Fearless and Fluffy
SUMMARY: Is the old railroad in Sakura's subconscious domain haunted? It's the perfect excuse for hotshot Rubedo to solve a mystery, impress Sakura, and nauseate the heck out of his brothers. Which is scarier: a ghost, or an insanely jealous Albedo?
GENRE: Romance/Mystery
RATED: PG-13 / T
NOTABLE CONTENT: Language and Mildly Suggestive Themes (and fluffy romance that may induce indigestion)
PAIRING(S): Rubedo/Sakura, Albedo/Rubedo
COPYRIGHT NOTE: I don't own Xenosaga
STORY TAKES PLACE IN: Pre-Miltian Conflict (specifically the timeline of Sakura's summer subconscious domain)
COMMENTS: The title of this fic tells all: fluffy! (You have been adequately warned)
Horror is an old love of mine. However, on occasion I find myself whipping up these spooky misadventures that aren't scary by any means, but are actually cute. (To any potential readers of this story also reading my slaughterhouse horror fic, "Carnage Necropolis," do know that this story will be nothing like the aforementioned. Whether or not this is a good/bad thing will be up to readers to decide).
Thus, this story will have its share of semi-spooky humor and fluffy romance. Rubedo's big mouth and hotshot personality will be put to the test in this ghostly mystery. I do believe this fic is also the yaoiest thing I've written for Rubedo/Albedo, too (which doesn't say very much from Aiselne, does it?). Rubedo/Sakura is the most prominent pairing here, but…well, spoiling how Albedo/Rubedo fits into this story would be such a shame.
BTW, there is a railroad in Sakura's subconscious domain, right by the gas station. Wherever the railroad leads is anyone's guess, though. I realize that "haunted railroads" are an old cliché, but I've always liked them, and found such worked for this caliber of story. Creative license rocks, neh?
Without a doubt, this is my gift to Xenosaga fans this Halloween season. Enjoy!
Fearless and Fluffy
Aiselne Nocturnus
Chapter 1
"Scary Squee!"
It was another bright, beautiful day in Sakura Mizrahi's summer subconscious domain. The synthetic world was gorgeous to behold, almost too perfect for words. The sky resembled a serene baby blue canvas, occasionally decorated by small puffy white clouds lazily hovering overhead. Warm rays cascaded from the bright sun, enveloping the countryside in a warm, but comfortable, temperature. The breeze was gentle, skimming across the lush, rural planes, coercing the green grass and colorful flowers to elegantly sway to and fro. Occasionally, a few artificial sounds of chirping birds and buzzing bees could be heard from an unknown distance, adding to the domain's authenticity. For anyone who did not know better, they would have sworn this countryside was real.
Then again, for Rubedo, he found the Encephalon's world to be more real than his equally synthetic home back at the Yuriev Institute. However, Sakura's world was much more vibrant and carefree compared to the sterile environments of the institute. Plus, Encephalon dives were an excuse for Rubedo to get away from his father's strict lecturing and stricter workload. And above all, the subconscious domain gave Rubedo and his Variant brothers the rare opportunity to actually be kids. Sure, U.R.T.V.s technically had to train here, but what commandment stated thou shall not mix work with pleasure?
As always, upon first arriving in the Encephalon, the Variant boys first laid eyes upon the old abandoned gas station; sticking out like a rusty sore thumb amidst the rest of the lovely scenery. Once the concrete ground materialized beneath them, Rubedo stepped forward onto the station's pavement, spinning around once and listening to sand particles grind under his boots. Encephalon visits always put the redhead in a chipper mood, making it almost impossible for Rubedo not to feel energized and wear a giddy smile on his face.
Albedo and Nigredo, on the other hand, were significantly less enthusiastic than their older brother. To Nigredo, these Encephalon dives were not executed for "play time," but so the U.R.T.V.s could gain valuable anti-U-DO training. Nigredo doubted his giggly eldest brother would be smiling so much if Dmitri got on their case again about slacking off. Rubedo, especially, could not afford to get lazy and fool around, since he was the link master. Dr. Yuriev was already displeased with Rubedo's recent test evaluations, which were proving that Number 666 was not taking his job very seriously.
Of course, it was no secret 'why' the leader's concentration had been slipping, which was 'why' Albedo despised this damn subconscious domain. The middle child had nothing against Encephalon dives. In fact, he liked how they served as minute escapes from reality. However, this 'escape from reality' also happened to include a scrawny, shorthaired brunette with her prissy white dress, her stupid purple shoes, her nauseating smile, her irritating-as-all-hell girly giggle, not to mention her…
"Hi Rubedo! Good morning!"
