Hi guys! So this is a story that my friend and I wrote for a project, so I hope you like it!
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The Mask
Prologue
Fifteen years… It has been fifteen years since Via Hibiki disappeared. Last time she was seen, she was giving birth to a child, whose father was Ulen Hibiki, the only wolf shape-shifter on Earth. After the birth of the young girl, Cagalli Hibiki, the whole family disappeared, never to be found again. After all the years, the police concluded that the family died, and closed the case. But what they didn't know was that the young girl was still alive…
Chapter one
(Cagalli's point of view) 1996
I was hunting in the forest. I inherited the ability of being a wolf shape-shifter from my father. As my father, himself, and my mother, I had no idea where they were. They disappeared five years ago, and I haven't seen them ever since. With or without parents, I have been living in the mansion of my great-uncle ever since I could remember. The mansion was old, and lost in the middle of nowhere, but it was still home. I lived alone ever since the disappearance (or the death… either way) of my parents. But right now, I wondered if I really lived alone.
I stopped running and stared at the ground. There was a white mask lying on the ground. I picked it up, and dropped it instantly.
The mask was as cold as ice. Strange, the temperature today was quite hot. How could a mask be so cold, in the middle of nowhere?
I picked it up carefully this time, and brought it back to the place I called home. I was tired from the hunt, so I left the mask on my drawer, locked all the windows and went to bed…
The next morning, when I woke up, my room was cold. I turned to the window and I saw it opened. I got up and closed it. That was strange, I was sure I locked the window before going to sleep the day before.
I walked to my drawer, where a giant mirror was hanged on the wall. Father never wanted to tell me why our house was packed with mirror everywhere. I looked at my reflection a little, as my eyes gazed down to the drawer, in search of the mask…
It wasn't there… But that's impossible! I looked around to see if it fell or something like that. It was nowhere to be found.
I walked down the old wooded staircase to go to the kitchen. I sat down and started thinking.
First, there was this weird mask. Second, the window of my room was opened; when I remembered that I locked it. And lastly, the mask disappeared.
My thoughts were corrupted by footsteps. Footsteps? I live alone in a mansion lost in the middle of forest; no one could possibly be in here, right? I started to get scared, but the footsteps started to fade away until I couldn't hear another breathing soul.
Usually, I would stay the whole day playing on the piano, and then I would go hunting. After that I would come home, and sleep (not much to do in a day).
Today, when I went to the piano, I saw a red rose on the bench of the piano. Surprisingly I wasn't shocked at all, with all these frightening circumstances happening, a rose didn't seem that dangerous. The rose was still fresh. I took it and put it in a vase next to the piano (in the memory of my mother, she loved roses).
I started to play a piece that I wrote when I was 7 for my mother's birthday. At the end, when I finished the piece, I could have sworn that I heard someone clapping his hands.
I continued with a piece that father wrote for me (mother always said that I didn't only inherited his ability but also his charm and his music talent).
As I continued playing, I closed my eyes, and I could still see my father sitting on this bench, playing the piano for mother and me. I tried my best not to let the tears fall down, without any success.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a handkerchief on the piano. I knew one thing for sure now; I wasn't alone in this mansion anymore.
I went hunting, hoping maybe to find a clue to all my questions. The hunt today was calm.
I came back home and went to my bedroom. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around, but no one was there…
When I turned to the mirror, I saw someone. This odd person was looking at me. His look was disturbing but somehow his appearance was unlikely handsome. He was wearing the same mask as the one I found in the forest. Yet I turned around, and still, the only presence in the room was myself. I looked at the mirror once more and the person was gone.
These strange occurrences kept happening, and each time it did, I felt scared.
Every time I would play the piano, it was as if someone was listening closely and was humming the melody.
Every time I would look at myself in the mirror, there would always be that strange man next to my reflection, even if I would be alone in the room.
Chapter two
It was a morning like any other. The mirror, hanging on the wall, watched me as I past by and sat down on the piano bench, playing my favorite piece. My fingers stopped pressing the keys when I heard someone whisper softly in my ear: "It's beautiful"
I turned around and for the first time, I saw someone. The guy had chestnut hair and green emerald eyes. He was tall, slim and with a lot of muscles. I never saw such a beauty.
I stared at him for a while, scared of him and yet admiring his beauty. But I felt somehow protected with him next to me. Then he said: ''Don't be scared of me. I'm not gonna hurt you.'' I was speechless. He looked at me, waiting for me to say something.
''Wh-who who are you?'', I whispered.
''My name is Athrun Zala. I'm here to protect you.''
''I don't need your help. I can take care of myself.''
''Hmm… Not really.''
''I'm an independent person. Ever since my parents disappeared, I've always lived on my own.''
''Let me explain. You've probably seen weird things happening ever since you found the mask. And every time you look at yourself in a mirror, there would always be another reflection, even if you are alone in the room.''
''How did you know that?'' I asked, looking at him suspiciously.
''I am the one that has been listening to you while you have been playing the piano'' Athrun answered.
Athrun explained to me that the weird guy I saw in the mirror was a lyodd, a dead spirit who feeds himself of the souls of shape-shifter to be stronger. He told me we had to kill him the faster, the better. The mask was a trap. A horrible trap that I fell for. My life was in danger.
''How do we kill him?'' I asked.
''We have to take out his mask, then burn it''
''How am I suppose to do that?''
''I will do that, and you will play piano.''
''Piano? Why should I play the piano?''
''Because it attracts him. The sound of the piano had always done that to him.''
''Why?'', I asked, curious.
''Because, when he was alive, he always wanted to be a pianist.''
