A/N: Heyo! An fcs only fic this time! It's not part of the Splitting Truth/Merging Lies/Unabridged thoughts stuff, BUT IT STILL WILL GIVE HUGE SPOILERS. So if you really wanna read this, BACK IT UP, you PROBABLY wanna complete reading those three listed above first. (meaning you'll have to wait for me to finish Unabridged thoughts. And it's sequel, Unspoken Words, for that matter.) If, on the other hand, you don't care about spoilers, keep on reading.
Anyhow, MORE WARNINGS: The rating is there FOR A REASON. This is NOT fluff of any kind either. Things will get very dark, probably NOT in the way you expect. You have been warned.
Sarah belongs to Angyll.
Xarach and Tanya belong to me. (X_e)
PAiN
By ShootingStarz01
The Tanuki hopped off the bus, her dazzling pink eyes scanning her surroundings. So this was Ivaysa. The apparent 'land of opportunity'. She would see… At least it would free her of the restraints she had in her own country. Here, she would be able to get what she wanted; even if she was unable to live in the luxury she had been raised up in. Better, no one would bother her. She smiled to herself cunningly.
No one had expected her escape from Kiran. She had gotten away quite easily. Here, she blended with the crowds. Hardly anyone had even heard of her small country, so it was unlikely that she would be sent back to her homeland any time soon. She was good at hiding. Her parents would never find her…
But just in case she was wrong, she needed to ground herself. She needed someone else for that.
A continuous stream of a certain curse arose from Xarach's mouth. The four letter word that rhymed with 'ham' was the only word he could think of at the moment to describe this situation. He hissed it under his breath. Realizing that such a curse was forbidden to him, however, he quickly silenced himself. The reason for his cursing?
He had lost his beloved Sarah.
Again.
In the sea of people, she had disappeared; probably becoming distracted by the constant noise of the bustling city and not realizing they had been separated. Or worse, she had had one of her spurts of insanity and run off to God-knows-where. For all he knew, she would try to dive off the highest skyscraper there was. He looked around frantically for her, pushing through the crowds.
After half a minute, he could not longer handle it. He shot out of the crowd and up into the air, wings spread wide. All who saw gasped in astonishment.
Most people had never seen a winged hedgehog. Furthermore, being that Xarach was actually not a hedgehog, but a Tenrec, it was nearly guarantee-able that no one had seen a creature like him before. Everyone assumed he was a winged hedgehog, but no one but the young children had a closer guess.
Xarach was an angel. A fallen angel. He had always hidden his wings in public, but this time, he could not handle doing so. Sarah was too important to him. He cried her name as he flew above the mass.
He couldn't lose her again. Being separated from her for five single minutes drew upon him the worry that it would be months before he'd see her again. It may sound like an unreasonable fear, but in fact, it had happened. Almost thrice. The first gap of time he had spent away from her had been three months; two of those months had been completely involuntary. The second time, he had left her home to fetch his violin, only to find she was not there when he came back.
The third time, indeed, had been the worst. He had left her home to play a harmless prank on Swift, Sarah's younger sister. The harmless prank metamorphosized into a quest to end the inhumane cruelty of AIR. AIR indulged in illegal experimentation on living souls, and they particularly wanted Swift as their subject. After one false move against them, he ended up in chains, and extremely effective power-restraints.
Sarah had saved him, though she was by far too late to keep him from extreme torture. In fact, she had ended up suffering some torture herself. Still, they had made it out. (Swift had been released long before either of them.)
He had resolved never to leave her side again, if it could be helped. Being that he was now a mortal angel, and no longer invincible, he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his days with her. Even when he had been immortal, there was little more he could have asked for.
He was her hero. She was his heroine. Still, he was afraid to ask for her hand. He was even afraid to call out her name for the possibility that she might think he was angry, but he called. This attracted a good deal of attention, as young children pointed and excitedly burbled the word "angel" and all else looked on with wonder or bewilderment.
