Sanctuary Blue

Disclaimer: Nope.

Now that that's out of the way, hello! I'm Gingko Green, and this is my first fanfiction. If you do read it, constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated! Flames will be laughed at and used to warm my hands.

I'm in Australia, and it's winter here right now - hands are better for typing when they're warm.

When Lavi opened his eye after his lengthened sleep, he noticed several things. First of all, it was chilly - tolerable only because of his vibrant orange scarf. Second, his surroundings were a shade of blue; the sky was a brilliant shade of azure, while the grass took on a more navy approach to the eye. The few trees that the future Bookman could see also had a bluish tinge to them, and when he turned his head to the sound of a trilling bird, everything from its glossy feathers to its beady eyes were a soft hue reminiscent of lapis lazuli. Slightly dazed from his rest, Lavi sat up, confused. He looked up to the crescent moon, its luminescent light giving everything an ethereal glow. Picking himself up, he dusted off the blue dirt from his Exorcist uniform, checking that his hammer was still in its proper place.

Where am I?

He was not expecting an answer; the whole place seemed empty, sans the magnificent blue bird now perched upon a branch of a blue spruce. The feeling of dread was slowly blooming in his chest; however, Lavi suppressed it as he began wandering around the place, curious about its origin and appearance. Bending down with his knees, Bookman Junior observed a small lizard slithtering through the grass, its scales a deep royal blue. He himself began to wonder; was he himself blue? To answer his question, he looked at his hands - they were the same fleshy colour healthy humans hand. Relieved, Lavi once again stood up and began to stroll quietly through the field of perpetual blue.

Where am I?

The feeling of dread the red-head had previously been able to keep away was quickly returning, and Lavi found himself confused and worried once more. What happened to Allen, Yuu-chan and Lenalee? What about Krory and Miranda? Where did Old Panda go? Stopping in his tracks, he turned around in a full circle, hoping for a glimpse of snow-white hair amongst the discomforting blue, or a sharp retort and a few curses to pierce the impossibly heavy silence covering the whole place. Maybe Lenalee would suddenly leap into the air, her Dark Boots activated, and the possibility of Krory or Miranda quickly running over to him in concern was still available to him. The old man could sneak up on him and give him a sharp kick or a painful swipe at his face; the red-head could not help but whip his head behind him just to make sure. But there was no one.

No one at all.

"Where am I?"

Lavi was startled by how his words came out - they sounded muffled and dampened, like he was attempting to speak through a wall or some other obstructive object. Frantic, he whirled around, beginning to hate the depressing place he was forced inside. Everything was blue - from the trees to the animals, from the grass to the dirt, everything was god-damned blue.

"Allen! Yuu-chan! Lenalee!!"

The only response Lavi was given was a hollow echo of his comrades' names and the startled flapping of wings from the lone bird he had seen earlier. He flinched when he felt something cold touch his nose - snow. He snarled in frustration. Even the snow was a cursed shade of blue! Shivering, the air around him grew colder still, his breath coming out in small plumes of vapourous silvery clouds. He wound his well-worn orange scarf once more around his neck, crossing his arms across his chest and hunching over in a vain attempt to preserve body heat.

"Krory! Miranda! PANDA!!"

Lavi's knees gave way underneath him, weak after constant walking. His throat felt parched and sore. Despite his current condition, the determined red-head continued shouting his friends' names, desperately hoping that they could hear his calls of help and loneliness. The cold air seemed less chilly, the blue hell he was in began to blur, the outlines of trees and grass softening and merging together in one mass of navy. The bird that had flown away earlier from Lavi's cries fluttered back towards him, landing on his knees. It cocked its head slightly, chirping; the Junior Bookman paid no attention to it. The avian's blue eyes shifted into a dangerous shade of gold, yet continued chirping in its dangerously sweet manner. Lavi fell out of his stupor; the gold of the bird's eyes were uncomfortably familiar, and it was much too close -

"Ah, Uncle Tyki!" the Dream grinned happily, standing up from her kneeling position to throw herself into the Pleasure's arms. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Rhode." Giving her a soft pat on the top of her unruly hair, he made a noise of surprise and slight disgust, yet the smirk on his face betrayed his true feelings of pure enjoyment. "Oh my, what new toy have you found while I was gone?"

"Don't you know him?" The girl skipped joyfully towards the motionless body, motioning for Tyki to come closer to see. Once he had arrived and kneeled next to his niece, the older Noah cocked his head slightly to his left, Rhode imitating the action but only to the right. "You know him, don't you?"

"And how did you manage to get your hands on such a lovely doll, I wonder?" he asked, his only reply being an enigmatic giggle. Rhode stood up, tugging against the mop of vibrant red hair with sudden violence, throwing the prisoner's head into the stone wall. A small groan left his cracked lips, before his head dropped downwards. Blood dripped slowly down his face, before the Dream tugged sharply at the candle stake that had made its way into the boy's left eye.

"I think I've played with him too much, Uncle Tyki," she sighed in mocking disappointment. "He was such a good doll, too."

"That's such a pity, Rhode." He nodded once in understanding, before motioning for her to come to him. "How about you go to the dining hall for dinner first, hmm? I've got some cleaning up to do before I eat."

"Okay, Uncle Tyki!" the Dream agreed, jumping enthusiastically out of his hug and out the door. "Don't take too long, or your food might get cold!"

"Oh, I won't take long at all," the Pleasure replied, more to himself than to his joyful niece. "Isn't that right, Exorcist?"

Somewhere in that blue field, Lavi found peace.

I hope it wasn't too confusing for you guys to read.

Reviews and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.