A/N: SURPRISE! Hello, everyone! Welcome to a new, adventurous story by moi, Midnight S13!
Sadly, I have yet to have my computer fixed, and so the other stories won't be updated until perhaps December, but I nearly went crazy from not writing (actually, more like frustration and stress ^^; ), and decided to try and write out my stories on my iTouch and a different computer (read: library). Anyway, I didn't dare miss out on 11/11/11, Marluxia Day!, so here you are, a brand-new story to try and tide you over (and possibly spark some excitement and intrigue) until I officially return! I hope you enjoy it!
(And yes, I do think it's a little short, and I might lengthen it later, but for now, this is the best I can do.)
A stray gust of wind swept across the heavens and through the open balcony windows, fluttering the tattered red curtains so neatly framing the cloudy night sky. A dark figure stood a little ways inside, staring up at the faint stars. A hood concealed his face, hiding his features in shadow, and a long, black coat covered his tall body. His obsidian boots clicked on the floor as he slowly, deliberately, began walking towards the small stone table, elegant and waist-high, muffling slightly when they crushed underfoot the tiny petals strewn about.
"Angels in flight," he murmured softly. "...and a sanctuary..."
He glanced down at his gloved hand, looking at the several crown-topped cards within. Each one glowed softly, a soft blue light emitting from the strange material it was made out of. Different pictures of fantastical, exotic places and scenes shimmered on them, all changing slightly with the angle.
"Destiny forgotten..." The tall man dropped the cards onto the table, setting them next to a crystal ball propped up on a white, ornate stand. The strange cards glowed brighter, briefly, once, before fading and looking completely ordinary; once they did, the crystal ball began to fog inside, clouds swirling within to hide secrets beneath. The hooded man frowned slightly at the sudden reaction and placed his hand gracefully on the crystal orb, when there was a whoosh-ing sound, and a dark, swirling portal appeared behind him; he froze, and glanced over his shoulder at the invading darkness.
Another man, completely identical to the first (though with coat sleeves not quite so bell-shaped and loose), walked out of the portal and crossed his arms.
"But soon restored." The first being turned around slightly, keeping his hand on the orb, and smirked lightly at the newcomer. The portal vanished with a wave of his other hand, making the same sound as it did appearing.
"So you know it as well?" he asked, amusement lacing his cold voice. The newcomer nodded.
"Yes. Personally, I think it's risky, but what's life without a little fun?" He grinned and shrugged, unfolding his arms. The other man looked down at the orb, slowly stilling its the clouds lazily swirling inside, and shook his head, keeping an eye on his companion.
"This isn't a life," he said softly. His hand trailed around the cold crystal as he spoke, clearing up the fog a little bit more. "You should know."
"Tch! Heh, whatever," he waved off with an air of indifference. He then gestured at the cards lying on the table. "Are they ready?"
The first man paused, tilted his head, then shook his head no.
"Not quite. They have yet to be tested..." He cast a sideways glance at the other; "but they should be perfect once the final cards are added to the collection. She'll never find the seams, and then we'll finally have our puppet, safely back within our clutches." He reached into his pocket and drew out a handful of soft rose petals, and strew them across the stone ground. "What about you? Are your... preparations ready?"
The one with the narrow sleeves nodded, somewhat sullenly.
"The traps are set. The riddles are writ. It'll be a miracle if she survives with her sanity intact. That is what we want, though, isn't it?" As he paused, his question hanging in the air, each petal newly scattered across the floor began incandescently shimmering, turning from rose pink to a darker and darker shade, until it was finally pitch black. The ebony petals began festering with darkness, smoky tendrils sneaking out to link with the others, until firm chains were formed, and an outline of a black rose appeared from a bird's-eye-view of the floor, with the first man in the middle. He took the cards from the table and flashed them to the other, before vanishing them into his dark sleeves and smirking.
"But of course. And miracles can be a mere illusion, as well. Don't worry. Everything will turn out the way we've planned. You'll see..." With a soft, sinister laugh, he snapped his gloved fingers, and the lines of the black rose began filling in with the swirling darkness, creating a portal beneath him. With a smoky cloud of black tendrils enveloping him, he was gone, leaving nothing but the crushed petals and the orb on the table in the stone-floored room. The chill night breeze returned once more, playing with the old, red curtains, and chasing the dust on the floor. The man with the narrow sleeves sighed, reached into his pocket, and pulled out yet another card: this one with a blue border like the others, but with a picture of a purple castle and a floating rose within a glass jar. With a shrug, he tore the card in two, then four, then eight, slowly blurring his surroundings, before everything faded to white, and he stood in a bare room with tiled floors, and a cloudy orb upon an ornate pedestal. The shredded card disappeared into thin air, leaving nothing behind, save for sand-like dust, which was quickly shaken off. The man shook his head.
"Destiny forgotten, indeed." With his hands on his hips, he threw his head back and laughed, a hollow, mirthless sound, resonating within the large room. "Fly away, Princess, before the darkness snatches you back again..."