|
Yours Ever - Part 9A Saint Seiya x X fanfiction by Ariane Kovacevic, AKA Fuu-chan. Dark grey clouds were the sole masters of the sky today. The weather was depressing, inviting people to safely remain inside buildings and houses, with its cold gusts of wind raising frightening echoes of distant howls from time to time. I closed the long trench coat around me and shivered, feeling awful. My head was pounding, I felt weak, sick and exhausted. I hurt, and to crown it all my balance was unsteady at best. Damn it, if I had known what getting drunk implied, I'd have searched another way to kill my memories. As it was, at least, the physical pain and discomfort were offering another focus for my mind: to keep walking more or less steadily. I abruptly realized that Yuuto had stopped and somehow managed to avoid bumping into him. Turning towards me, he asked, concern and worry plain in his eyes, "Shun, daijoubu ka?" I shrugged, replying with a self-deprecating smile, "No, but it doesn't matter." He looked away, his face clouded with an expression of disapproval, and showed me the building in front of us, asking, "Is it the one?" A tall, modern skyscraper. A luxury building with a flashy panel which proudly announced "The Four Seasons Hotel". Yes, that was it. I nodded at Yuuto, inwardly cursing against the dizziness that simple movement triggered. "Yes, that's what I was shown in the dream." He smiled grimly. "Then let's go in, and get this over with." He stepped towards the door and I followed him inside. The employee at the reception desk frowned at me in what could have been either annoyance or embarrassment. "I'm sorry, but we have no guest going by the name you gave me." Yuuto gave the man a sweet and charming smile. "Is that so?" Suddenly a wad of banknotes appeared in the blonde man's right hand, as if by magic. In a movement almost too quick for the eye to see, he reached out to the desk employee and carefully laid the money in the man's open palm. "Could you look again please? It's important." The man's eyes widened at the vision of the money, and he whispered, as if unable to help himself, "There's a very special guest on the sixth floor, room 666..." he shook his head, adding, "but no one's allowed inside. There's a security service in place night and day, you won't be able to see this person." Yuuto chuckled, waving the words away as unimportant with a grand gesture. "We'll worry about this once we get there." Grinning at the man behind the desk, he said, "Thank you for your help." We left the counter and walked towards the lifts. From the corner of an eye, I saw that the money disappeared from view in the blink of an eye. I shook my head with an inward sigh, and Yuuto said gently, as if he'd been reading my thoughts, "Everything has a price, Shun. That's the way of it." I clenched my teeth, fighting away the feeling of revolt Yuuto's words had sparked in my heart, and whispered in a tight voice, "No. No, some things can't be bought or sold. Some things, money and power can't soil." My companion bowed his head, slowly, and said with a sad smile, "Perhaps...but they're so rare, these things, and..." I looked away from him, unable to bear the sight of the pain in his eyes as he whispered, "they hurt...so much." I chased his words away and focused on the lifts in front of us. As the door opened on the hotel's sixth floor, we were greeted by two bodyguards who said impatiently, "The access to this floor is restricted to authorized personnel only. I'm going to a-have to ask you to please leave immediately." Yuuto made a show of searching through his pockets, smiling innocently all the while. "Oh but we do have an authorization, just give me a few seconds to find it." He proudly held out a paper for the men to see. "There! Here it is!" Unimpressed by the display, they took it from Yuuto and started scanning it attentively. After a few minutes of very close examination, one of them gave the document back to my companion, and sighed, as if disappointed to find that he couldn't send us back. "All right, you may go. But I really wonder why the authorities would accept to let a journalist make a paper on this." Yuuto chuckled, his smile guileless. "The wonders of science should be exposed, don't you think?" The man gave us an indifferent shrug. "I'm not paid to think." Yuuto nodded, replying with a glint of mischief in his eyes, "No, obviously. Sorry to have disturbed you for so long." As we were walking away in the corridor, I thought that Kanoe's position in the state