way of thinking, I must say.”

“It is how I think of that day. Of what Sebastian was for me.” Ceil explained.

“I understand perfectly. I remember how desperate I felt to escape that place. And I’m very certain you do too.”

Ceil swallowed. “I do.”

He still waited for the summoning. He waited for that demon to kill the people who had tortured him. He waited to watch it all over again. But it didn’t happen. Nothing was happening. Did that mean it stopped?

Suddenly, the door to the building flung open, and the white light of a December day came flooding in. But not only light, there were also people. The present day Ceil looked closely at the men and recognized their coats. It was Scotland Yard.

“What is this? This never happened to me. Tell me now! Who’s memory is this really?” The boy demanded.

“This is my memory.”

The boy was stunned, his anger gone. “But . . . You said we are the same person. So how . . .” as Ceil spoke he watched a member of the Yard yell at another to fetch him tools once he noticed the young one in the cage. After he broke the lock he opened the door, causing the hinges to squeak and groan. Ceil in the memory flinched back, afraid of what this man would do to him. When Ceil didn’t reach for the man’s outstretched hand, he heard the cop gently say “Please don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. No one is going to. Never again. You’re safe now.” The man had such a pitying look on his face, it seemed pathetic. But his smile was warm, and something in his kind eyes held truth. “How is it that this memory is only yours?”

The image of the man from Scotland Yard carrying a crying and broken Ceil into one of the Yard’s carriages went away, and the face of older Ceil took its place. He had that sad look again. But it wasn’t for himself, Ceil realized, it was for the Ceil of today. The Ceil that stood in front of a picture frame.

“Fate had a different path in mind for you Ceil.” he began. “You were meant to be saved the day after you had summoned that butler of yours. You were meant to have a different life, and you know it. But you made the decision to alter that path. That is why I don’t exist and why this memory does not as well. You thought you knew of the consequences when you made the decision. But do you really?” His voice cracked like he was about to cry at that moment. “Do you know what you have done to yourself?”

“Of course I know!” Ceil yelled. “I knew I was giving away my soul to take revenge on those who sullied the Phantomhive name!” The boy looked down at his left hand. He brought it close to his chest to twiddle with the ring that held the deep blue gem, twisting it this way and that. His voice was softer than before, but still held passion, as he said “But it doesn’t matter if I had contracted with a demon or not. This ring has brought on the demise of every head of the family for generations. And they would have come for me anyway just to kill me. You see, an early death has always been my fate.” He looked back to his older self and held his hand out for him to see. “But I have accepted this fate! Yet I will not wait in anticipation for this death of mine; I will face it head on like any other Phantomhive would.”

“If you were truly meant to have a short life, then tell me why I am here.”

When Ceil just stood in stunned silence, the man continued. “I’m not an illusion, Ceil. I am not a lie. I am you, and I wanted to show you what you’re life was going to truly be.” Once again that day he stepped back and away, and the film began to roll.

Ceil watched a course of years in a matter of a few minutes. He was hospitalized when he was rescued and made a quick recovery. Lizzy and Madame were holding him close to themselves, fearing to let him go. Ceil standing over his parents graves with a bouquet of white lilies and his fiancée and aunts at his side. Ceil taking over Funtom and running the business rather well. Joyous and gay birthdays passing with the winter snow. A beautiful spring wedding and a gorgeous and older Elizabeth in white, with an older and handsome Ceil waiting for her to walk down the aisle. He was smiling in excitement. Actually smiling! Then it switched to Elizabeth laying in bed as she gave birth, with Aunt Angelina helping alongside the doctor. Ceil never let go of his wife’s hand, and encouraged her to push. Then there was the small scream of a new life. Madame Red wrapped the newborn in a warm piece of cloth and gave it to Lizzy. “It’s a girl.” she announced. Despite how worn Elizabeth was she took hold of the child in her arms, holding it so gently. She laughed quietly. “She’s absolutely beautiful,” Looking up to her husband she asked “What shall we name her, Ceil?”

The world stopped for Ceil, and suddenly nothing seemed more important to him than his daughter, his child. I’m a father. . . He reached down with his little finger, and the baby grabbed onto it with what strength it had. “Rachel,” he said. “Rachel Anne Phantomhive,”

The new mother smiled. “I like the sound of it.” She kissed the newborn’s forehead. “Welcome to the world, Rachel.”