…Not to mention the way her annoying voice lit up Rubedo's face like a traffic light! Albedo had to forcibly bite down on his lower lip to clamp his mouth shut as that obnoxious girl's idiotic shoes tapped across the paved street to meet the Variants. All she did was call out the redhead's name whilst skipping across the street…and already Rubedo looked mesmerized! Sure, perhaps Sakura did look pretty, prancing elegantly as her long dress fluttered in the breeze, minutely accentuating her tiny figure. Perhaps her dark brown hair did flow gracefully in the soft wind, occasionally tickling her cheekbones during her sprint. And maybe that white, flowing ribbon tying the back of her dress was rather cute, but…
...But when all of that "pretty" crap wrapped herself around Rubedo, that was when Albedo did not find Sakura so cute anymore. That bratty girl laughed jovially, as if her arms were around some grand prize, and the worst part was the 'grand prize' wasted no time in returning the hug! If this segment happened two years ago, there was no way in hell Rubedo would want to get this close to a girl! If this segment happened two years ago, the only living soul Rubedo would have allowed to hug him would have been…
"Oh, and good morning to you, too, Albedo!"
Why ever the hell Sakura even bothered to acknowledge the other two Variants was a mystery to Albedo. It was pretty ding-dang-dong obvious Sakura was happiest to see Rubedo, and Albedo and Nigredo just happened to be tagging along for the sickening trip. If Sakura thought she was being "nice" by humoring/pitying Albedo and Nigredo, she was pretty damn stupid in Albedo's eyes. He did not want to be pitied, especially by a coquettish wench who hogged Rubedo all to herself and clearly disregarded Albedo's feelings on the matter.
But then again, Sakura was not the 'only' one who was naive to the middle child's feelings, too, seeing as Albedo's damn other half was even more oblivious than Sakura! Why the hell did Rubedo keep holding onto her like that?! It was disgusting! Rubedo was the link master for Heaven's sake, and yet he was still hugging Sakura like a teddy bear and wearing that goofy grin on his blushy face! It was disgusting, dammit, and aggravated Albedo's insides; his stomach churned, and his heart…ached.
Noticing Albedo's jealous dilemma across the mental link, Nigredo's teal eyes darted from the middle child to the eldest Variant. Nigredo half-expected Rubedo to wear a sour face at how rudely Albedo ignored Sakura's greeting. Alas, Nigredo would have been surprised if Rubedo even noticed the greeting, seeing as the redhead was so wrapped up in his precious Sakura at the moment. Albedo was right; their leader's behavior was rather inappropriate, and Rubedo seemed to forget that Dmitri monitored all Encephalon dive activities. No doubt, another lecture would be awaiting Rubedo once he dove-out.
In the meantime, Nigredo saw no point in being rude to Miss Mizrahi. Nigredo had nothing against Sakura, unlike Albedo who was cursing up a storm across the mental link as Rubedo's nose wandered into Sakura's fragrant hair. Even Nigredo was getting nauseous by now.
"Don't mind Albedo…" Nigredo said to Sakura, noticing she seemed perplexed as to why the middle Variant never responded to her greeting. "…He's just not very talkative today." Actually, that was an enormous lie, since Albedo's ranting and raving would not shut up across the mental link. Of course, Nigredo did not see the need to tell such to Sakura.
"Oh…" Sakura's face softened as her emerald eyes blinked, stealing a glance at the clearly irate Albedo, before figuring it best to leave the middle child alone. Even though Sakura also liked Albedo, she always suspected the white-haired Variant never liked her. Sakura did not want to unintentionally antagonize him. Though, Sakura never understood what she did to make Albedo dislike her so much, but maybe it was a 'boy thing.'
Turning back to Nigredo, Sakura brightened her face for the youngest boy's sake. "And last but not least, good morning to you, too, Nigredo," the brunette giggled sheepishly, not intending to forget all about the quiet raven-haired boy. Sakura knew she had a tendency to accidentally 'forget' about Albedo and Nigredo, but she never meant to exclude them. The girl did put a valiant effort in paying attention to all three Variants, but it was not always easy when one particular boy attracted her the most.