opened a lot of doors, and that Yuuto's play acting would have tricked a professional. It was he who had suggested this plan of action to reach the Dreamer. As soon as I had given Yatouji Satsuki his name and a close description of the building, she had been able to give us all the information we needed. I smiled humorlessly, forced to admit that even though I didn't like her much, she was a precious help. Room 666. We stopped, and I stared at the room's number, wondering how the gods could have such a poor sense of humor. A nurse was sitting beside the door. At the sound of our steps, she had held up her head, surprised to see someone. I gave her a polite bow, and said, "I'm sorry to have startled you, miss. Could you please open this door for us?" She looked at me during a long time, as if doubting I was really there, and then nodded. "Yes." With an apologetic smile, she added, "Excuse me, I'm not used to see people here. It's been an eternity since someone other than medical personnel was allowed in this room." She stood up and opened the door. "Please, be very careful. I'll be right here if you need me." We bowed in thanks, and went in. This room must have been normal once...but now it looked more like a scientific lab than like a hotel room, as if the man lying on the bed behind the veil in front of us was a simple experiment subject. Carefully I pulled the veil aside. The sky's deep blue was as pure and beautiful as it was during Greece's Summers. I could feel the hot sand under my feet and hear the beautiful music of the waves. I smiled, recognizing the beach. It had to be his world, his resting place.... I nodded back at Yuuto and stepped towards the distant rocks, a few hundreds of meters away from where I seemed to be standing. I looked up at the lonely figure who was sitting on the stone, his eyes set on the horizon, and asked in a gentle voice, "What are you looking for?" He turned towards us, unsurprised. Smiling. "I'm trying to get a glimpse of what's hidden beyond the horizon. I wait." He nodded at me. "It'd seem you managed to find me." I bowed. "Because you showed me." I stared up into the strange eyes that knew Fate, knew what would happen, and asked, "Please, will you let us reach you?" I stepped beyond the veil, the sound of the waves still echoing in my mind. His eyes were closed, as if he was asleep. I looked at the tubes linking his body to the machines and suddenly my heart filled with pity and disgust, with sorrow, for him. I knelt down beside the bed and carefully took his right hand in mine. Behind me, Yuuto whispered, "Shun, are you sure?" I looked back at him and nodded. During a long time my eyes stayed set on Yuuto's, unable to win free of the blue eyes' clear gaze. Pretense wasn't necessary with him, just as it wasn't with Sakurazuka Seishirou. But even though they knew the truth, I couldn't let my feelings come forth. I had to bury them, to control them perfectly before all the Seals were broken. I had to. And if I couldn't silence my heart through the use of my will, when the time came I knew I'd kill Yuuto. Understanding was shining in his eyes, as well as acceptance. He knew. Dismissing him, I turned back towards the frail shape of the Dreamer and focused my cosmo, letting its bright light shine around me. Letting the power gently flow from me, giving my energy. My life. Filling emptiness with starlight. Encountering a weariness so great, a sorrow so deep that they reached out to hungrily devour the life I was feeding them. Closing my mind on the emotions, I kept on sharing the heart of the constellation which was my other self with the man lying on the bed. Slowly the strange eyes opened and focused on me. He smiled. "Thank you." His fingers closed around my hand in a frail and gentle grip. "Thank you for allowing this to end at last." I wanted to ask him who he was, to ask him why his only wish was for death, but I found myself unable to say a word. Nothing I'd say would be adequate when set against what I had felt in his heart, and above all I knew with an acute certainty such as I had never felt, that I had no right to question his choice, no right to question him. I helped him to sit up as gently as I could, supporting his weight with an arms passed around his shoulders. He looked at the machines and the tubes tied to his body with something akin to disgust, and smiled self-deprecatingly. "You're going to have to help me get rid of those things, and you'll have to carry me I'm afraid. I'm not--" In a soft whisper, Yuuto