The roll skipped to Ceil holding the sleeping newborn in his arms by the window as Lizzy slept in the bed. He never once took his eyes off of her as he sang softly and never once did his smile falter either.

More years passed inside of the picture frame. Rachel grew to the age of three when Ceil and Elizabeth had another child, named Sebastian. The happy family of four would run around in the garden playing games of hide-and-seek and tag, and the children would chase the dog and play with their great aunt Anne when Ceil needed to work and Elizabeth grew tired. Rachel’s bright green eyes would sparkle with joy and laughter and her blue curls would bounce on her shoulders when she ran. Sebastian was just as beautiful as a child as his elder sister, but with deep blue eyes and blonde hair. From the second story window of the manor you could see twenty-seven year old Ceil holding the curtain aside to gaze down at his children with the look of a proud and happy father.

Seeing the happy and smiling faces, and the peaceful mansion made Ceil nearly crazy with a desire to be inside of the picture. In that peaceful, quiet and happy little world he could’ve had. He pressed himself up against the frame, as if trying to throw himself into that world, that life, that him. Like if he tried hard enough to push through he could be that older Ceil and have a wife and beautiful, beautiful children. I’m grown up. I’m happily married. I have kids. Madam Red is alive. I’m not bound by any contract. I don’t have to die yet!

“Please,” he begged the golden frame “please let me in! I don’t want this life that I have! I want to grow old! I want to live!” he tried to pound on the picture with his fist to break his way in. But the frame didn’t allow him access. Yet still he tried again and again, hitting it with his hand and begging it desperately to allow him in.

But still, it did nothing.

“I’m very sorry Ceil,” the man’s voice spoke for the first time in a while. He appeared before Ceil once again, and the roll stopped playing and evaporated.

Ceil was still up against the frame and stared into the untainted eyes of the older, non-existent Ceil. Said man held up his hand palm forward to the young boy. “but you have already made the choice.” he continued saying. “You have already chosen your fate, and you cannot take it back.”

“No!” the wide eyed boy yelled. “It can’t be too late. I-I-want to live! I don’t want to be contracted any longer! Please, you have to help me. Let me live a peaceful life!” He was hysterical.

“What has been done cannot be taken back. Your fate has already changed. You will die a young death, Ceil. I’m sorry but there is nothing that I can do.” the older Ceil said sadly.

Ceil pressed his hand against the frame where the other Ceil held his. The boy’s hand was a dwarph compared to the older man’s, which caused Ceil to regret his decisions even further.

“My time here is up. I need to leave now Ceil.”

“No, you can’t leave. Please don’t leave me here. Don’t leave me in the kind of hell.” his shoulders were tense as he tried to plead again.

“I’m sorry, Ceil.” he said again for the thousandth time that day. “But I have to get back to my own life.” Ceil kindly smiled as he said“Maybe one day we will see each other again, somewhere in the afterlife. And then you can live the life that you desire. Goodbye.”

Adult Ceil bowed respectively, then vanished. Along with the picture frame and the unfamiliar, dirty, and dark hallway.

The one and only Ceil Phantomhive found himself still embracing the wall, and took a second to realize he was back in his own mansion with the light of day pouring through the window at the turn off. He quickly stepped back into the middle of the hall, yet he didn’t remove his gaze from where the frame once hung.

“Young master?”

Ceil whirled around to see his butler stare at him quizzically, head slightly tilted. “Is something the matter sir? You’re a bit disheveled.”

Ceil ran a hand through his hair to smooth it out as he took a deep breath to calm himself down. When he dropped his hand back at his side he took back the image of the earl of the estate. He looked his butler in the eye and said. “No, there is nothing wrong. Have you finished the chores yet?”

“Not yet, young master.”

“Get to it then.” Ceil turned on his heel and walked down the hall to go to his study as he had intended at the beginning of the day.

Sebastian Michaelis was left to stand in the hall watching his master disappear around the corner. He looked at the spot where Ceil had been hugging the wall then back to where his master had vanished. Then he let out a deep, throaty chuckle, and smiled that devilish grin. “Such a pitiful human.”

you could do better

Fandom: Ouran High School Host Club

It’s not that hard, really. Stealing someone’s heart. Sometimes it just… pops out of their chest with a charming word and winning smile. That’s Tamaki’s favourite, of course. Charming the heart right out of them.

And that, Kyouya decides, is exactly why the Suou heir is dangerous.