Finally, after everyone within a mile had seen and heard the white Tenrec, he spotted his girlfriend in a slightly less crowded area, looking rather uncomfortable. She sat alone.
The Tanuki was nearby. She watched as he made a graceful, though hurried landing, and rushed to the side of a female black hedgehog.
"…What happened? Are you alright?"
Sarah looked up at him. "Yeah." She said quietly. "I just hate all the noise. Sorry for taking off…"
He nodded, showing that she was forgiven. His face twisted into a concerned expression. "Don't tell me the trip's been a complete waste…"
"Oh! Not at all!" She gave a shy smile. "I really liked the theatre—and the performance. And lunch was good."
Xarach sat at her side, then gently pulled her into his arms. "I'm glad, Miss Sarah."
Sarah blushed slightly, and happily returned his embrace. She would never trade her boyfriend for anyone else. Nothing could even tempt her.
And when he kissed her lips, she knew he felt the same.
Suddenly, an uncomfortable feeling arose within her. More than likely, it had already been present, she just had not been aware of it until this moment. She broke off the kiss, beginning to flush in embracement. "Uh, Xarach…"
Xarach looked at her in mild confusion. "Yes, sweetheart?"
"I have to go to the bathroom."
Xarach sweat dropped. "Oh. Go on, then." He smiled kindly, releasing her.
Sarah gladly took her leave, eager to get to her business so she could forget the awkward moment. She began to search for a public restroom.
Xarach sighed. He watched as the black hedgehog began to fade into the crowd…
A surge of paranoia overtook him. What if he lost her again? The white Tenrec couldn't bear the thought. He sprang to his feet and began to rush after her so he would not completely loose track over where she was…
The brown and pink Tanuki stumbled into his path quite unexpectedly, and he knocked into her.
"Sorry!"
"I'm sorry!"
"No problem, Miss. Don't be!" Xarach moved to step around her.
The beautiful girl stepped in the same direction.
Xarach stepped the other way. The girl did the same, looking at much a loss, toting her baggage. Xarach stopped. "After you, Miss."
"Oh! No! You may go, Sir! I actually have no place to be… No place to go at all." The Tanuki smiled a sweet, nervous smile.
Xarach looked over her shoulder. Sarah was already gone.
"Well… Oh." Xarach refrained from sighing again. He prayed nothing would happen with Sarah, but he knew it would be best to go back to where she had left him. "No place at all, you say?"
The Tanuki shook her head. "I've come to Ivaysa for freedom, but I hardly had enough money to get here… I guess I'll have to live on the streets, but that's how everyone starts over, isn't it?"
Xarach looked thoughtful. He didn't like seeing people have to live on the streets. The girl seemed nice enough. He might be able to convince Sarah to let her stay with them… "I don't believe that everyone starts over without even a place to sleep… In fact, I think most who come here have somewhere to go."
"Oh!" She looked utterly shocked. Xarach suddenly realized what he had essentially said. He quickly thought of a way to patch up the problem he had likely constructed within the young lady's mind.
"Don't feel discouraged. I mean to say, you've come farther than most other people of your status. They wouldn't dare to leave their homeland in such a state, if they could even pull together the financing." He smiled politely.
"Oh, well…" The Tanuki blushed a bit. "If you mean to say I was very brave, I didn't have much of a choice."
"You didn't? Did you leave to gain religious freedom?"
She shook her head.
"Freedom in general?"
She nodded. "But not quite so much freedom from oppressive government… Freedom from oppressive parents. They won't let me leave the house until I marry. I'm just desperate to get away from them…" She looked at him seeming to try not to cry. "They just hit me whenever they feel like it! They tell me who to be friends with, who not to be friends with, what thing I have to be, what life I have to live and personality I have to have… I'm an adult in my culture! It's not fair!" She ducked her head down, trying in vain to conceal her tears.
Xarach had deep pity on her. He couldn't stand the thought of not having freedom… Which only reminded him of his impending doom. Eternal suffering. To think that this girl practically lived that on earth, and not in the afterlife… How horrible. "I'm… very sorry…" He placed a hand on her shoulder, not being one for hugs, especially when it came to complete strangers.