cut him off. "It's okay, I can carry you easily, don't be concerned." Something flickered in the cat-like eyes, something which might have been surprise as the man named Kakyou stared at Yuuto during a long time, and nodded. "I see." Sadness suddenly marked the fine face, and he sighed. "Let's go then. But I'd advise you not to use the door through which you came." I moved away to let Yuuto come to the bed, and he took the Dreamer up in his arms cautiously, asking, "Is it okay?" Kakyou's answering smile was half-patience, half-amusement. "Yes, of course. Don't worry about me." Yuuto nodded at me, and I stepped over to the window, opening the curtain and letting the light of day reach the room. Quickly I opened it and jumped down. Looking up at the building which was one of the tallest skyscrapers of the city, I asked, "Is this the place?" The Dreamer nodded, smiling at my obvious surprise. I shook my head, unable to reconcile the fact that this place was the one we were seeking with what I knew of it. "But the Sunshine 60 building is--" A quiet chuckle interrupted me, coming from Yuuto. "A very good hiding place indeed." He grinned at me. "So, shall we go visit the aquarium?" Before we could move, Kakyou tugged at Yuuto's sleeve. "Not yet. Please, put me down." Doubts written all over my face, I looked at the frail figure of the man and wondered, "Are you strong enough to stand on your own?" He gave me a small, indifferent shrug, his eyes distant. "There's little time left. I'll manage." He turned back towards Yuuto. "Please, put me down. I'd like to feel the earth beneath my feet." Yuuto obeyed, carefully putting him down and supporting him. I followed the proceedings with more than a little bit of concern, certain he wouldn't be able to stand. But, thanks to some unknown miracle he gently freed himself from Yuuto's support and managed to make a few steps. Taking a slow, deep breath, he closed his eyes, and tears slowly started running down his cheeks. Tears of both sorrow and joy. Hope and despair. At last he opened his eyes again and looked at us, a luminous smile on his face. "Thank you." He turned back towards the skyscraper's looming shape, and gestured towards it. "What you seek is hidden in the deepest levels of the building, far below the ground. But I must warn you that the Dragons of Heaven are aware of this as well, they'll be here soon." That didn't surprise me very much. If the blind Seeress and the Graude Foundation had joined forces, they had formidable resources at their disposal. Yuuto took a cellular phone out of a pocket and quickly called Kanoe. We'd need the other Dragons of Earth. "The time has come." When I heard the quiet whisper, I turned abruptly towards Kakyou. With a gentle smile, he told me, "I'll need your help." I gave the beautiful face a blank stare, then I looked into the strange cat's eyes and felt cold, horribly cold as I understood the meaning of the faint light shining in them. I shook my head in silence, suddenly unable to contemplate what he'd now ask of me. In the peaceful atmosphere of the night, he said softly, "Please, help me to die." I bowed my head, fighting to keep the tremors out of my voice as I said, "No...you promised me one of the Seals, you can't--" Fingers touched my chin, making me look at him. "And you shall have it. Now, I need your help to die." I lost myself in those eyes. It was what he wanted. It was his wish, and it was far better than the life he had been condemned to. Above all, it had been his condition for helping me. I had made a promise, I had known that he'd ask that I keep my words, I had known I'd have to be true to my words. Emptiness filled my heart as my right hand closed into a fist. And I struck. One blow. Pain flickered briefly in his eyes, then he fell backwards, in a slow motion. Reaching out, I caught him and held him close to me. Hugged him desperately. Fingertips brushed against my cheeks in a gentle caress, and caught tears that I wasn't even aware I was shedding. "Don't grieve...don't feel guilt." The strange, cat-like eyes were watching me, wise, knowing. "I asked you for this. Now," an eerie smile lit his face, so full of happiness and sorrow that I got the feeling that the one I was holding didn't belong to this human world, an angel who had lost his way to be trapped in a mortal shell, and he said in a barely audible whisper, "I'll be able to find her, to reach her. I've waited for so long...." Focusing back on me with difficulty, he added, "Your heart...so pure. I know now