“You’re next,” he says, quite cheerfully, sparkling eyes a deadly mixture of cadmium red and Prussian blue and perhaps a hint of antimony—he has such pretty eyes and it’s such a shame.

Kyouya’s lips curl upward in a mocking smile. “Well, if you can find any heart left to devour, that is, daddy.“

They both know that’s a lie, and Tamaki’s laugh is like bells.

“I don’t eat their hearts, Kyouya!” he protests, words hiding a little bit of horror, but mostly scorn. “I just… keep them.”

“Yes,” Kyouya says, “I suppose that is a little better.”

When really, it isn’t.

—

They always seem to end up in the most interesting positions, the two of them. Tamaki sprawled out on the cleared floor of the Third Music Room, Kyouya leaning against his chest—it’s ridiculously intimate, this, like one of Tamaki’s girls instead of Kyouya.

Tamaki doesn’t mind, of course.

It’s almost degrading, but he’s cold, and Tamaki is warm, and it’s alright that he’s playing right into the blonde’s hands. He tells himself that he’s safe; Tamaki only steals pretty hearts.

They look out the windows into the dark, dark sky that matches the precise shade of Kyouya’s eyes—and it’s as if there’s no movement in Tamaki’s chest, the cavity on the left side just where his heart should be.

“And what happened to your heart, Tamaki?” Kyouya asks, and there’s almost an icy note to his voice.

Tamaki makes a shrugging motion. “I don’t know. I suppose you’ll figure it out.”

His tone is terribly light, and Kyouya finds that he hates him quite a bit more than five minutes ago.

—

Kyouya wonders vaguely whether the piano has always been just that—a piano. He can almost hear a faint, irregular little heartbeat when he presses his ear to the dark wood.

—

Tamaki’s smile is beautifully tragic when he finds Kyouya kneeling by the piano.

“Well. I guess you’ve found it,” he says, and turns on his heel and walks away. Kyouya’s dark tunnel eyes follow him with a decidedly apathetic expression.

—

He pulls the heart from among the piano strings, holds it in his hands—it’s small and golden and fragile enough he’s almost afraid it’ll crumble into dust at the slightest touch.

It’s fluttering like a caged bird in his hands, lukewarm and weak—and Kyouya almost has the urge to cut Tamaki’s chest open, to pull his ribs apart and here, here it is, take it back!

But then, Kyouya’s never been quite that helpful.

It’s in complete selfishness, then, that he raises the small golden orb to his lips.

—

There’s a faint irregular flutter in his chest, mingling with his own steady heartbeat. It’s almost unnerving, but Kyouya’s been expecting that all along.

—

He doesn’t miss how Tamaki’s eyes follow him the next day, or the day after that, or—

Hikaru suggests in snarky tones that perhaps the Host King had found his Queen after all.

Kyouya suggests that he already had.

He almost feels sorry for Haruhi, but that’s probably only Tamaki talking.

—

“Kyouya-senpai, what’s going on with you and Tamaki-senpai? I’m getting a little worried, to be honest.”

He turns to Haruhi, smile perfectly charming and glasses flashing in the light. “Tamaki is just a little tired, that’s all. You don’t have to worry about it.”

She looks wholly unconvinced, and honestly, Kyouya doesn’t blame her.

—

“I want it back.”

“What?”

“I want it back, Kyouya,” Tamaki repeats, his expression comically serious. Kyouya would have laughed, if he wasn’t certain of how foreign the sound would be to him—to both of them.

“Well, then,” is the quite reasonable response, “I suppose you’ll have to take it back.”

He watches as Tamaki rises from his chair and crosses to the other side of the table—that part isn’t surprising. What is surprising is when he pulls Kyouya from his chair, cadmium and cyanide eyes flashing in anger.

Kyouya shows nothing, looking forward with a cool gaze, glasses somewhat askew, and repeats, “I suppose you’ll have to take it back.”

Tamaki kisses him, and that Kyouya can deal with—it’s not like it’s hurting anything, and even he can admit that he was the tiniest bit curious of it all. To be attracted to the Suou heir is perfectly logical. Sensible, even. He always has been very beautiful.

What he can’t deal with, however, is the flood of emotion that comes with it—it’s unbearable, for Kyouya who has scarcely felt a thing in his life.

He can feel something slipping away from him as Tamaki just barely pulls back. His chest feels strangely empty, and he can swear there is a touch of dark blood adorning Tamaki’s lips before he wipes it away.