''How do you know all of this?''
''He is the one who killed me. And now, I want to protect his victims''
''He killed you? You're not alive? Why did he do that? You were a shape-shifter?''
''No. I was not a shape-shifter. My girlfriend was. When he wanted to kill her, I sacrificed myself to save her. He kills humans, but does not take their soul. In the end, her soul was taken and I never saw her again.
''What did she looked like?''
''She looked a lot like you.'' said Athrun, sadly.
I couldn't say anything. I felt a pain that I never felt before. It wasn't a physical pain, but a mental one.
I felt as if he was protecting me because I looked like his ex-girlfriend. The pain I felt was as if someone stabbed me in the heart. I didn't know what he was trying to do, was he using me to kill that lyodd, to revenge his dead girlfriend?
I knew I was jealous. Even worst, I was jealous of a dead girl.
''So the plan goes like this: I'll play the piano to attract him, and you'll take out his mask, burn it and get the hell out of here. '' I said, frustrated.
''It's not that simple.'', Athrun said calmly.
''So what do you want to do!?!'' I said, even more frustrated than before.
''I can't see lyodds and he can't see me. So I'll be standing next the piano, and you'll play. You can only see lyodds in a mirror. So when you'll see the lyodd behind you in the mirror's reflection, strike a wrong chord. Then I will catch him, and then you can take out his mask and burn it'' Athrun said.
''Fine, whatever'' I said. I was still angry at Athrun. I knew that he didn't do anything wrong, and I had no idea why I was so jealous, but one thing's for sure, I do NOT love him. But I knew that if I didn't do this, my life would be on the line.
I sat down on the piano bench, and started to play my favorite lullaby. Then, I heard some noise. I played more notes of the lullaby and about one minute later, I gasped. I saw from the corner of my eyes, Athrun who was looking at me. Then, remembering of the plan, I stroke a wrong chord…
Chapter Three
Just after I stroke the wrong chord, I saw in the mirror that the lyodd snapped out of his day dreaming. When he finally understood what we were planning, his face turned from amazement into a horrible one.
Athrun jumped on him. I was so scared; it was as if my whole body froze. I couldn't think of anything else, but Athrun's safety.
Athrun screamed at me to continue to play. But my head could only think of three words. ''I love you.'' I said, in a whisper that only I could hear. Once again, in a bearable whisper I said again ''I love you''.
Athrun was still screaming at me to continue playing, but I did not listen to him. I had just one thing in my mind: to be with Athrun. I turned around to face Athrun and told him ''Athrun, I love you…''
He looked at me very seriously. ''I want to be with you forever.'' I said.
I must admit, I didn't know where all this courage came from, but one thing for sure, was that all I said was the truth. I loved Athrun. I loved him so much that my mood changed from scared to anger and desire. I changed my human body to my wolf shape.
Without even looking in the mirror, I jumped on where Athrun was fighting. The Lyodd was very cold, but that didn't changed anything. The Lyodd felt on the ground. I tried to take off his mask, but I suddenly felt a horrible pain. Not a physical pain, but a spiritual one. It was as if my soul had frozen. I was starting to feel the weakness in my whole body. But I didn't want to be separate from Athrun. And with all my forces left, I putted my sharp teeth on the white mask, bite in it and pulled it out of his face. And then I saw the Lyodd. A horrible face was hidden by the mask. I can't really remember how he looked because right after I saw him, I felt to the ground without any forces…
Chapter Four
When I woke up, it was in the night, I was searching for Athrun in the room. He probably already burned the mask. It has been so long he wanted to kill this Lyodd; he wouldn't wait for me to burn it. I was a bit better than the day of the fight. I don't know how many days I slept, but I knew that I wasn't as strong as before.
I stood up, with an extreme pain. I tried to run to the first floor. Athrun was standing in the living room. As if he was waiting for me. I knew he was waiting for me because he loved me too. I ran to him with an extreme happiness. ''I love you'' said Athrun. ''And I want to live with you forever'', told Athrun again.
''Kill me Athrun. I want to be with you'', I said.
''I can't deprive you from your life.'' Athrun said softly in my ear.
''You are my life. If you can't deprive me from my life, then you have to kill me.''
''So all that we have done was for nothing?''Athrun asked, confused.
''Of course not. If this Lyodd hadn't been there, we could not have the opportunity to meet each other. And we killed him not only for me, but also for the other shape-shifters like me.''
''I guess that's right.''
''Please Athrun.''
''I want to be with you more than anything.'' Athrun whispered.
''Is that a yes?''
''Forever… We will be together forever…''
Epilogue
2000
One day, a young man and his dog were walking in the forest, when suddenly; the dog barked loudly and ran away from his master. The young man ran to catch up to his dog.
After a few minutes of intense race, the young adult found his faithful golden retriever trying to open a big door of a big mansion. The man never thought that a big luxurious mansion would be in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, the door was open. When he entered in the big house, his dog ran into the leaving room. It looked like it has been quite a long time nobody was living there. There was a lot of dust, and a wet wood smell. When he finally found his dog in the enormous house, a body was lying on the floor. It was a young girl. She was as beautiful as an angel.
Quickly, he called the police. In less then 10 minutes, the police arrived in a place that they thought were abandon. They did blood test, DNA search and finally found the truth; the dead girl was the daughter of the lost family….
CAGALLI HIBIKI…
The End
Please review, I really want to know if this story is good. I wrote big part of the story and my friend was the one with the concept, so the writing was all mine except for chapter 4 and epilogue. So, please review. I'm writing the next and final chapter of Archangel High right now, and I'll probably publish it later. So please be patient!