Speaking of Rubedo… "So what're you doing way out here, Sakura?" asked the redhead as he finally parted from the girl's hug (which seemed to take forever from Albedo's perspective). Contrary to his behavior, Rubedo was not naïve to his twin's thoughts across the mental link, though Rubedo was not about to condole Albedo's immature jealousy. The same happened whenever Rubedo spent more time with Nigredo, too. By now, the older twin was sick of humoring Albedo's possessive tantrums. Especially with Sakura present, Rubedo was not about to engage in another one of Albedo's 'episodes.' Thus, the link master quickly averted his attention back to the pretty Mizrahi girl. "We usually meet at your house on the other side of the windmills." Sakura's house was technically not too far from the gas station. Yet, reaching the house still required a jaunt through the domain's forest, which did not take five minutes to traverse, especially with various Gnosis around.
Smiling rather playfully, Sakura pulled a lock of her short brown hair behind an ear before explaining. "I know, but I really wanted to get some fresh air and walk around. So, I figured I'd meet you guys at the same time." Briefly, the girl stole a glance towards the countryside bathed in radiant sunlight. At the same time, a sudden wind gust lifted a few loose grass blades and flower petals up into the sky. "It's such a lovely day that I'd hate to waste it by being cooped up in the house."
Rubedo could not help but agree. There were so many days back in the institute where the boy wished he could go play outside like a normal kid. Alas, his illustrious father always had some project for the U.R.T.V.s to undertake. Rubedo and his siblings rarely got to play, never mind enjoy the weather. Thus, like Sakura, Rubedo had every intention of savoring today's trip to Sakura's summer domain.
"So…" began Sakura, turning around just enough to equally address all three Variants. Casually folding her hands behind her back, the brunette's eyes perused Rubedo, Albedo, and Nigredo's faces. "…What do you guys want to do today? Or, do you have some special anti-U-DO training first?"
Technically, any time the U.R.T.V.s visited Sakura's subconscious, the Designer Children always had some training to do. Dmitri did not send his kids into the Encephalon just to fool around. Yet, for however rigid the man acted, he did not seem to mind if the kids played…provided they still got their assigned work done upon dive-out. As long as the training was complete and the U.R.T.V.s behaved themselves, Dmitri did not frequently complain about the kid's "playtime" with Sakura. Of course, that did not mean the U.R.T.V.s were exempt from occasional "remember to take your jobs seriously" lectures, but that was to be expected. Frankly, Rubedo would not have been surprised if Juli Mizrahi asked Dmitri to allow his U.R.T.V.s to play with her daughter, for all the kids' sakes. Either way, Rubedo did not mind.
"Well…" Rubedo thought, exchanging glances with his Variant brothers. "…Dad did tell us to keep an eye out for anymore infected units, but nothing different from yesterday." Frankly, the chore was getting boring for Rubedo, but it sounded better than that 'U-DO simulator' the U.R.T.V.s were scheduled to undertake next month. Still, today was too lovely of a day to waste on mundane errands. "…But we've already swept most of the area, anyway." Such was no lie, since the Variants had scoured Sakura's summer domain clean of infected U.R.T.V.s during the past few months. Even if the kids did come across another infected child, it would probably only be one.
Sakura was glad to hear her friends had a light workload today, meaning the four kids would have ample time for fun. Alas, Rubedo's words also struck a cord within Sakura. "We've already swept most of the area." That was true in more ways than one. In addition to the infected U.R.T.V. sweeping, Sakura also knew that as beautiful as her subconscious domain looked, it was constantly the same. After a while, the Variants were bound to get bored with their typical games of "Hide and Go Seek" in the woods, or counting clouds in the fields, or racing to Sakura's house. Frankly, even Sakura was getting tired of the redundancy, though she certainly was not tired of meeting Rubedo and his brothers. Still, it would have been nice to enjoy this weather whilst doing something new. Life was too short, especially for Sakura, to live in a perpetual cycle.
Fortunately, finding something 'new' to do was not difficult to find, especially with someone as rambunctious as Rubedo around. Before Sakura, Albedo, and Nigredo could even react, the redhead noticed 'something' and broke into a sprint down the southern end of the road. Exchanging curious looks, the remaining trio quickly pursued. The threesome caught up to Rubedo upon reaching long dropped-down gates, halting passage to the brown tracks slicing horizontally across the pavement.
Rubedo was not too sure what purpose the white and red striped 'gates' served. However, he was almost certain he read about whatever those 'tracks' were on the other side. The tracks were a bit more obvious, though still unlike anything Rubedo saw in real life. For one thing, they were made of wood, albeit very rotted wood, with a few tracks of rusty metal on top. Various weeds and dirt obscured the filthy tracks, hinting that they had not been used for quite some time.
