SPH: Hey I'm back! So, how'd you all like the first chapter? I really hope you liked it! Anyway, here's chapter two, and here's the disclaimer. I do not own any KH, Final Fantasy, or any other characters from any francize, or anything from any francize, I only own me, Seth, all other OC's the story and the plotline everything else is credited to their rightful owners. On with the story!
I smiled as I watched him sleep, gently stroking his hair which sometimes caused a content whine sort of sound, or for him to snuggle against me, though I wasn't sure if he knew he was doing it. The sound of the rivers running water only added to my tiredness from staying up all last night and was like a lullaby and soon my eyes closed. I snapped them open when I felt a jerking at my arms and hair.
"Finally." Vanitas said letting go of me, "Come on, it's almost nightfall we have to get you to the village."
"Huh?" I asked a bit dazed from just waking up.
"It's almost night," Vanitas repeated, "we need to get you to Radiant Garden before the sun sets, unless you want to be wolf food."
"No, no, I value my life, I am coming." I said getting to my feet and following.
"We shouldn't of stopped." Vanitas said, "We wasted time, and now you might have to spend another night in the woods. You'd be safe in town by now if we hadn't stopped."
He started running.
"Hurry up!" he cried.
I nodded and ran trying not to trip over my skirt, or to lose anything from my basket. Suddenly Vanitas collapsed onto his knees.
"Vanitas!" I cried.
I ran over to him.
"Run," he said, "head twords town I can't let you get hurt!"
"Vanitas, I-I do not understand," I tried.
"Just go!" he cried, "You have a better chance! Get out of here!"
"Vanitas..." I started.
"I said go!" Vanitas screamed looking up at me as his face started to turn into a muzzle.
I gave a small scream and turned and ran like he had told me to. My skirt was annoying and kept snagging and tearing. I ran as fast as my feet would carry me. Soon I saw the lights of the village and the edge of it. I stopped and turned around and ran as fast as I could back to Vanitas. My breathing got harder, my skirt slowed me down more than when I was running the other way and I tripped several times. Soon I came upon a black wolf, but it was not Vanitas, it did not have gold eyes, but a dark brown. It growled as it came towards me making my heart beat faster and faster as I backed up. Soon I was stuck backed up against a tree. It got ready to pounce and I closed my eyes and turned my head holding in a scream so it would not be hunted down.
Then I heard another wolf attack it and I opened my eyes. I turned and looked and saw an ink black wolf with gold eye fighting the other wolf.
"Vanitas!" I cried.
The gold eyed wolf turned to me and looked at me, his eyes showing irritation and they seemed to be saying "I told you to get out of here!" and I knew it was him. I watched as he fought with the other wolf, scared and unsure. He kept shooting me glances that seemed to scream "What are you waiting for?! Now's your chance to escape!", but I could not leave him. I am not sure how much time passed, but eventually I started grabbing things and throwing them at the other wolf. I hit him with two sticks, three small rocks and five large rocks before he ran off and it was just me and Vanitas. As soon as the other wolf was out of sight the sun rose and I watched Vanitas transform into a human once more. I handed him the rest of the clothes I had for Seth.
"Why did you come back?" he asked, "I told you to get out of here."
"I could not just leave you here," I said, "I care about you far too much."
"How'd you know it was me?" he asked, "I mean, it could have been any wolf."
"No other wolf would get in the way of another's kill, and you had gold eyes," I explained, "and the look in them and when you looked at me when I called your name confirmed it was you."
I took a deep breath.
"Why did you protect me?" I asked.
"The same reason I wanted you to leave," he said, "I really don't know why I told you that though."
"Yes you do you pompous liar!" I yelled, "You said you did not want me to get hurt!"
I turned around to let him get changed.
"Yeah, well I'm not sure why I said that either." he said.
"Would you of done it for any other wolf?" I asked.
"No." he said, "I take the whole survival of the fittest thing very seriously, I'm amazed that I did it for you."