why you were His Chosen." Suddenly I felt his body slipping from my grasp. "There's a reason besides whim in the way He Chooses...a reason that was imposed on Him a long time ago." He reached out to me and rested the palm of his hand against my left cheek. "Be true." His eyes closed, and a last whisper reached my ears. "Thank you for freeing me." Then life left him, and he fell. Unable to hold him upright, I fell on my knees along with him, in a slow motion. As my knees hit the ground, something tore deep inside of me, and understanding struck me. He...I looked at the Dreamer's prone body, and felt my mind reeling. He had promised me a Seal. Reflexively fingers clutched the pendant on my chest, and I shook my head. Himself. A living Seal. And he had needed me to destroy...to kill.... I bowed my head, and felt silent sobs shaking my shoulders. Death...damn it, why was it so hard to accept? He had asked me to do it! He had wished for this, his life had been a prison for his soul, nothing more. I knew that, and still it hurt me. "Shun?" Yuuto's voice. Yuuto.... If I didn't master my feelings...I froze. It wouldn't happen. For him, I had to let go. For him, I had to embrace love and compassion, caring, gentleness. And bury them. My heart would be their grave. I felt ice gripping my soul and welcomed it. I'd damn myself. I smiled bitterly, knowing the truth of that. I was already damned. I stood up slowly and faced the blonde Dragon of Earth, asking him in a voice carefully devoid of emotions, "What is it?" He bowed his head, and his short hair invaded his face, hiding his eyes as he said quietly, "The others will join us as soon as possible. In the meantime, we should go in." I nodded, and stepped towards the Sunshine 60 building. "He was a living Seal...wasn't he?" A half-sad, half-ironic chuckles escaped me, and I replied without turning back, "Yes, a Seal...and a Dragon of Earth, for my sake." Half a world away, a young woman shook her head sadly. Traces of tears were still visible on her cheeks. Here eyes widened as the faintest of sounds disturbed the silence, and she turned to face a man wearing a Gold Cloth, a man whose eyes were closed, and whose long golden hair was flowing with the wind. Bowing her head, she whispered, "I should never have let him go." An unreadable smile came to Virgo Shaka's lips as he replied, "It wouldn't have changed the outcome." His smile vanished suddenly and he let out a sigh which betrayed something which might have been weariness. "I thought of killing him. But it's not that easy." A faint note of sadness seeped into his voice when he added, "Although it'd have weighed heavily on my soul, I'd have done this...I'd have sacrificed the one Virgo recognized." Shaking his head, he waved his own words away. "I've come to request a favor, Athena." She nodded, without waiting for him to continue. "Go, Virgo Shaka. Go to Japan and..." her voice reduced to a whisper, "help him if you can." She looked up at the statue of Athena. "I only wish I could join you." She stepped over to him and took his hands in hers. "Until the time comes, I'll remain here." Her eyes glinted in the light of dawn as she said, "You have my blessing. And so has he." Virgo Shaka gently freed himself from her, and power rose in him, a golden aura shining around him. The sun appeared above the high mountains' peaks, blinding the young woman. Once its light became bearable again, she looked in front of her and whispered a prayer. The man in Gold Cloth was gone. "I didn't know you also had a thief's dexterity." Yuuto chuckled at my words, replying, "Every skill can prove itself useful, which is why I learn every time I can. Now, where to?" At this moment, the lift's door opened, and I stepped in. My companion followed me while I shot a quick look at the panel. Smiling, I thought this was far too easy. There was only one floor below the surface. I pushed on the button and waited. Nothing happened. As I was about to push again, Yuuto showed me something a thin slit in the metal, on the left side of the panel, and sighed. "I'm afraid we'd need a card to activate this lift...and that's not something I can come up with on such short notice." He frowned, then snapped his fingers with a satisfied smile, saying, "I may have a way out of this." He took his cellular phone again and made a call. "Yes, Yuuto here. Could you please hook me to the control room's direct line?" He leaned back against the lift's wall, waiting, then a grin appeared on his face. "Ah, Satsuki dear, I was