Even still, Rubedo was more than intrigued. "Are those…" the redhead wondered, turning his head back to Sakura. "…Railroad tracks?"
Sakura knew Rubedo must have read about railroads in another one of his precious books. This was the first time she introduced the U.R.T.V.s to the old railroad situated in her domain. Rubedo obviously did not previously learn about railroads from Sakura. Plus, railroads had not been built or used since the Lost Jerusalem era. Such rail lines had been replaced by more technologically advanced means of transportation, such as shuttles. Thus, it was no wonder how the vintage railroad fascinated Rubedo; a U.R.T.V. who lived in, and rarely left, an advanced bioweapon research facility.
"They sure are, Rubedo," nodded Sakura, unable to prevent a smile when she noticed Rubedo's eyes and face light up again in fascination. The boy definitely had a fixation with antiques. Such was a little quirk Sakura considered a rare quality few people held in such a technological era in history. Frankly, Sakura liked Rubedo's individuality, as it was what made him the Rubedo who attracted her.
Giggling to herself upon feeling a faint blush warm her cheeks, Sakura then looked back at the railroad tracks. "To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure what they're doing here, though," she admitted, placing a hand casually onto the old dropped-down barricade used to keep people off the tracks. "I think I recall my mom saying how some of my ancestors were engineers who built railroads a looong time ago, so I'm assuming the idea was projected here."
"Cool!" Rubedo gushed, wearing another one of his perpetual grins before turning towards his brothers, who looked less enthusiastic about the railroad. Both younger Variants looked bored enough to sleep at the moment. Jeez, Nigredo and Albedo were always such killjoys when it came to antiques! "Oh come' on you two!" goaded Rubedo in an exaggerated tone, wearing an incredulous look on his face. "Don't tell me you don't think this is cool!"
Nigredo and Albedo could think of much more exciting things to dub "cool" than a set of rusty old railroad tracks. To a certain extent, Nigredo respected Lost Jerusalem antiques, too, just to a lesser obsession than Rubedo. Nigredo was mature enough to believe that relics of the past could teach valuable lessens for present generations. However, even Nigredo doubted crummy railroad tracks could provide an inordinate amount of valuable education.
And as far as Albedo was concerned, he could care less about the stupid railroad! The flirtatious cherry shrew just battled another green eye to Rubedo, and she just nudged an inch and three quarters closer to Rubedo, too! (Not that Albedo was keeping track or anything).
Narrowing his blue eyes at his boring brothers, Rubedo shrugged indifferently. To hell with Albedo and Nigredo! Sakura sure seemed interested in the railroad. Thus, the redhead gave his attention to the only other member of the group who shared his enthusiasm regarding the railroad. "So, do you know where the railroad leads, Sakura?" From the kids' position at the railroad crossing gates, Rubedo could tell the rail line went far off into the distance, so far Rubedo could not tell where it ended. The curious redhead could only imagine what lay at the 'end of the line.'
Smiling at his boyish inquiring, Sakura giggled before shaking her head gently. "I'm afraid to say that even I don't know where the railroad leads. I never paid much attention to it before, and it looks so far that I never got to where it ended." After saying so, Sakura leaned closer against the metal barricade to try and see in the distance where the rail line ended. Of course, in leaning further, she happened to accidentally nudge closer to Rubedo, causing the redhead's face to match his hair.
Albedo's face was the same color, too, but for much different reasons. It was no 'accident' how that harridan leaned up against Rubedo! 'Accident' my ass! Albedo swore, feeling his blood boil through his veins, his teeth grind, and his fists ball into dangerous fists.
"Odds are…" Nigredo suddenly voiced, attempting to keep Rubedo and Sakura's attention away from the fuming Albedo. Speaking of the middle child, Nigredo wasted no time in placing a hand on Albedo's tense shoulder…specifically digging his nails into the shoulder to keep Albedo from exploding in fury. This was not the place for Albedo to have another episode! Fortunately, and par usual, Rubedo and Sakura were too lost in their own world to notice whatever the hell Albedo and Nigredo were up to. "…The railroad probably doesn't lead to anywhere. It's most likely just a projected image for this specific area of the domain."