"Well, perhaps you have feelings for me and don't realize it," I offered, "it's not very likely, but it is plausible."
Vanitas snorted.
"Yeah I guess." he said.
I sighed.
"You look like you need a nice rest," I said, "the village isn't to far from here, you can rest at my home there."
"You were running." he stated.
"True, but if we hurry we can make it by noon." I said, "I could even cook you a meal if you would like, I'm sure you must be hungry."
Vanitas nodded.
"Keep in mind this is not something I would normally do." I said, "You are a special case though."
Vanitas nodded again.
"Alright." he said.
"Good, now let's go." I said heading towards the village.
It took a few hours, but we soon reached Radiant Garden.
"Come on," I said leading him to my home.
"You never told me your name." Vanitas said.
"It's Mary." I said as we approached my home.
"Well, here we are." I said unlocking the massive gate.
I walked in Vanitas right behind me.
"This place is huge!" he cried.
I giggled.
"Well of course, any house of a member of high society would be." I said.
I sighed.
"My family has more than enough money, but of course my mother wants to ensure that we will always be rich which is why she saddling me with Seth." I said doing a poor job to hide the sorrow in my voice.
"I thought you like Seth," Vanitas said looking at me, "you always spoke highly of him."
I looked down as tears pricked my eyes.
"I like him as a person, I like him as a friend, but I do not like him enough to love him, or to be his wife." I said, "My heart belongs to someone else, which is why I have to call off the wedding."
"Oh?" Vanitas asked, "Well, who do you like?"
I bit my lip.
"He's right here in this room." I said softly, near impossible to hear.
I looked up and saw Vanitas look around before pointing at himself. I blushed and nodded.
"Yes," I said.
"Wouldn't that get you killed, or something like that?" he asked.
"Yes, most likely," I replied, "but my father told me to find my own love even if it was with a supernatural, and that while it would shame my mother, it would never shame him." It was true, even when I did things that shamed my mother, or caused people to stick up their nose at me my father never once scolded me like my mother, he always encouraged it, told me it helped shape my path, and that I should always shape it, not my mother, or anyone else, only me. Even if Vanitas didn't return my love, my heart belonged to him, and he was on my path, the path I created by straying from the path formed by my mother and the path I would never leave to go back to, it was my path, and only I could take it.
"Well, that's nice and all, but do you really think that it'd be safe, or smart for you do to that?" Vanitas asked.
I felt the anger I had kept hidden all my life bubble up inside me, threatening to leave.
"I never said it was either, nor do I care." I said trying to keep myself from lashing out at him, I might not be a proper lady, but I am a lady non the less, and ladies do not yell, or start fights, unless they're far away from town, but either way, they can finish fights.
Vanitas snorted.
"Okay, sure, whatever." he said.
I growled.
"Oh!" I cried, "Why you pompous, ignorant, son of a..."
A knocking at the door cut me off.
"Hide." I hissed, "I do not know who it is, and I do not want someone to..."
"Mary? Mary are you home?" Seth's voice called.
I sighed with relief.
"Oh thank heavens." I muttered.
"Yes," I said opening the door, "it is lovely to see you again, please, come in."
Seth grinned and walked into the mansion.
"Oh, who's this?" he asked when he saw Vanitas.
"Seth, this is Vanitas," I said.
Seth nodded.
"Nice to meet you." he said holding out his hand.
"Same." Vanitas said.
"Uh, he's not exactly proper about, well, anything." I said.
Seth chuckled.
"So he's like you," he joked.
"Oh!" I cried stomping my foot and puffing out my cheeks.
Vanitas laughed.
"You look like a frog!" he cried.
I growled.
"Oh! Why I!" I started. I shook my head, I was used to Seth saying it, and teasing me about it, and being made fun of by others so I wasn't sure why I was upset Vanitas had said it, but I needed to clear my head.
"Oh, Seth, there's something I need to tell you, privately." I said.