certain you had stayed with Beast." He laughed. "Yes, I know I'm disturbing you. Yes, I know this is a waste of bandwidth." His face became serious again. "Listen, we're stuck in a lift of the Sunshine 60 Building, we must go down, below the ground level. Could you deactivate the stupid security they put on it?" There was a short moment of silence, then he sighed. "Yes it's easy, no it's not worthy of your attention, but the Shinken is down there, so do it will you?" Suddenly he put the phone back in a pocket, and said when I shot him a quizzical look, shrugging, "She hung up on me." Somehow, his words and the sulky expression on his face raised a smile to my lips. All of a sudden the lift's doors closed, and it began to go down. Yuuto whistled softly. "It didn't take her long. Maybe she was right after all, it must have been kind of humiliating to do something as simple as bypassing that." I looked at him, silent, contemplating the impulse to fling myself in his arms and cry. I stared at the feelings burning in my heart and slowly, painfully, I locked them in the dark place of my soul where other ghosts were resting, where the names of those I had fought and killed haunted, night and day. It was a cruel thing to do, crushing myself like that. But my way was clear. So I closed the black door inside me and told him simply, "Thank you, Yuuto." His eyes focused on me and I smiled. "Thank you for not saying anything." He nodded slowly, and at the same time the lift stopped. This level was a labyrinth of corridors which crossed and crossed again like the myriad of threads in an intricate tapestry. I leaned a hand against the wall and sighed in frustration. "We don't have time for this. There are too many rooms to check, the Dragons of Heaven could arrive any minute." The sound of steps interrupted me and I tensed against the wall. Someone was coming this way. My hands closed into fists as I waited, then a young man appeared at the turn of the corridor. Dark, unreadable eyes met mine, and I smiled. Monou Fuuma. As soon as he joined our side, I asked him, "Are you alone?" He nodded silently, and I wondered what had possessed the young man to com here. How had he known where to find us? Abruptly I noticed that he seemed to be even more distant than usual, his eyes set on some faraway thing that only he could see. On impulse, I asked him, "Is something wrong?" He shook his head, replying in a soft whisper, "There's a sound I keep hearing, it's almost like a note of music, it's as if I was being called...." Distantly, I wondered if he was right in his head. There wasn't the smallest sound in this building apart from our voices, and I couldn't feel anything peculiar either. All of a sudden, a smile appeared on Yuuto's lips. "And does this music come from a precise direction?" In answer, Fuuma simply showed us a corridor we hadn't visited yet. Yuuto's smile widened, and he said, musing, "So...." He turned towards me. "I think we should follow this music of his." I shrugged, uncomprehending. "Why?" It was Fuuma Monou who answered me. "The Shinken...when I close my eyes and focus on the sound, I can see the Shinken, waiting." Linked to him, of course. I smiled bitterly, knowing that I should have thought of it myself. The Holy Sword was linked to Kamui and his Shadow. Each half of it in harmony with both of them. Each half made for one. The room was the most sophisticated lab I had ever seen. There were machines, wires, computers and monitors everywhere. In the center was a big cylindrical column, full of some kind of liquid and plunged within it, a dark shape. A human shape. "Sweet Goddess!" I barely heard my horrified whisper. Damn it, was there no limit to man's greedy search for power and knowledge? I made to go forward. "Now, hold it right there!" I whirled around, imitated by Yuuto and Fuuma Monou, to see the Dragon of Heaven named Sorata Arisugawa grinning at us. His expression that of a mischievous child. At his side appeared the serious looking girl in high school uniform and the young girl with the ghostly wolf. Kishuu Arashi and Nekoi Yuzuriha. I shook my head and told them softly, "Go away from this place. You've got no business here." Sorata Arisugawa chuckled, and gave me a helpless shrug. "I'm afraid that's impossible, mister, I at least have a fight to finish." Then I noticed Yuuto's smile. Feral. During a minute, there was absolute silence, and then chaos broke loose. I easily avoided the ghostly wolf's charge. It hadn't even really tried to touch me. Yuzuriha