2/5/02

Disclaimer: the characters in this fic such as Uriko, Kenji, etc. belong to Hudson Soft; I don't own them though I wish I did! *waggles eyebrows mysteriously* Gee, what I could do to them… *eyes glaze over*

Dedication: God, my parents, my 'brothers', Hudson for creating Bloody Roar I-IV and giving me a really good reason to write this story, and my readers, especially Nonamura-chan, LazzyQ, Alica Tylon, Psycho Guyver, AKA, Arashi, Felicia, The Raptor Chic, Alexandra Riot, RAYClovis, Edible, Natasha, Expert Predator, Me (not "me" as in Tiger5913; the reviewer), ghost, Flyby, Niteflite, and you wonderful readers!!

Synopsis - Dreams… They're nothing but scenarios created by the dreamer's imagination, and are not at all odious omens foreshadowing the future… right? Can you control your fate? (Kenji/Uriko; the beginning of a new mini-series)

Bloody Roar III: Sanguine Promise

By Tiger5913

Dream - Tears

…This again…

Pictures… images… brief shots flashed before the pair of bewildered eyes in a row of blurred mysteries, as they whizzed by too quickly for the watcher to grasp a single one and focus on it. Suspended in empty air like a puppet on invisible strings, the figure could only blink in confusion as small inklings of events flickered into comfortable view. A flash of pale blue-white passed by… sparkling, colorful glitter… formal black attire… a cobalt-rose encircling a slender wrist… bright lights glimmering, dancing upon shadowy walls…

Fading into nothingness, the next scene was selected; as it was still fuzzy, the dreamer struggled to see, then raised both eyebrows in shock at the new shady sight.

Agile fingers gliding through thin strands of dark hair, two mouths intimately melding together, hungry lips devouring each other and eagerly probing, exploring, tasting foreign territory. A set of hands flung away white material, then slid down the curve of a backside, slipping past the elastic barrier to grip more yielding, softer skin. Noises flowed into the air, from quiet giggles to low moans, not to mention the hiss of pleasure that followed every groan of contentment. Hushed words played into one ear and out the other, while the shadowy couple backed up simultaneously, lying down together to soon join in a union of ecstasy…

Feeling embarrassed at watching them, the teenager backed away from the scenario, only to bump into another form, and turned around to confront a person hidden by ebony garbs, the only piece of clothing identifiable being the raven-black trench coat.

"You know you want it…" came the husky, smirking voice that caressed the viewer's cheek, making him shiver albeit. "Just friends… Of course… All friends love each other and want to sleep together…"

"N-no… I…" he bit his lip until he drew blood. "I-I respect her! We're… nothing more… than school acquaintances, and…"

"Fool." The silent speaker mocked. "She'll never love you… You're worth nothing… You are nothing…"

The words sank despair into his heart; what he feared being said aloud as so hurt more than he would have ever imagined, and his expression twisted into a pained look. A hoarse shout exploded from him as he launched himself foreword, his outstretched hands reaching to enclose around the bastard's throat and choke the worthless life out. But of course, the figure easily evaded his attempt, vanishing into thin air… and as he stopped, glancing about the place in search, the mysterious stranger appeared behind him, cackling evilly.

"Too easy." A scornful giggle. "Your precious 'friend' should find you to be nothing more than mere amusement… Give up… You will die alone… with pity, remorse, self-regret for company…"

"Shut up!!" He screamed, trying not to give into the seductive abyss as he lurched down to his knees, clutching his head, shaking it in denial. "Y-You're wrong!!"

"Give in, boy…" The voice hissed at him when he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and plugged his ears, but then the words spoke into his mind; "You can't win…"

*****

"Auuuuurgh!!"

The teenager awoke to a sharp ripping sound that made itself known into his hearing senses. Springing straight up into a sitting position, his view was met with darkness, and for a moment, he thought that he was still trapped in the nightmare. But a quick glance at the digital clock blinking at him from the top of his bureau told him that he was back in reality - although perhaps it wasn't much better or worse than being in the dream world. At least everything there was fiction; reality meant that he had to deal with situations he couldn't just skip by waking up and continuing on with his everyday normal life.

