"Ziv, run!"
Saix's
body stiffened against her, and he shoved her roughly away. Ziv
stumbled, then turned. "What?"
"Just go! Hurry!"
Saix cursed himself for allowing himself to relax and forgetting it
was tonight, allowing himself to put her life in danger. He glanced
up in alarm, the full moon starting to peek out from behind the
clouds. He flinched as its silvery light fell on them both. "Now!"
He yowled the last word desperately, his back arching. Saix shuddered
in agony, pain flooding his system as he struggled to delay the
inevitable transformation, wanting to buy Ziv enough time to
escape.
But she wasn't leaving. "What's happening?" Ziv
cried. "I'm not leaving you here!"
"No time to...
explain... Aaaargh!" Saix cried out as he sank to his knees,
struggling to remain in his right mind. "Get out!" His
unearthly scream filled the dark garden. Ziv hesitated, stepped back,
then stood still, her resolve stiffening.
"Saix!"
No.
No! I'll kill her! Saix's last conscious thought faded away as
his berserker instincts took control, a single bloodlust and rage
overcoming him. A single instinct, rather than thoughts, replaced his
anguish: The girl. Destroy the girl.
Saix stumbled
to his feet, his claymore now in hand, his eyes reflecting the moon's
light with an unearthly yellow glow. Teeth bared, an inhuman snarl
escaping him, Saix moved forward. None of his grace in battle had
deserted him; only his mind was gone now. Realizing what had
happened, Ziv stumbled backwards. "S-saix..."
He lunged
for her, his claymore swinging at her neck; only swift reflexes saved
Ziv. She dropped to the ground and rolled, jumping to her feet again
with the long katana in her hands. Steel clashed on steel as the
berserk Saix swung again and again, blocked each time by Ziv's quick
movements. Her heart was pounding in fear, adrenaline pumping through
her body. He's trying to kill me. The sudden realization
sent a strength born of desperation to the girl.
Yet Saix was
relentless, and unlike Ziv, he was a trained fighter. His berserk
instincts lent him a strangely bestial strength, and the girl knew
she could only hold him off for so long, hoping that the moon would
retreat, that he would return to his right mind before he killed her.
Suddenly, with a swift downward thrust, Saix struck the hilt of the
masamune with his claymore. The blade flew out of Ziv's hands, and
she fell to her knees as he advanced on her.
"Saix..."
she whispered, then looked up into his face. "Saix, it's me!"
she shouted. "Snap out of it! Please! This isn't really you!"
Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Saix really didn't recognize
her. He was going to kill her. Shaking uncontrollably, she shut her
eyes tight. "I still love you, Saix..." she whispered, and
clenched her fists tight in anticipation of the invitable blow.
It
didn't come. Suddenly, she felt someone's arms encircling her, and
she stiffened, opening her eyes. "Saix...?"
The Nobody's
golden eyes met hers for a long moment, then he pulled her close and
she relaxed against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You're
back..." she whispered. There was no reply, only an oddly
strangled noise from his throat. It took her a minute to realize that
Saix was crying.
"I almost lost you," he whispered
shakily, tears streaming down his face, and he held her trembling
body tightly, tasting his own salty tears and feeling the dampness of
hers on his neck.
"No," Ziv said quietly, and tightened
her arms around Saix. "I thought you were lost to
me."
For what seemed like an eternity, they held each other
in the silent garden. And the full moon shone shone down upon them
both, bathing the two in its silvery light; but for Saix, that was no
longer something to be feared.