Judging by the fact that they could not see the 'end' of the railroad, Nigredo was probably right. There were various areas throughout Sakura's subconscious domain that quite literally led to nowhere, typically undeveloped areas in the Encephalon. Technically, a subconscious domain projection was only so large, and it did have 'walls' where the Encephalon 'ended.' Such was especially common in domains built via 'broken memories,' where only portions of the world materialized based on the person's limited recollection. Thus, if Sakura, herself, did not fully remember the railroad, chances were that the projected railroad before the kids' eyes was only partially materialized according to her vague memory. Like Nigredo figured, the railroad probably lead to nowhere.
Still, Rubedo could not help but consider his brother's deduction rather anti-climactic. Sure, the redhead could not see the end of the line, but that did not necessarily mean there was no end, either. It was the same belief concerning U-DO; just because the U.R.T.V.s never saw it, nor understood it, never meant U-DO did not exist. Thus, there was no reason to assume the railroad lead to nowhere…unless the kids saw for themselves.
"Well, why don't we see for ourselves?" Rubedo suggested with a confident expression, whilst turning around to face his three surprised friends. 'Why' they were so surprised was the mystery, seeing as Rubedo was quite notorious for suggesting little adventures like these. "It's not like we have anything better to do, today."
There went the plans for today's anti-U-DO training, and Nigredo could already hear Dmitri's lectures. Hopefully, seeing as today was not a 'busy' training day, the U.R.T.V.s' father would not mind this little detour. Maybe if they got lucky, the kids would run into another infected U.R.T.V. along the railroad, at least to prove they did something productive today. Besides, the railroad was the only other location in Sakura's domain that the Variants had yet to survey, so perhaps Rubedo's adventure would prove helpful. Either way, Nigredo knew he was going to get roped into the sabbatical.
And as far as Albedo was concerned, he still could care less about the dumb railroad! Why the hell did that brunette temptress keep shifting her weight like that?! Sakura kept not-so-discreetly swaying side to side, making her white dress brush up against Rubedo's leg! It was obviously driving Rubedo crazy…and the same applied to Albedo!
However, there was a reason for Sakura's jittery shifts, and none of them had anything to do with flirting. Fiddling with her fingers, Sakura hesitantly darted her eyes back to the railroad for a second, before curling her lips and timidly turning back to Rubedo. She was rather embarrassed to admit what she was about to speak, but trusted Rubedo would not laugh.
"Well…you see…the thing is…" Sakura stammered, knowing she was not making much sense at the moment, judging by Rubedo's curious blink. "…I've always been kinda'…." She paused, swallowing nervously before feeling a line of blush run across her nose, though the blush, for once, was not due to Rubedo, but of Sakura's own awkwardness. "…I've always been a bit spooked by that railroad. I never usually bothered with it, cause'…when I was younger, long before you guys showed up, something…'weird' happened."
""Weird'?" Rubedo blinked again, cocking his head before taking careful notice of Sakura. She obviously was not lying, since her body kept shifting in a nervous manner, fidgeting like a scared little girl. Every so often she would shuffle a purple shoe against the pavement. Her emerald eyes even involuntarily watched her foot create imaginary circles. Considering Sakura was usually very outgoing and almost as free-spirited as Rubedo, it was rare to see Sakura Mizrahi look frightened.
Her pitiful sight was all it took for Rubedo to offer Sakura a gentle, comforting arm around her shoulders. The gesture easily coerced the girl to look up from her feet to Rubedo. Meeting with his gentle blue eyes provoked an appreciative smile on Sakura's lips. Blissfully closing her own eyes, the girl gingerly rested her head underneath the boy's chin.
Sakura's ears being so close to his chest, Rubedo wondered if she could hear the rapid pounding of his heart, which seemed deafening to Rubedo. He could feel himself tense by her sweet proximity, and his cheeks were burning brightly. Still, such was not necessarily a 'bad' feeling, and Rubedo had a hard time preventing his own lips from curling into a smile. Honestly, he liked being this close to Sakura.
As for Albedo…Nigredo's fingers were turning white after digging into the enraged white-haired boy's vibrating shoulder for so long. Alas, Nigredo knew if he dared to let go, Albedo would go ballistic. Nigredo's fingers were all that plugged up an overfilled steaming pipe before it burst into a gigantic mess.
Still willingly oblivious to his younger brothers, Rubedo kept his attention on the skittish Sakura, affectionately rubbing her shoulder. "Come' on, Sakura. You can tell us about it," he reassured, hoping to encourage the girl to confess what 'spooked' her about the railroad. All four kids were friends, after all, so there was no need for Sakura to hide anything from the Variant boys, especially Rubedo. "Tell me."