Looking down, he realized that he had torn his bed sheet, and he sighed, flinging it away, watching it drift ghostly to the floor. He scowled at the memory of the taunting enigma, the pain that sliced deeply through his consciousness, pushing him to the edge, trying to break him. "I don't love her," he spoke aloud, sounding not all too convincing. "Friends are friends. We're nothing more than that."

Grunting at the words, he descended back onto the mattress, griping his pillow with clenched fists, closing his eyes as the knowing whisper flowed by his ear, chuckling. "Liar…"

Dream II - Bloodshed

His long, firm fingers slowly trickled through the silky strands of her hair, while the taste of his enticing kiss sent a shrill tingle curving down her spine. Leaning back a little, she met his gaze, feeling intoxicated by his touch, dizzy with the musky scent of need as she sought to ask him something, but he quickly covered her lips with his. One questing hand slid to her neck, teasing her sensitive skin, the pad of his thumb settling upon the spot where her pulse throbbed. Her mouth opened slightly to let a soft moan slip out as she closed her eyes, easily succumbing to the white-hot sensations that were pushing away her conscious thoughts.

Is this for real…? Her half-aware mind questioned silently, asking what she couldn't inquire of him earlier.

His embraces turned a bit more demanding, as the tips of his fingers dug into her side of her throat albeit while he stole her breath and left her dazed and numb. Breaking the kiss, his lips scoured seekingly over her quivering flesh, his hands busying themselves by proceeding to the buttons enclosing the folds of her sleepwear top together. His wet tongue insistently prodded her lips apart to slick inside; tasting her moist sweetness, he lightly led their bodies in a simultaneous sway with the cool brush of the night breeze.

Her chest constricting with pent-up emotion, she grew acutely aware of the wind's silent howl swirling around them, the way his warmness chased away the cold chill that seeped deep within her. Lazily allowing her eyes to open, she sought to glance upon his face, to stare into the passion-hungry pupils of his that matched her own, but all she could see was darkness, blurry black shadows that engulfed her vision. She blinked to try and clear the misty mucus away, then attempted to raise her arms so that she could rub her eyes, yet his vise-like grip held her tightly, as though fearing she would leave if he let her go.

"A white nightie…" he whispered seductively against her mouth, tugging gently on the bottom of her ivory-colored shirt, "Don't you look like such a heaven-sent, exotic angel… But." His fingers skillfully unfastened the first two buttons before she could even come close to realizing what he had just done; "You wouldn't be angelic, completely, now, would you? I would be crushed with disappointment…"

"Ohh…" she gasped when he began to lightly nip at her neck, tickling her sensitive flesh, "I-I…"

"Alluring goddess…" he drawled amorously, "Sexy temptress…"

Ooh… this is getting… kinda out of hand… An inward voice protested, yet she made no move to step back from her enigmatic partner. Wh-who…? But even as she wordlessly questioned that, she knew the answer, as well as the obvious fact that he wasn't acting like his usual self.

Lifting up a hand, she placed it on his chest, surprised at the direct-skin contact she felt, feeling his battle-hardened muscles ripple under her palm. A slow, knowing smile graced its way over his lips at her action, but instead of giving into his embraces like she wanted to, the female started to push him away, somehow sensing that their situation wasn't… right. A look of anger quickly replaced his former expression; scorned by her rejection, he became more intimidating as his arms elevated up to head-level, and he showed a clenched fist…

All of a sudden, her view was blocked for a few moments, and when she regained sight, she was floating high above the ground, with treetops as her neighbors. After releasing a shocked gasp at her heightened position, she glanced down to see a figure standing in the middle of a pincer attack by two other bystanders, both poised and seemingly read to strike, the moonlight reflecting silver off the blade of a knife in one attacker's grasp. She merely blinked in confusion, and when her eyes slid back open in the next instant, saw the unidentifiable duo bodies lying on the ground, presumably knocked unconscious and hopefully not dead, although she spied dark liquid plastered upon the cheeks and forehead of their faces. There was no sign of the supposed "victim" that had been caught in the center of the pincer formation.