However, she seemed to be perfectly accepting of this gesture, not offended by the absence of something more. "I-I'm sorry. This is so improper… I-I don't even know you." She started walking away.
Xarach followed, for a very brief instant forgetting about Sarah. He noticed the extreme grace in which she took her strides, and could only assume her parents would tolerate nothing less. "No, no! It's perfectly fine… But, would it be too personal to ask, how did you manage to get here if you didn't marry?"
"T-they care who I befriend… but… not who I marry. I.. I-I told them, actually…" She appeared rather nervous.
"Told them…?"
"… th-that I already found a husband… and th-that we'd marry immediately if t-they'd just lend some money to go to Ivaysa."
"So you lied?"
"Y-yes…"
"And they expect you to return home with your husband, don't they?"
"Oh, no! They'd be happy if I never came home again, but… They use me. I must be married, or they'll force me to return home! If they don't receive word in a few days, they'll be so f-furious… I-I-I.."
Xarach could tell that this would result in serious punishment. "You would never be able to leave the house again, I should guess."
"No-no-no! F-far worse… I-I'm afraid. T-they… would kill me…"
Xarach couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You don't say…"
The tanuki nodded. He could tell she meant it would be a literal killing.
Xarach glanced over his shoulder, realizing how far he had wandered. However, he felt it would be a horrible thing to leave this girl alone. She needed help. Sarah had to understand that. And the Master wouldn't possibly be happy with him if he chose to abandon someone in need. He wasn't sure how to help, for the moment, but he felt he needed to, and he knew it would be the right thing to do.
Sarah had to understand.
"What's your name?" The angel asked.
"Tanya." The Tanuki answered. "And yours, sir?"
"Xarach. Xarach Thomas." He offered a hand for her to shake.
She took it. "Xarach, you're such a kind listener. Thank you…"
"Not a problem at all." He smiled. "Is there anything I could do to help you? I live with my wife, but I'm sure she wouldn't object if you needed to stay with us for awhile, until you're able to hold your own."
"You're wed? Well, that's wonderful…" She smiled a bit weakly.
It wasn't until then that Xarach realized what he had said. "O-oh! No, no, no! I meant to say, my girlfriend, though… I want her to be my wife… Ever since I fell in love with her…" He had to mentally slap himself so not to slip into swooning. It simply wasn't polite, particularly around strangers or new aquaintances. His dreamy smile gave him away though.
He was hopelessly in love with Sarah Black.
"Oh, I see." A slightly devious smile curved Tanya's lips. However, it lasted only an instant, " Well, Xarach, I thank you very kindly for the offer, but the only thing that will really help me is if you can help me to find a husband and be sure I married him in the next three days…" She gave a worried look.
"I know it was a … 'long-shot' to come here, and I know this will be very hard… though I could really use the help, I would not blame you if you did not wish to waste your time…" Again, she began to walk
Xarach thought about this, following after her. It would definitely be difficult. He doubted, as gorgeous and kind as Tanya was, that any man worth marrying would want to marry her so quickly. A good man would wait. A drunk man… there was just no telling. A cruel man, certainly, may take the offer just to get what he wanted from her, but of course Xarach didn't want that. It would put her in a place where she was worse off than she had been before. He could read the men's minds, which may give him some idea of weather or not they'd be good for her, but… he had no experience as a matchmaker, nor would matchmaking necessarily do much good…
Love took time. Lust didn't.
Love would prompt a marriage.
Lust wouldn't.
More than likely, only a drunk man, a man not in his right mind, would want to marry Tanya so soon. Marriage was a high cost. It took a lot of money, and once you were married, you couldn't just neglect your spouse. It might be very difficult, very hard to keep the romance there. It was a huge commitment… And there was just no trusting that a drunk man would be a good husband.
