Summary: Halloween is coming and people are disappearing. Nagisa is a servant at the castle and he feels helpless to stop it. The fabled Skeleton Waltz is shrouded in mystery and nobody knows what's myth or fact. Upon a white rose, everything changes.

Author: XxInsanity With a SmilexX

Disclaimer: We do not own Free!.

"Nagisa come back!" Gou cried.

The blonde haired boy just grinned and climbed higher. Wind whipped at his ankles, threatening to make him fly. His rose jewel eyes glittered mischievously as he watched the surrounding landscape. He breathed in and yelled.

"HELLO!"

Some of the passing people looked up but most ignored him. His morning greetings were not uncommon and most thought nothing of them. This did nothing to deter Nagisa. He enjoyed greeting everyone every morning, even if he could never truly see them.

His simple cotton shirt shivered in the high winds atop the spire of the gates. The wind went under his arms trying to tug him off. It pulled his hair and stung his eyes. Along with the wind came the scent of cooking fires and roses. The scent of roses lingered around the castle, the mistress enjoyed them.

"Nagisa! Come down!" Gou was yelling, "You'll fall!"

"No I won't," He called down, "Watch."

Moving like a sleepwalker he slid down the spire and swung off the gate. He landed lithely in front a fuming Gou. He grinned as she shouted at him. Gou was his best friend. He'd known her since he came to the castle. She had long red hair and glittering red eyes. Down in the village she was prized for her beauty. Of course in the castle there were so many beautiful mistresses and ladies she didn't stand out very much.

"I wonder what's for lunch," Nagisa said cheerfully, pulling Gou back towards the castle.

"It's the same thing every day," Gou said crossly, "Soup."

"You never know what could happen.," He mimicked a holding a huge bowl of soup in his arms, "We could get a giant soup today. With the sweet bread from the village and milk."

She shook her head, exasperated, "You know that won't happen."

He just smiled and kept walking, a bounce to his step. Living life as a servant in the castle was always interesting. This particular castle was in a peaceful state and was well off so the servants weren\t treated very badly. Their work compiled of the regular things such as chores and most importantly keeping the rose garden nice looking. Sometimes he missed the village because of their sweet bread, but soup wasn't that bad. Also whatever he could nick from the cook was always tasty.

As they approached the castle they came across a scene. A woman was wailing and ripping at the ground. A couple servants who were crowded around her were trying to get her to quiet down. Nagisa stopped to help but Gou pulled him firmly away from the scene until they had gone in the servant's entrance to the castle. In the chilly corridor of stone and torches she rounded on him.

"You can't get caught around a scene like that," She said quietly.

"It's sick," Nagisa said angrily, "It's that Skeleton Waltz again this year isn't it?"

"Looks like it," Gou said, sighing, "I wonder who got taken this time."

The Skeleton Waltz was an event that took place every year for a week before Halloween and on the actual day. What it actually entailed was riddled with rumors leaning on myths. Anyone who went was never seen again. 'Went' was the wrong word, they were taken. It was nearly always servants at the castle who were taken. Rumor was it was to appease the dead. That's where it got its nickname.

"I guess we'll see who's missing at lunch," Nagisa said glumly.

Lunch was a quiet event as it always was when someone went missing. It turned out to be one of the newer servants, a young girl. It was her mother they had seen sobbing. Nagisa ate his soup quietly, it was always a question of who was next. This, he thought, had to be the biggest flaw with living with nobles. They all treated them like their lives weren't valuable.

After lunch Nagisa went down to the rose garden to talk to the gardeners. Oddly enough when he got there they were nowhere in sight. The roses all spilled out of their beds, the scent thick in the air. They came in deep reds, pure whites, and even some inky blacks. For a few minutes he just stood there looking at them.

"Do you like the flowers?"

Nagisa jumped a little and turned to see a man standing there. He had red hair and striking red eyes. His build was strong and a sword was slung at his waist. The clothes he was wearing were clearly high quality. Nagisa had never seen him around before, he must have been a visitor.