Kyouya falls, and finds himself caught before he can hit the floor.

—

He is weak, and Tamaki stronger than ever. It doesn’t surprise him, really. He leans against the marble counter in front of the sink, represses another wave of nausea, and looks in the mirror.

The reflection is horrifying to someone as carefully vain as Kyouya. The shadows under his eyes are dark and contrasting with his fair skin, his hair is tousled and his shirt rumpled—it’s annoying, he insists, but nothing more than that. Everyone gets sick, third Ootori heir or not—it’s just a little misfortune, that’s all.

He presses the palm of his hand to the left of his chest, can almost feel that little irregular heartbeat and nothing else.

He pretends that isn’t the problem, because if he pretends long enough, he might just start to believe it.

—

He gave his heart away. That does not mean that he is in love with Suou Tamaki. If anything, the fact that it was stolen from him points to quite the opposite.

—

“I want it back, Tamaki.”

“I don’t see why. You already have mine,” the golden-haired youth retorts, voice impossibly bright. “You just haven’t accepted it yet. You have to want it, Kyouya!”

When all logical conclusions leads to Kyouya rejecting the heart, and all illogical conclusions lead to romantic involvement, his lips curl up in a sneer.

“Here,” Tamaki suggests, voice still bright has he stands up. “I’ll show you.”

—

He wakes up with his nose full of some sort of perfume, a head of blonde hair obscuring his vision, and Tamaki’s thin arms wound around his naked body. He doesn’t know which is more horrifying; the fact of what they had just done, or that he can feel the foreign heart beating more steadily in his chest.

Interestingly enough, he doesn’t feel quite as ill as before.

-

It’s a work in progress, Kyouya soon learns, their relationship, as Tamaki so affectionately names it. Personally, Kyouya thinks, there is nothing relationship-like about it. It’s more something of convenience, because Kyouya knows perfectly well that his heath, at least for the moment, depends on Tamaki.

He lets the Host King pretend for now. It makes him happy, at least, and Tamaki is the most bearable when he’s happy.

He feels a painful twinge of something he can’t quite place, in the upper left of his chest.

—

The first time he lets Tamaki sleep with him, it’s out of curiosity and necessity. The second is all pity and guilt.

—

“Kyouya,” Tamaki whispers, burying his face in the dark head of hair, his arms wrapping around the Shadow King’s thin shoulders from behind. Kyouya stiffens in his chair, fingers hitting the wrong keys on his laptop. He hopes the deep flush across his cheeks isn’t as obvious as he knows it is.

Tamaki sighs contentedly. “Kyouya,” he repeats, as if merely wanting to say his name. Sometimes Kyouya does hate how affectionate the other male is, because he’s sure the rest of the Host Club knows by now.

“Yes, Tamaki?”

“Je t’aime, Kyouya. Je t’aime toujours.“

Kyouya freezes, and doesn’t respond. I love you, the beating of Tamaki’s heart in his chest insists. I love you too.

Preposterous.

He can feel the rest of the Host Club’s eyes on him.

“Tamaki. Get off,” he says, voice as cool as ever, and his fingers resume typing.

—

The third time, he really doesn’t have an excuse.

—

“I love you,” he whispers, as if that can stop the blonde. “Tamaki, Tamaki please…”

It’s foolish, it’s idiotic. Ootori Kyouya never acts like this. He can’t afford a break in his mask now. It’s not like him.

But then, it isn’t like Tamaki to run off to France with some—with some whore to get married, of all things. Kyouya doesn’t even know her name, not that he much cares. Who is she, to walk in and steal Tamaki away from them all? All of them. All of them had fallen in love with him, it’s not like any of them can help it. He’s beautiful, he’s radiant—and damn it all, it hurts. He can hardly breathe from the pain of each individual beat of Tamaki’s heart.

They were supposed to be… they were supposed to be together. Isn’t that what this all meant? Something tells him it really can’t be healthy to separate the heart this far from the body. Perhaps this is why it hurts so much.

He almost feels guilty that he can’t go after Tamaki like the rest of them—but he can’t, he really can’t. He could do nothing, and living with failure was never part of the plan.

He passes into unconsciousness by the beat of Tamaki’s heart, which is sluggish and uncomfortable in his chest.

—

“Kyouya? Kyouya! Kyouya, wake up!”