Finally, he spoke. "I can't think of how this could safely be done. Real life isn't like the fairy tales, where fair maiden meets her prince and true love, and they fall so much in love that they would marry immediately. You realize that anyone you might find willing to marry you in these few days will more than likely be someone you would not want to spend the rest of your life with?"
"I have no choice now… But I'm not really worried about it. I should tell any man I meet that I'll be more than willing to divorce after just one day. All I really need is a signed certificate of marriage to mail off to my parents, and a photo of myself and the groom. If I divorce at any time after that, they would never know. I just want to be free…"
Xarach did not find this very morally sound, however, with the situation being as it was, it seemed justified. Still, he found her plan flawed. "I understand, Tanya. But marriage is expensive. And even if you find a man to marry you, what if he's abusive and he won't let you divorce?"
She looked about to say something, but she shut her mouth. Then, opening it once more, her face contorted into a anxious look. "O-oh, well…" She looked at the ground, beginning to look very, very stressed. "I wouldn't know if a man is that way, would I?"
"I'm not sure I would be able to tell either…" Xarach could read minds, certainly, but if she did not anger the man who decided he would court her, he would not know if the man had maybe an explosive anger problem, where he might beat her if she angered him sometime during the ordeal. Then he may not release her, because he wouldn't want her to tell the police. He sighed. "Since you're lying already, is it possible you could just find someone who would take a picture with you and forge a marriage certificate?
She shook her head. "They will do an internet search on the one who supposedly married us to see if he is real, if they find anything that seems … strange. And then they would either see that he is not real, or that he did not marry us. I'm too afraid for that. I'd rather try to really marry someone…"
Nothing about this was foolproof. Nothing would guarantee Tanya's safety or freedom. Xarach was concerned for her life, simply because she was a life. Everyone should have freedom. He pitied her deeply. She would probably never find anyone. And if she couldn't, or if she decided just to flee, she would be living life on the run. What sort of life would it be? Not being able to just settle in an area, or have a normal life… But Xarach could think of nothing else to help her.
Unless…
Xarach almost froze as the thought crept into his mind. Tanya seemed to trust him, and he certainly knew he wouldn't betray that. He had the money. He could stand to give up about 24 hours. 48, if Tanya really needed. If he married her, and she sent of the certificate and the photo, then she would be fine. She had just said she would be more than willing to divorce afterward…
But this sounded like complete treachery to his ears. What about Sarah? How could he even think of doing this? He loved Sarah so much, and she trusted him… how could he betray that? What would she think, even if he explained it all? Just telling her before hand, surely she would be angry. And if he didn't tell her until afterward, that may be even worse. Xarach's heart could have broken at the thought. He couldn't do this to Sarah…
But he couldn't abandon someone in need, either.
He believed that marriage should be for life…
But if her life was in danger, wouldn't it be murder to have been able to help, yet let her die?
His heart belonged to Sarah. He couldn't…
He couldn't…
…let someone die.
This was the fastest way out for the foreign girl. Maybe the only way. "T-tanya." He managed to speak.
"What?"
"Just one day, right?"
"Just one."
"…I'll marry you." Even as he spoke, emotional pain already began to squeeze him. Regret closed in.
She looked at him, seeming pleased. "Oh, Xarach! You don't know how much this means to me!"
"Oh, I know…" Xarach smiled weakly.
She paused. "…You're thinking of your sweetheart. Don't worry. You won't have to tell her anything."
Xarach shifted his weight uneasily. "I don't want to keep secrets from her…"
"She wouldn't understand. I don't think anyone would." She tossed her hair gently. "Don't worry about her. The faster we send the letter, the better."
Xarach had to agree to the last part.. The sooner this was over with, the better… though he still felt he would not be able to bear keeping such a thing from his lover
He glanced over his shoulder, seeing how far he had wandered…
It seemed like miles. He couldn't even see where he had been sitting with Sarah. Would she ever forgive him…? "Let's go…" He offered his hand, not even looking at Tanya.
She took it.
In a flash, he abandoned his heart in Philedelphia, along with the one whom he truly loved.