"They're nice," Nagisa said truthfully.

"Myself I like the white roses," Said the man, "They're so pure, it's like nothing can stain them."

A prickle of unease flickered through Nagisa. The man's eyes were watching the roses with a hungry expression. His entire face, handsome at first, seemed rather flat. Like he wasn't illuminated by a soul. Nagisa wasn't religious but with the Skeleton Waltz so near he was feeling extremely edgy around this man.

"Do you work for this castle?" The man asked, his gaze back on Nagisa.

"Yes."

The man's red eyes roamed down his body, "You're awfully well built for a mere servant."

"Nobles often assume servants' jobs are easy," Nagisa said, trying to keep a bite out of his voice.

"An interesting idea."

For a few seconds the man just stared at him, his eyes roaming across his face and down his body. Nagisa stood very still, sudden movement may provoke him. It wasn't like he wasn't used to being examined like a piece of meat. Most nobles judged their servants quickly and easily, throwing away the ones deemed rotten.

"How old are you?" The man asked suddenly, his eyes back on Nagisa's.

"Seventeen."

"You're almost a man," He smiled, "Just almost."

Nagisa felt irritated, the man was clearly making fun of him. He'd get in trouble if he fought with a noble though so he bit down on his anger.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked.

"I believe I do," The man said, leaning in.

As he kissed Nagisa, Nagisa felt a prick on the back of his neck. Blushing angrily he pulled away and stumbled backwards. His limbs didn't seem to want to work however. There was a rushing noise in his ears and his vision was fading in and out. The man seemed to be smiling and saying something but Nagisa couldn't hear properly. Gasping for air, Nagisa fell to his knees. Everything went black.

Colors bloomed around him as he opened his eyes. For a few moments he stared around in confusion, everything was moving too fast. After what felt like a millisecond stretched to an eternity sound returned to him. A haunting melody was playing as dancers swirled around the ballroom. Everything was shades of bone whites and blood reds. Floating skulls with white flames coming from their eyes hung in the air illuminating the scene. Everyone was strangely beautiful in the washed out light.

Nagisa looked down and realized he was wearing fine clothing fit for a noble. He fingered the material and felt a thrill of fear. This was clearly the Skeleton Waltz. How he got here he had no memory. A mounting sense of fear was filling him to the brim. He'd never expected to be taken, not in a million years. It was usually young girls or in the odd case a handsome servant renowned for his beauty.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

With a sense of dread he turned to see the man he'd met in the rose garden. He was wearing pure white clothes with a red rose in his breast pocket. Nagisa swallowed back his fears and tried to keep a tremble out of his voice.

"Why am I here?"

"To dance of course," The man said, "It's the Skeleton Waltz after all."

He offered his hand to Nagisa who, after a second of hesitation, took it. The man started sweeping him around the dance floor, his moves careful and strong. He was clearly no novice to dancing. Nagisa tried to look anywhere other than his eyes but it was impossible. He kept being drawn back in, unwillingly drowned in his blood stained eyes.

"You looked surprised to find yourself here," The man said conversationally.

"Am I going to die?" Nagisa asked.

"Who knows," The man said smiling, "That reminds me, I never introduced myself. My name is Rin. And you?"

"Nagisa."

For a few moments they danced in silence. The music flowed and ebbed around them, gently pushing them across the dancefloor. It was a simple tune but was nothing like Nagisa had ever heard. It reminded him of something dead and sickened while also beautiful. Beauty in death.

"Are you hungry?" Rin asked, stopping a waiter.

"A bit," Nagisa admitted, unable to recall the last time he'd eaten.

He grabbed a tart off the platter and bit into it. Strawberry sweetness exploded across his tongue. Sweet bread stole his moisture in trade for added texture. He swallowed it gratefully, enjoying the treat. Until now he hadn't realized how hungry he was. Mumbling a thanks he grabbed a handful and began stuffing them down.

"Hungry huh?" Rin said, smiling again.

Nagisa nodded, his mouth too stuffed to speak.