Sakura's hesitation was not due to a lack of trust. Technically, the girl placed her very life in the hands of the U.R.T.V. Variants regarding her disorder. There was no doubt in Sakura's mind that she could trust Rubedo and his brothers. The only reason Sakura hesitated was because she was embarrassed of herself. She was not typically the type of girl to act like a 'scared little girl.' For her age, Sakura was quite independent and not afraid of typical 'girl fears' like spiders. She had her share of fears like anyone else, but Sakura prided herself in knowing she was 'tougher' than average girls. She was not the most ladylike of females, either, which helped her enjoy outings with the Variant boys, such as playing in the grass. Such dubbed her a tomboy, but Sakura never minded, and Rubedo obviously did not mind, either.
Yet, here she was, tomboyish Sakura Mizrahi being scared of a 'girl fear.' Sakura had long since gotten over the phase of 'monsters in her closet,' or 'the creature hiding under her bed.' Yet, lo and behold, this 'railroad' phobia stuck to the girl like glue. She was not afraid of the railroad, per se, but…
"…Well, it happened many years ago," Sakura started, lifting herself away from Rubedo to more properly address the boys. Absentmindedly ironing her skirt with her palms, the brunette then nervously fiddled with her hands, failing to keep them still. Swallowing a gulp of air, Sakura mustered her courage before divulging her silly little story. "I was restless in my empty house, so I went out for a walk here, just like today. It was the first time I noticed those railroad tracks, so I was excited about them. Plus, it was a great excuse to see a new part of the domain.
"So…I took a stroll along the tracks. They're really long, that's for sure, and I have a feeling Nigredo's right about them leading to nowhere. Either way, I didn't get very far, though…" She trailed, noticing her green eyes droop back down to her shoes again. This was the hardest part, the part Sakura was afraid to admit to the boys. Would they laugh, often like typical boys would towards a scared little girl? What if they relayed the news to Dr. Mizrahi? Great, then Sakura's mom would think her daughter was a total fraidy cat!
No…they wouldn't do that, Sakura knew, finally lifting her gaze back at the trustworthy boys. Rubedo, Albedo, and Nigredo were notorious for teasing the heck out of each other, but they were gentlemen enough not to do it to a girl, especially one as special as Sakura. Plus, the girl doubted the boys would broadcast Sakura's little secret to Juli, especially if Sakura kindly asked them not to. All Sakura had to do was peer into Rubedo's sincere azure eyes to know that I can trust them.
Taking another breath and releasing it, Sakura used her newfound spark of confidence to finish what she started. "There was this odd platform I came across," she attempted to explain to the best of her ability. "It rose from the ground about a foot, and was covered by an overhead canopy. It had a bench, too. I think…I think it was originally used for people waiting to get on the train, kinda' like those old bus stops, except for trains. I know it wasn't an actual train 'station,' solely because it was too small to be one.
"Anyway, I decided to take a quick break on the platform's bench, and that's when…" She could not help it; her tongue tied inside her mouth, as if it had a will of its own and did not want her to divulge the truth. Her lips curled in an anxious way, while her body continued to shift awkwardly. It was not as though she was about to divulge some deep dark secret, but Sakura was not used to behaving like a timid girl. She was not shy by any means. Quite the contrary, Sakura Mizrahi was very quite bold…bold enough to kiss the boy she loved, after all.
Rubedo…
Such a wonderful memory filled Sakura with a lovely warmth, along with the remaining confidence she needed to finish her prolonged confession. "…That was when…" Sakura continued, keeping her eyes namely on Rubedo for strength. "…When I felt a presence. It was faint, but I felt an odd chill as I sat there, as if there was…someone else sitting next to me. The weird part was…there was no need to be chilled, since it was a warm day like today. Besides, there was nobody else inside my domain at the time!
"Either way, I didn't stay there for very long. I felt…repelled from that place, so I tried to leave. But the strangest part was how the second I tried to leave, I could have sworn I heard…a whistle. You' know, the kind trains used. It was faint, but I'm sure I heard it."
Her story was getting weirder and weirder. "Did a train come, Sakura?" Rubedo carefully asked, trying to keep the girl talking without making the moment anymore uncomfortable. Folding his arms across his chest, the red-haired boy attempted to piece together some sense of logic from Sakura's tale. "If it did, maybe the line does go somewhere."
"Maybe," shrugged Sakura while biting her lip. "But I didn't stick around long enough to find out. That 'presence' kept bothering me, so I left as quickly as I could. I never saw any train go by."