Nekoi shook her head, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Why are you doing this, Shun-san? Inuki won't harm you, he likes you. You can't be evil, then why?" I summoned a gentle smile to my lips, chasing away the feelings her words had sparked with a surprising ease, and replied, "I'm sorry, Yuzuriha-san, but this isn't your concern. Now please leave this place, I have no wish to hurt you." She shook her head, and said with tremors in her voice, "I can't let the Dragons of Earth get the weapon that might allow them to destroy this world. If we get it here and now, there'll be no fight, there'll be no Promised Day." Bitter laughter filled the air, coming from me. "You're sadly mistaken, Yuzuriha-san. Now, move aside!" As I was running towards her, I felt power gathering in her hands, and suddenly the wolf's shape dissolved to become a sword that answered her call. I saw the blade coming down and ducked, turning around in the same movement. Very well, she left me no choice. Metal glint. Absentmindedly I avoided another blow. There, beyond the cylindrical column, on the far side of the room. The Shinken. I looked at Nekoi Yuzuriha and gathered my cosmo. I wouldn't need to hurt her. In a whisper, I invoked, < The Wind rose suddenly as the great arms of the Nebula unfolded, pushing the young girl away. Her back hit one of the walls and she fell, stunned, disbelief shining in her eyes. Yuuto and Arisugawa Sorata seemed to be evenly matched, and Kishuu Arashi was having difficulties holding her position, forced to defend herself only. Monou Fuuma was incredibly strong, the power in him inhuman. I shook my head, dismissing the confrontations from my mind. All of this didn't matter; the only thing that did was the Shinken in front of me. I ran towards it At the same moment, Kishuu Arashi's blade cut through the cylindrical column which exploded into a myriad of crystal fragments. A part of me saw them falling slowly to the ground like shining rain. From very far away, I felt the liquid it had contained soaking my clothes as I ran past it, my whole being focused on a single objective. The Shinken. I had to get it, I had-- Cosmo. Reaching out. Touching. Holding. I froze as a blinding golden light enveloped me, trapped. Then, and only then did I feel the new presence in the room. The presence of someone I knew. With a mixture of awe, fury and fear I watched, unable to move, as a human shape materialized a few steps away of me. I clenched my teeth, recognizing the Gold Cloth at once. Virgo Shaka. Damn him, why? I tried to free myself, but couldn't manage to move a muscle; his hold on me was secure. "Shun!" From the corner of my eye, I saw Yuuto violently pushing back his opponent and rushing towards me. Gently he replied, "I have no intention to fight or harm you, Shun. I simply want to prevent you from making a terrible mistake." I laughed in his face, a harsh, mocking sound which filled the air around us. "The mistake was made when you told me to leave the Sanctuary, you made it when you let me go, when you let me live, *knowing* that--" A sudden cry resounded close to us. "Nee-chan!" Distantly I recognized Arisugawa Sorata's voice and in the same time, I saw Yuuto coming towards us, murder shining darkly in his eyes and a smile on his lips. To protect me. Because he-- I opened myself to the feeling of Nebula and let its infinite power flow through me, saying conversationally to the man who was said to be the "man who's almost a God" and was the wisest and most powerful Saint of the Sanctuary, "And you're making one now by thinking you can hold me." I had to win free before Yuuto could reach us. I smiled. It'd be easy. Thanks to the perception that the seventh sense was giving me, each movement of the Dragon of Earth was so slow that it seemed to take him an eternity to make a single step. Answering my call, my cosmo flared up, and the Wind rose. I raised my right hand, thinking that this time I'd kill without the slightest hesitation. Virgo Shaka smiled. "I have no doubt that you can win free." Abruptly I was released, and the light of the Gold Saint's cosmo became so bright that I had to cover my eyes to protect them from the blinding light. Shun. I tensed, feeling his cosmo embracing me, as if he was holding me close. There was nothing we could do. I'd have taken your life if it had given us the smallest chance. In a slow, disbelieving movement, I shook my head. Emotions, feelings.... Virgo Shaka was free from that. Why was the touch of his cosmo so warm, so