He decides that it must be a dream, because that voice sounds far too much like Tamaki to be real. He keeps his eyes shut, mouth setting in a determined line, until he can feel someone shaking him by the shoulders, and he looks up, glaring into Tamaki’s face, which is so close the golden locks of hair are tickling his cheeks. Kyouya blinks and his face flushes with colour.

“Tamaki, get off.“

Tamaki just smiles brilliantly, and gets up, offering his hand out for Kyouya, who takes it, and lets the Host King help him to his feet.

“I heard you calling,” he says brightly, and places a hand over where Kyouya’s own heart lies in his chest.

Kyouya can see the rest of the Host Club behind Tamaki—more reason to stop him before he says anything even worse—

“Tamaki, not n—”

Tamaki decides to take advantage of his open mouth, and kisses him in front of the entire Host Club, effectively cutting him off. When he pulls back, Kyouya momentarily contemplates hitting him, but instead rests his chin on the other man’s shoulder and hugs Tamaki to him.

“You’re an idiot,” he informs the blonde, and sends the rest of the Host Club a look that could kill.

“Not a word,” he mouths, and lets his eyes close to relish in the moment.

Too Little, Too Late

Fandom: Hetalia

Germany? Where are you?” I called out into the woods. He hadn’t been back in hours and I was starting to get worried,”Ludwig?” Gunshots cracked through the air like lightening. The calls of the others were lost behind me as I took off into the darkness. He had to be somewhere around here, I knew it. After about thirty minutes of searching in the dark and stumbeling over branches, ducking under some to avoid getting shot. More gunfire rang through the air and I felt tears edge their way out of my eyes as I called out again, finally reaching the outskirts of the forest and the begining of a riverbed.

“Germany?” a closer look at the rocky beach,”LUDWIG!”

The German man was lying on the ground, curled up on his side, one hand pressed on the side of his black tank top. The black top was stuck tightly to his body and his face was drenched in sweat. His sapphire eyes were shut behind his eyelids, the light blond eyelashes so thin and light that they were invisable themselves. Tears were leaking out of his eyes and he looked like he was having problems breathing. His gun lay not to far away from him and it too was drenched in a crimson liquid.

That’s when it hit me…Like a ton of bricks, which hurts like hell might I add…

“Ludwig! Ludwig please, what happened? Please, just stay awake, I..I can go get help-” his hand clenched tightly onto my jacket sleeve with his free hand, which was covered in blood.

“Feliciano, there’s no helping a dead man…”an strained inhale,”I know I promised you that I’d go home with you and we’d eat pasta until we couldn’t stand it any more…” another inhale,”but..I-I don’t think that that’s going to happen.” His voice was horser than when he started, and his eyes were starting to lose their glimmer. He was struggeling to stay alive..

It hurt to watch. It hurt to watch him suffer in pain because of this war. It hurt to know that he would never be back at his house, to help me with every nightmere, every cut and every heartache. It hurt to watch the man I loved dieing in front of me. Fresh tears stung my eyes as his hand touched my cheek, leaving a blood stain on my face. I nuzzeled into the cooling hand and held the hand as close as possible.

“Please Luddy, please no…please don’t go…” I couldn’t loose him too, not to war: Grandpa Rome, Holy Roman Empire, and now Ludwig. I don’t think I could do it…

“I’m sorry Feliciano…I really am,” he sopke, with a minor grunt. The gunshots still snapped in the late evening, and my Germany’s grip was getting weaker every breath. I prayed to any and all gods to just take the Russian man that caused all of this horriblness. ‘Just take him,’ I thought desperatly. Tears still fell down the other man’s face, and I gently wiped them off.

“Ludwig-”I choked. He smiled lightly.

“Ich leibe dich, mein Italien,” he said softly as he finnished getting himself into a painful sitting position. I put my forhead against his, letting the tears quietly down my tilted his head and I let my head slip down enough so that his lips would touch mine.

They were chapped and rough, but they were him. The taste of blood and salty tears; the perfect war. They started to chill, and I pulled away, seeing Ludwig’s face calmer than I’d ever seen it, and his body go limp. His breath came out, but then nothing. I didn’t need to check for a pulse or breathing. I knew it was too late. More tears streamed down my face as I layed him on his back and wrapped the body of the brave and loving German in his jacket. I pulled out my cell phone and looked at the time.

3:30 pm. I looked in the direction of the Russians home.

“Time of death 3:30 pm.” I felt my hand curl instinctivly around my iron cross that Ludwig had given me,”and that Russian Bastard’s going to die.”

~

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