Seth nodded and I lead him to my old music room, the harp and piano covered in thick almost black dust from not coming into it since I was ten, the last time I had come to this place.
"Seth, I-I am calling off the marriage." I said, "I'm sorry, but I can not go through with it! My heart belongs to someone else, I am sorry!"
Seth stared at me.
"You love him, do you not?" he asked, "Vanitas..."
I choked back a sob.
"Yes I am so sorry, but..." I tried.
"No, I understand," Seth said, "we have not seen each other in years, it only makes sense that we would love different people."
I looked at him.
"So, do you love someone one else too?" I asked my heart hopeful.
"Yes, my parents do not approve of her though." Seth replied.
"Who is she?" I asked.
"A young cinder maid name Chelsey." he said.
I smiled.
"Well, I hope you are happy together." I said.
Seth nodded.
"So I guess now we go our separate ways." he said.
I nodded.
"I guess so." I agreed, "It was nice to see you again."
I gave a curtsy, we might still be friends, but it feels silly to just be myself around him now. He kissed my hand.
"As it was to see you." he said looking up.
He walked out of the room and Vanitas walked it.
"Well, that went well." he said.
I nodded.
"I had best get changed, so I won't get in trouble." I said, "You go take a rest, I'll prepare something for you to eat once I'm ready."
Vanitas nodded.
"This place really needs a good dusting." he commented.
"I'll get to work on that too!" I called as I headed for the stairs.
I sighed as I opened my bedrooms door. Everything felt so different, so upside down. I coughed as dust flew out when I opened my dresser. My mother had made the former servants make dresses for my every age, and made sure that my mourning ones were far in the back so no one could see. Tears pricked at my eyes as I pulled out a black mourning dress trimmed with crepe, and pulled a black crepe bonnet with black crepe facings, black strings, and a black crepe veil before grabbing black lace up boots. Once I'd changed a opened one of my drawers and pulled out back wool gloves. I tucked them into my boots like I always do and headed down to the kitchen, which to my surprise was clean. No dust, no scum, no dirt, nothing but clean shiny pots, tables, china, and a cleaned stove. I took not that the china was not all perfectly stacked, and that there were a few chips and cracks in some, and in the thrash were some pieces from shattered plates, bowls and tea cups. I opened the drawer containing silverware, and they were all in need of polish and I knew Vanitas had cleaned, he was the only one who'd entered the mansion in years and he could not touch the silverware being as he was a werewolf, it burns them, and can kill them.
'I need to get some silverware that's made of tin, or maybe gold so he can eat without making a mess, if he even stays long enough.' I thought.
I sighed and began polishing. No sense in keeping them dirty, even if I probably will never use them again. If anything I probably will sell, or donate them so I can get ones that Vanitas can use, assuming he ever stays, or even decides to visit. I am halfway done when I here a sound from upstairs. Frowning I carefully made my way up, a knife hidden against my boot.
I reached the upper floor and soon found Vanitas holding his arm while sitting against the wall, his face scrunched up in pain.
"Vanitas!" I cried running over to him, "Vanitas are you alright?!"
He shook his head.
"Let me see your arm!" I cried.
"NO!" he shouted moving away, "I can't let you get hurt!"
"Vanitas," I said.
"Please, stay away." he said.
I growled.
"You are in my house and you shall follow my rules!" I yelled, "Now let me see your arm!"
He stopped and stared at me, obviously scared that I had yelled and ordered him to let me see his arm.
"Mary, you said that if people found out that you love me and that I'm a werewolf it could result with your death and probably mine," he said, "the same goes for me, others found where the passages enter into the forest, it's why I'm hurt, please, you have to stay away from me."
I stared at him. I could hardly believe that he had said that if anyone found out I was in love with a supernatural it could lead to our deaths and that he had said it was the same if other supernaturals found out, but I could not help but wonder if this was his way of saying he felt the same.
