I do not own Rosario Vampire
Darkness. Nothingness. Silence. She lay on her back unable to move, gazing into an endless black void. She couldn't think, she couldn't feel, she couldn't see. Suddenly, after what felt like an eternity, a red glow illuminated the void. A winged figure hovered over her. The silhouette of an angel maybe?
It's presence was suffocating. It's breathing was ragged. No... this was no angel. This was a devil. It reached out to her with a black arm, darker than the void itself, caressing her face. If she could feel fear she would have screamed. To make it stop, to make it go away. Yet oddly, it made her feel somewhat at peace. She knew this being.
It smiled sadly at her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Then the world exploded.
A scream. An angel of light. It was the first time in her life that she had felt truly helpless. She was afraid.
And then. An end was met.
Seven years later
Moka gave a pained smile as she entered the bar. She had wanted to leave these memories behind. Fate had thought otherwise.
She sighed. It had been seven years. Seven years since that fateful day. A painful day which was best left to be forgotten. Truth be told, her knowledge of this painful day was of nothing. She didn't know what exactly had occurred. Just that he had... gone.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, jerking her from her thoughts as the clouds threatened to cry. It was a grey and gloomy day today, grey streaked the sky and the streets. The streets were quiet and empty due to weather warnings of an oncoming thunderstorm. She cringed at the thought and grunted with dismay as she closed the sliding door behind her.
The bar itself was a rather modest establishment. Six booths lined the side of the shop, whilst a few weathered tables were scattered about to fill the empty space. And empty it was, it was a weekday, hence only a few people were present. Most in a drunken stupor and passed out on their respective tables.
The only immediately notable person that could be classified of being alive was the bartender, whom was alone, silently wiping glasses and staring off into the distance as if in a trance. He took no notice of her.
As if adding to the depressing atmosphere, only two fluorescent orange bulbs provided light for the entire bar, casting dark into every corner of the room, isolating every living being in their own little worlds.
A lone man sat at the very last booth. The years had not treated him well. He wore a tattered brown coat, its frayed sleeves showing as he fingered his empty glass. Dark circles and wrinkles outlined his lack of sleep. His hair was greying and showed signs of balding. He was nothing but a mere shadow of his former self.
Moka made her way over to the booth he was seated in, and sat herself across from him on the opposite side of the table. Shirking off her trench coat in the process. If he had acknowledged her presence, he didn't show it. He seemed closed off to the world as he stared outside with an empty gaze, his eyes were glazed. She followed his gaze and saw a mother and a son hurriedly making their way across the street towards a man, whom she presumed to be the father.
She turned back to the man sitting across from her, sighing with pity.
"Thank you for coming here today Mr. Aono. Especially after such short notice."
The man finally broke out of his trance and averted his gaze towards her. He tried his best to smile, but years of nothing but lonely isolation had stripped him of that right. All he could manage was a simple twitch of his lips before replying.
"Anything for my son's friend, Moka. And please just call me Koji, I don't deserve your formalities Moka. I have nothing left."
Moka sighed sadly at his comment.
"Why did you call me here?" he asked suddenly, leaving her no time to reply. "Why now? After seven years? What you said on the phone…" he said almost pleadingly.
Moka had feared this reaction. She had been rather blunt on the phone, she herself had been very confused about this whole thing. He looked at her desperately, scanning her face as if it held all the answers he wanted. His grip on his glass tightened as his knuckles whitened.
"Look, Mr. Aono, I know this whole thing may be insensitive, but I really do think Tsukune is still alive," she whispered "No, I know he is," she added hurriedly.
His face contorted in anger, "Moka. I respect you. I do. You brought my son happiness in his time of need, you saved his life so many times, and I respect you for that. But please, please accept that he's gone. Please don't lie to me or to yourself. When my dear Kasumi passed, she still thought Tsukune was alive, Moka. She still held onto that belief. I believed her, but it has been five years since then, Moka. Tsukune is gone."
"But Mr. Aon- "
"No buts Moka. Please. Please just leave me be. I don't want to experience this pain again," he begged in a hushed voice, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. He whimpered and began to shake. His eyes were turning glossy.
Moka couldn't help but pity the man. His doubt was justified. He was only human.
"Mr. Aono," she interjected, "I know how it feels. I loved him too. So did his mother. And I am telling you, somewhere, Tsukune is alive. He's still out there! I have proo-"
"Do you even know what you're talking about Moka?" he spat, "Do you have any idea about what you're suggesting? This is my son's life we're discussing."
"I do Mr. Aono. I have evidence," she stated bluntly.
It began to rain. The room darkened as soft pitter patters of water hit the window of the booth, obscuring the light of the street light on Koji's aging face. The shadows imitated tiny black insects, which ran down his face in packs. They did well to hide his tears. The duo sat in silence for a few moments as Moka let Koji come to terms with what she had just said.
"Show me," he croaked, his voice threatening to break. He was silent now, his chocolate brown eyes bore into her emerald green.
She nodded and fished around the pocket of her trench coat, until her hand brushed against cold metal. She was breathing very heavily now, thinking whether or not this was the right thing to do. The very essence of that thing was evil. She finally mustered the courage to take it out and place it on the table before her.
It was a black chain consisting of only three links. Hairline cracks ran down the side of the metal links. There was no mistaking what it was. Koji's eyes widened as he recognised what it was.
"It's... How...," his voice caught in his throat. He began to shake again. However not in anger, but in fear, as he continued to stare at the impure object.
"It still has his scent on it." she stated grimly.
He looked back at her in disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"I found it two days ago," she continued.
Yes, two days ago. This time two days ago. She had stumbled upon it by sheer coincidence, if you could say that. No, it wasn't some naturally occurring phenomena, no, someone had placed it there, someone unknown. Someone impure.
Even without her inner self to guide her anymore, she could sense the evil within it. But... It smelled of him. There was no mistaking it. It was a fresh scent, it was definitely her loved one, her Tsukune.
What unnerved her most was the state of the area she had found it in. It was in a state of absolute carnage. She definitely didn't want to meet whatever had caused such destruction. Even her rosary, something she presumed dead for seven years, had reacted negatively. It was a sure sign of something. Something concerning Tsukune. It was a warning.
Seven years. Seven years of silence. She had just been about to give up. To accept his death, hopefully to move on.
But after seven years...
She had finally found a clue of his continued existence. It was only a small part of it. But there was no mistaking it.
Moka stared back at Koji's pale face. She hadn't noticed that she had begun to shiver too. Neither of them could speak, only stare.
Koji's finally managed to say two words. Two words that she had hoped to never hear of again. The rain pitter pattered against the window. This time the little black insects were running down her face. She closed her eyes, hoping to block out his voice, but to no avail.
"Holy Lock."
To be continued. I know I probably need a lot of fixing up with my errors. But hey, I'm welcome to critical reviews. It helps a tonne :)