"If there was any actual train, chances are you would have seen it," Nigredo decided to suggest, more or less to get his mind off restraining Albedo. "That, or you would have definitely heard the whistle it again."
"My thoughts exactly, Nigredo," Sakura nodded in full agreement before unleashing another sigh. "But the fact is, I never saw or heard the train afterwards."
"Are you sure you didn't just imagine it?" wondered Rubedo. He was not denying Sakura's honesty, but he knew children's minds did occasionally get the best of them. Rubedo's imagination was a perfect example sometimes, especially whenever Sakura crept into his thoughts…hehe…
Noticing the blush reappear on Rubedo's cheeks, Albedo did not even have to tap into the mental link to know what, or who, his twin was thinking about. Only one person could make Rubedo blush like that, and Albedo snarled in fury as he glared his violet eyes at the brunette culprit. Unable to break free from Nigredo's grip, Albedo did the next best thing and blasted Sakura across the mental link. Damn you!
Of course, Sakura never heard the middle Variant's tirade, and innocently continued the conversation. "Maybe I did imagine the whistle," Sakura shrugged, though her voice was not very convincing. "Considering the area I was in, I was probably thinking about trains at the time. Perhaps the whistle was some sort of case-sensitive subconscious sensation, one I only thought of the sound because it related to the trains I was thinking about.
"But the presence…" Sakura knew with a much higher degree of certainty. "…That was much more realistic. It chilled me to the bone, as if something was lurking over my shoulder the whole time, silently egging me to leave before it was too late. I could feel my heart pounding and my body sweating nervously. I was…scared…" she finally admitted, lowering her head enough to cover her embarrassed face with her dark brown hair whilst staring at her shoes.
Her purple shoes did not stay in sight for very long before Sakura felt her head involuntarily lift back up. Gentle fingers cupped the girl's chin. Blinking, her emerald eyes instantly met with a familiar pair of sapphires, so close the vicinity made both kids blush. Sakura's cheeks turned especially red when she finally noticed Rubedo's hand gently caressing her flushed face.
"Hey, it's okay," Rubedo reassured with another one of his kind smiles, easily encouraging Sakura's lips to return the smile. Gingerly stroking his fingers against her cheekbone, Rubedo's smile parted to release a giggle alongside a confident wink. "You don't have to be scared when I'm around."
Giggling, herself, Sakura placed a hand over Rubedo's, blissfully pressing his caressing palm to her warm cheek. She always felt safest with him around, and hearing Rubedo's kind words made Sakura feel better about her silly little phobia. It was during times like these, when Rubedo showed his sweetest side to her, that Sakura wanted to reward him with another kiss. Leaning closer, Sakura whispered, "Oh Rubedo…"
Oh God, have mercy on my soul! Nigredo prayed in wide-eyed exasperation as he noticed Sakura inch closer to his oldest brother. Nigredo may have been the most mature and tolerant of the Variant boys, but even he had his limits when it came to this excessive mush. If Rubedo and Sakura continued their nauseating little show, Nigredo was going to have to make a trip to the gas station's outhouse! He had nothing against two kids undergoing puppy love, but even nonchalant Nigredo could feel his own stomach churning. Rubedo was especially difficult for Nigredo to watch without feeling sick. Clear as day, the link master kept mimicking all those damn corny romance novels he read. Casanova here will make me hurl he keeps smooth-taking Sakura like this.
For once, Albedo could not agree more with Nigredo. Rubedo's behavior was disgusting, dammit; the way he kept smiling at Sakura, caressing her cheek and whispering sweet words only to her! The two lovebirds were always flirting with each other and it sickened Albedo! Why the hell did Rubedo act so nice to her?! What was so damn special about her?! Albedo originally thought Rubedo was just nice to Sakura due to her illness, but obviously, matters and feelings had deepened. This was not a boy being nice to a girl out of sympathy; this was a boy being nice to a girl…because he really, really liked her.
It was not fair, dammit. That wench only knew Rubedo for a few months, which was minuscule compared to someone who knew the redhead all his life!
"Tell ya what, Sakura!" Rubedo suddenly perked energetically, parting from Sakura (before any kissy-kissy ensued, much to Nigredo and Albedo's unprecedented relief). Instead, the leader flashed Sakura another confident grin. "We'll go down to that same platform and see for ourselves what that presence was," Rubedo suggested, not at all surprised to see Sakura's green eyes widen nervously. To make sure he did not scare her, the redhead's grin broadened while he balled a confident fist to his chest. "And when we find whatever that presence was, I'm gonna' kick it's ass for scaring you!"