"Vanitas, do you..." I started.
I heard a growl behind me and grabbed my knife and whirled around. Standing before me were two people unclothed and snarling at me.
"Perfect..." I heard Vanitas say.
"G-get back!" I said my heart pounding louder than when Vanitas had been chasing me, and than it had been last night when he saved me.
"Human," one of them, a girl with brown hair and green eyes growled.
"Stay back." I said more firmly, my grip on the knife tightening.
"Pathetic, worthless creature." The other one, a man with black hair and brown eyes said.
He shot a look at Vanitas.
"And you," he growled, "one who protected her and let's her give you a name and acts like her pet, even making sure I couldn't feast upon her last night." It was the wolf who attacked me.
"Leave him out of this!" I cried, "I'm the one you really want! I'm the one who made him help me!"
Their attention quickly turned to me. My hands were sweating and my heart was racing causing me to have a hard time holding onto the knife.
"You?" The girl asked, "You a pathetic human made him help you?"
She laughed.
"Yes." I said, "I had him bring me here in exchange for food and rest nothing more to it." It was the truth, mostly. I had told him to bring me here to prove he wasn't trying to trick me and that he could rest here for a small while before returning to his life in the forest.
I could tell they didn't believe me. I glance back at Vanitas, then back to the two human looking wolves in front of me. My eyes darted around, this was like when me and Seth were kids all over again, when our parents wanted us for some reason or another we'd pretend we were thieves or warriors trapped behind enemy lines. We were in the right spot too, this was usually where we'd be when they wanted us too. I remember one time Seth had hurt his ankle when running and I had to lift him onto my back to escape despite him telling me to go without him, but a warrior never leaves behind their partner unless they are dead and the same goes for a friend. The railing could hold me and Seth as children, but I wasn't sure about me and Vanitas, and I had not done this sort of antic since I was ten, still I had to try. I backed up slowly keeping my knife in front of me at all times and as quickly and gently as I could I helped Vanitas up onto my back before jumping up onto the railing. I glanced down, the spiraled staircase railing was still there and still the correct size for my boots to slide down on them while standing up with ease.
"Hold on." I said.
"Do I have a choice?" Vanitas asked.
"No!" I cried jumping down and sliding down the railing. It was just as much fun as I remembered, even if it was a real life, or death situation this time. As we reached the bottom I crouched down before straitening up as the railing ended causing me to land on my feet and slide into the kitchen.
'The silverware!' I thought as I spotted the piles of polished and unpolished spoons, forks, and knives.
"Get behind me, or hide if you have to." I said as Vanitas let go.
Not long after the two wolves came in and I grabbed two knives and held them in the form of a cross. I am fairly certain that the cross is only for vampires, but I was not about to take any chances.
"Get back!" I said walking closer to them, "I am not afraid to use these!"
They shrank back with every step I took.
"Leave now and don't ever come back!" I cried, "I will not hesitate to use these and that goes for any of your kind so don't even think of returning with more! And let all others know not to come here because you are not welcome."
I narrowed my eyes and glared as I finished, watching as the two in front of me nodded and bolted. I sighed and set the knives down and turned to Vanitas.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I thought you said you wouldn't do anything to hurt a supernatural." he said standing up.
"Well I could not just let them kill you." I said, "I can not believe that any of that worked, except for the silver part, I have not done that since I was ten!"
Vanitas let out a low whistle.
"Wow, that's a bit surprising." he said.
"Care to tell me what exactly is surprising?" I asked.
"Well, all of it," he said, "the fact that your families rich, that you and Seth both are in love with someone else,"
"You heard that?" I asked.
"Werewolf, remember?" Vanitas asked.
I rolled my eyes and grinned.
"Anyway, I think what surprised me the most was how you managed to escape from them from upstairs in that outfit with me on your back." he finished, "It was pretty impressive."