gentle...so full of sorrow? Athena's blessing on you Shun...no matter what happens. The feeling of his presence abruptly disappeared. He was gone. I blinked, feeling lost. Why? Why had he interfered? He-- Shaking my head, I turned back towards the fights on the other side of the labs. Monou Fuuma's hand had closed around the Shinken, and his eyes were glinting with a dark fire. Beyond him, Arisugawa Sorata was holding Kishuu Arashi close protectively. Cold fury was radiating from the young man, and I noticed that blood was running from a wound on Kishuu Arashi's left arm. I felt a sad smile coming to my lips, understanding. The one he loved had been hurt. With a sigh, I stepped towards him and told him, in earnest, "Go away, please. There's no need for anyone to die here. Go away and care for her." His eyes locked on mine, and eventually he bowed his head, chuckling bitterly. "It'd seem you win this round, nii-chan." He gathered the wounded girl in his arms, unheeding of her embarrassed and furious look, and told me quietly, "We'll meet again." He nodded to Yuzuriha Nekoi, and the three of them left the room. "Shun." I turned towards Yuuto. "Are you okay? Who was that man in golden armor?" Weariness, immense, overwhelmed me when I noticed the concern in the clear blue eyes, and in a sigh, I added, "He was a Gold Saint of the Sanctuary, the most powerful of them." With a steady stare, I quietly told the blonde Dragon of Earth, "And if you had tried to fight him, you'd have died." Waving my own words and the weariness away, I smiled bitterly. "It'd seem the Sanctuary has decided to involve itself." All of a sudden I noticed something lying among the remains of the cylindrical column. A human body. I walked slowly towards it, feeling empty. I had no wish to see what kind of horror this person had had to endure, but I simply couldn't ignore what my eyes were showing me It was a young man, with features so perfect they seemed to be the masterpiece of an inspired sculptor. I knelt down beside him, and raised a hand to my lips, shocked. He was naked, and.... I took off my coat and covered him with it as gently as I could. Bowing my head, I wondered who was the sick mind who had done this. The human being lying on the floor looked like a man, but had no sex. Neither being a man nor a woman. Absentmindedly I pushed one of his stray locks of hair away from his face. Joyful laughter. A child. A little girl. Playing in a garden. Hugging her father tight. Her father whom she loved so very much. A little girl. Dying. Darkness. Emptiness. A whisper. A name. Kazuki. I shook my head, trying to tear myself free of the images that had just invaded my mind. Looking down at the young man, I wondered who and what he was, then, more importantly, how those images had managed reached me. Slowly he opened his eyes. He smiled at me, whispering, "You've come for me." A cold shiver ran through me when I looked into those innocent eyes. He knew. This one belonged to Death, but somehow, Death had stayed His hand and had agreed to wait...because Death had a use for the child whose soul was imprisoned in a young man's body. I felt sick. Suddenly the young man's eyes focused on something on my right, and I saw Monou Fuuma looking down at us with something that could have been curiosity. "Daddy..." I tensed, looking back at the young man. Somehow, the child's soul had kept memories of the past. I saw incomprehension and a bit of fear in the innocent eyes. Fuuma Monou reached out to the young man, who didn't move for a few seconds, hesitant, and then took it. I stood up and asked the lost soul, "Can you tell me your name?" He nodded thoughtfully. There was no more trace of confusion in his strange golden eyes. "I'm Nataku." Monou Fuuma walked towards the lab's door, with Nataku on his heels. A hand gently brushed against my left shoulder and I turned to face Yuuto, who asked me, "What's wrong, Shun?" Pressing the palm of my hand against my brow, I shook my head. "Nothing. Let's go." I knew the use Death had for the child. I smiled sadly, thinking that human beings were fools. No matter how advanced the technology, no matter how developed science was, no matter the perfection of the human body they had been able to create, there was no way they could have tricked Death. They had been able to somehow transfer the child's soul in the shell they had built for only one reason: they had been allowed to. Because Death needed the Dragons of Earth. End of part 9.
On to Next Part.
Back to my Fanfic page. |