Provided the 'presence' even HAS an ass for him to kick, Nigredo rolled his teal eyes, listening to Sakura giggle appreciatively over Rubedo's overblown boast. Quite frankly, HIS ass might get kicked if Rubedo doesn't stop nauseating Albedo and me. Rubedo was typically the brother noted for instigating roughhousing. Yet, that did not mean Nigredo and Albedo would mind ganging up against Rubedo if the redhead kept acting so damn macho. Judging by Albedo's obscenities across the mental link, it was pretty obvious that the middle child was ready to literally knock some sense into his twin.
"Well, what're you two waiting for?" Rubedo's voice suddenly piped up, drawing Nigredo and Albedo's attentions once their brother finally decided to acknowledge them. By then, Sakura was already by Rubedo's side, a bit 'too' close to an arm for Albedo's comfort. Albedo knew from experience that Sakura was mere seconds away from wrapping her arms around Rubedo's, much like the 'damsel in distress' would do with her hero. Rubedo must have been enjoying this little fairytale.
Albedo, on the other hand…
"Come' on," interrupted Rubedo, pointing a finger in the direction of the railroad, seemingly leading to nowhere. Albedo and Nigredo knew that specific tone Rubedo used to address his brothers, common for whenever the leader started a mission. "Albedo, Nigredo, let's go!"
His confidence usually encouraged the younger brothers to do as told. However, today, after Rubedo's little show with Sakura, neither Nigredo nor Albedo was in the mood to follow. If Sakura was tagging along for the trip, then plenty more nausea was ahead for the Variants. All of a sudden, anti-U-DO training was looking very appealing to Albedo and Nigredo.
"Um…you' know," Nigredo started, knowing Albedo was in no mood to reply to his twin's orders, at least without going hysterical. The youngest Variant was attempting to maintain some sliver of peace in this subconscious domain. "Why don't you two go on ahead? Albedo and I will stick around here and keep an eye out for any infectees or Gnosis." Spending the afternoon with a ranting Albedo was no picnic, but it was the lesser of two evils. Right now, Nigredo would rather do anything, other than watching Rubedo and Sakura's soap opera.
Rubedo was somewhat surprised at how his brothers disregarded his invitation. Exploring the railroad was sure to be a fun change in plans, so why did his little brothers have to be such killjoys? He was especially surprised with Albedo, considering one twin rarely went somewhere without the other. But if Albedo was only going to be tagging along with a puss on his face, Rubedo saw no point in his twin following. Rubedo wanted this railroad adventure to be fun, and he did not want his annoying brother to spoil it on account of another hissy fit.
"Alright then. Suit yourselves," shrugged Rubedo, before glancing at Sakura by his side. He was not too disappointed that his brothers bowed-out of the adventure. Today would mark the first time Rubedo and Sakura ventured off alone, and the idea thrilled Rubedo. It would be just like in those spooky horror novels, where a couple would be caught in some terrifying scenario. As always, the timid female would be afraid and need to seek comfort in her 'strong brave boyfriend.' Rubedo was getting a few very nice mental images of a screaming Sakura wrapping her arms around him for dear life. And, of course, the 'strong brave boyfriend' would have to vanquish the frightening demons. Then the girl would have to reward him with a kiss, perhaps adding some sweet words like "you're my hero, Rubedo!"
Oh yes, Rubedo was not going to mind this arrangement! Unable to keep a mischievous, fanciful grin off his blush-tinted face, Rubedo barely muttered a victorious "C'ya!" to his unexciting brothers. Thereafter, the smirky lovesick boy grabbed Sakura's hand and raced down the railroad tracks. Oh yes, this was going to be a very fun adventure!
To Be Continued
A/N: I did warn you about the fluff, didn't I? Hehe, boy this chapter was fun to write! Rubedo's totally full of it in this story, though don't think he'll be on his high horse for long (*inserts evil laugh*). Come' on, do you reeeeally think his idealistic "strong brave boyfriend / You're my hero, Rubedo" fantasy is gonna' happen? (Who else yelled out "dream on, Casanova!"?) Ah well, hormonal young boys in love are always entertaining. Lots more Rubedo/Sakura spooky squee is ahead. And Albedo and Nigredo? Don't worry, they won't be forgotten at all. I certainly can't forget about poor Albedo (*hugs*). Chapter 2 will be posted sometime next week.
I'd love any reviews. I accept all forms of character gushing, too (especially regarding a certain hotheaded redhead). Hehe. ^_^