"Thank you," I said, "me and Seth used to do it all the time as kids if our parents wanted us, we used to pretend we were thieves, or warriors escaping from our enemy, or from the constable, or the other *peelers and bobbies* when we were pretending to be thieves."
I giggled.
"Wow," Vanitas said, "that's amazing."
I giggled again.
"Thank you, it was better than sitting through boring lessons, or having to attend teas, or other formal things." I said.
I grinned.
"Oh, we loved to do it when our parents threw parties though!" I said holding back a laugh, "Oh it would get everyone riled up, especially other children our age! Depending on who was there it would either get them to complain about why they couldn't do it, or about how improper we were being, sometimes it was a mix of both!"
I let out another giggle.
"Vanitas, when you said that if the other supernaturals found out about us the consequences be the same, what did you mean by that?" I asked.
"Exactly what I said." Vanitas said while I picked up a sliver spoon black with tarnish.
"I meant was there any other reason behind it." I said sighing and polishing the spoon harder with my growing annoyance.
"What do you mean?" Vanitas asked.
I dropped the spoon and whirled around.
"Do you feel the same, or not?!" I yelled making him take a step back.
"I-I am sorry," I said quietly, "I-I did not mean to yell, I just..."
I sighed and held back tears. This was all so confusing. I felt like Alice after she fell down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland.
"No, it's fine," Vanitas said, "in all honesty, I really don't know my exact feelings, I just know that I care about you and don't want you to get hurt."
I nodded, my heart heavy. Vanitas seemed to notice.
"Look, it's different in the wild," he said, "choosing mates out of love is very rare, normally the ones you have any remote feelings for are your parents and any siblings that you have."
I looked at him. He seemed sad, a bit regretful, and lonely.
"I never got to know anything like that very well though," he continued, "I never had siblings and being an orphan, well, the one love I ever got had come from my father, but it didn't last very long."
I could make out tears in his eyes and felt them in my own. I ran over and hugged him.
"I'm so sorry." I mumbled, "If I had known..."
I felt his arms wrap around me and I stopped.
"Th-thanks." he muttered.
I nodded.
"You're welcome," I said not bothering to speak in a proper matter like I had done for so many years. It felt good to talk like when I was a kid, it felt more natural.
"Only one full moon left this month," Vanitas said.
"Huh?" I asked pulling away and looking at him.
"There's only one full moon left this month," he repeated, "then I'm either a human until the next one, or a wolf, whichever I choose."
"I'm lost," I admitted, "could you explain in a way that makes sense, and what you're trying to say?"
He sighed.
"I can't exactly go back to the woods after last night, and today," he said, "and since tonight's the last full moon of the month,"
"Are you trying to say you're going to stay here?" I asked my heart speeding up a bit.
"It's safer than trying to get by in the woods," he said, "besides, I can make sure you don't get hurt."
I grinned and threw my arms around him.
"Thank you," I said, "I don't really think I'd stay sane if you left anyway."
Vanitas laughed.
"Well now you can." he said.
I nodded.
"Oh!" I cried, "I forgot,"
"What?" Vanitas asked.
"That I need to go into town to get food," I said trying not to roll my eyes, "I haven't been here since I was ten."
I grabbed my basket and put some of the silverware in it.
"I'm going to have to sell some of these," I said, "I didn't think to bring any money with me and I don't think my parents left any of it here."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Vanitas asked.
I turned around.
"Excuse me?" I said.
"Do you really think I'm going to let you go out by yourself?" Vanitas asked.
"You don't need to be with me every single moment." I said.
"Maybe not, but I still want to keep you safe." he said, "Plus I might as well see what it's like in town, since I' going to be staying."
I giggled.
"Well then, let's go." I said motioning to the door.
Peelers and Bobbies were what policemen were called during the Victorian era.
SPH: Whew! Well glad I finally got this one done! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope that you'll enjoy the ones to come. Comments are appreciated and feel free to check out my other stories! Well, see ya next time and don't forget to spread the Kingdom Hearts love!