After he was finished his food they resumed dancing. As they danced time seemed to bend around them. He wasn't sure if minutes were passing or hours and days. There was something oddly timeless about the ballroom. Perhaps it was the lack of windows or just the way the music kept playing its haunting tones.

The music was doing something strange to him. As he danced he felt his worries and fears drain away. He smiled at Rin who smiled back, something hidden in his lips. Nagisa's legs began to move in stronger strides and soon it was no longer Rin who was leading. They worked together across the floor, stepping around other dancers. The music tinkled through his ears, snaring his brain. It reminded him of the time he snuck into the brewery and got drunk.

After what felt like several days Rin began moving him to the edge of the hall. Nagisa followed, curious to see where he was taking him. The other dancers seamlessly split away allowing them free passage. He could have sworn a few smiled at them. Rin opened double doors at the side of the hall and pulled Nagisa through.

He found himself on a balcony. As the doors closed the music cut and he abruptly came back to himself. The old fears were back and he looked around anxiously. The sky was littered with clouds around them. It was dark across the ground but lanterns lit up the nearby grounds. They were overlooking the rose garden. Nagisa looked over at Rin who was watching him, smiling.

"Why did you bring me here?" He asked, "What's the point of all of this?"

"I like you Nagisa," Rin said.

"You just met me."

"What's a day to an eternity? We can be together forever Nagisa. I'll have plenty of time to get to know you. You like me, do you not?"

"I-," He sputtered, "Of course I don't! I just met you!"

"You're telling me you feel nothing," He said, "When I do this?"

He swooped down on him and kissed him. It was fiery and passionate and Nagisa felt his heart hammering frantically. As the seconds ticked by he felt himself losing what bit of sanity he had. There bodies meshed together and he felt the edge of the balcony cutting into his back. He wanted to stop Rin but he was too terrified of falling so he clung to him. Something molten had awoken in his gut, a roaring beast who was only sated by this man's touch.

The entire night had been a mess. He had no clue what was wrong with him. Never before had he felt so instinctively and animalistically attracted to someone. Yet at the same time it felt wrong, like there was something unnatural about Rin, like he was something that didn't belong. He opened his eyes to see Rin staring intensely at him as he kissed him. The sight made his stomach flip. There was nothing gentle about his eyes, only a raw hunger.

Rin released him abruptly and stepped back. Nagisa stood there panting, his face flaming red. He opened his mouth to speak but then light flooded the scene. He looked up, the moon had come out from behind the clouds. Looking back down he felt himself freeze. It was no longer Rin standing there. It wore his clothes but it wasn't him. It was a bleached white skeleton, its empty sockets watching him sinisterly.

"Th-the Skeleton Waltz," Nagisa gasped, "S-Skeleton . . ."

Am I ugly this way?

The voice seemed to come from nowhere but echoed through his head. He stared at the skeleton, terrified. He couldn't believe Rin was, he didn't want to believe . . ..

Join me. Become the undead and spend eternity with me. Give me your heart.

"I-," He stumbled backwards and nearly fell off the balcony.

Nagisa. You are beautiful, living or dead. Come with me.

"I can't," He whispered, "You're, you're wrong. You're not natural."

Who's to say what's natural and what's not?

It was madness. His head was spinning. He couldn't comprehend what was going on. Something inside him was screaming and he wanted to vomit. Chills ran up and down his spine and the very stone beneath him seemed to be cringing away. Rin was a monster.

Am I truly that horrifying?

For a second Nagisa hesitated before opening his mouth. The skeleton moved so quickly he thought it impossible. Suddenly he was looming up in front of him. Nagisa choked on his own scream as he felt him shove his hand into his chest. For a second he stayed like that and through the pain he could feel him grasping his beating heart. Then the pain peaked as he ripped and everything disappeared.

Now rise.

He opened his eyes.

A/N Second one! Horrary horray! I really enjoy every review, fav, and follow. Asides from that these are just really fun to write. Please drop a review so I know what you're thinking. Thank you.