Suppressing the squeamish lurch that hit her stomach, the girl forced herself to look away, turning her head to the side only to suddenly stare into a pair of devil-black, fathomless eyes that watched her intensely. A shrill cry broke free from her lips and she whirled around to dart off in the opposite direction, but a hard grip latched onto her wrist and held her in check, making her unwillingly retract with a yelp of surprise. An arm encircled her waist from behind in an imprisoning manner, while she felt body-length warmth align her form along her rear side. As she was about to scream, a wet hand slapped over her mouth, preventing the loud shriek from escaping. A salty scent from the coarse palm teased her nose senses, and strangely, the need to gag from the mysterious smell made itself clear to her.

Just then, a throaty voice whispered to her tauntingly, barely audible in spite of her sensitive hearing, "It's your fault they're dead. Those poor, poor, innocents." She moaned and shook her head, trying to deny the harsh, cruel words that were being struck into her. "Reckless and foolish street punks, but even they didn't deserve meeting an end brought to them with such malice, such violence and bloodlust. But if you hadn't teased me so, then pushed me away, maybe their lives could have been spared…"

A protesting wail was on the tip of her tongue, but the growing-sharp tips that pressed into the small of her back banished her train of thought. "So convenient, possessing weapons of this sort at your expense anytime you need them." Icy lips snaked past her ear and brushed across her cheekbone, coupled with a low chuckle that made her want to shiver and shrink back, but of course, any such action was prevented. "How does it feel, to have blood coated your mouth, to taste the lost lives that you caused of your unlucky, randomly chosen victims? Do you crave more? Want to play around with more people, end their worthless existences, just so you can satisfy your own needs?"

The teenager gasped for breath; feeling suffocated by the relentless attack, she struggled against the hold imprisoning her, she twisted and turned, writhing in agony, yet the hold did not budge. "Yes, you do, don't you. Sweet seductress… don't feign the thought. Your intentions are transparent, easy to read. You caused this bloodshed."

Realizing what the thick liquid that wetted her lips was, she groaned in disgust, wanting to hurl, and the hypnotic, persuasive speaker merely continued, not depriving her of the verbal assault. The next words made her double over: "And you liked it, the same way you loved seeing blood stain your fingers, you killer… Killer… Just like me…"

"Stop…" she moaned feebly, refusing to accept her fate, squeezing her eyes shut tightly and trying to block out the convincing voice from poisoning her mind. "Stop it; that's… not… true…!"

A telltale snicker in response. "…You are a bad liar."

Then the deathly sharp blades shoved into her heart.

*****

"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!"

"NO!!!" Burst free from her lips as the teenager lurched up, practically leaping into the air, her skimpy nightwear drenched in anxiety's sweat. Weak morning sunlight peeked into her vicinity through the tiny cracks in between the blinds covering her windows, casting thin lines along her bed sheet. The persistent alarm clock kept sounding, until the female gathered her nerves together, nervously wrapping a lock of her long brown hair around her fingers, reaching out her other hand over to the nightstand nearby and shutting off the agitating beeping noise. Heaving raspy breaths and shaking her head free of the dark clouds that tried to overtake her consciousness, she closed her eyes for a moment, slowing down her rapid and frantic heartbeat.

"God…" she hissed aloud, clenching a fist of her blanket in pseudo-comfort. "That… that nightmare again…"

The girl waited a couple of minutes before moving out of her bed, making a run for the bathroom, doing the same thing she'd done in the past few mornings. She lifted her nightshirt, and glanced at her chest and abdomen, always expecting to see the scar of puncture wounds piercing her un-blemished flesh, yet she never saw any such implications. Confused, the teenager frowned, then ran her hand over her doe-like skin, not detecting any strange bumps or creases, although she thought that strange. The dark dreams had all been so real…

Sighing in relief, and in partial disdain of herself, she released her grasp and retrieved for her toothbrush to start the day; Just one more month until summer vacation…