SUMMARY: AU. Late for a once in a lifetime opportunity, Amu takes a shortcut where her adventure begins. Not only is she kidnapped, she is told of her new status as Queen. The Prince of Shadows must marry and train her for the struggle ahead in finding Death Veil- a special mask that is and was the beginning of everything. AMUTO
Welcome to the Show by Britt Nicole
Now's the time, get in line, don't be afraid tonight
We're gonna take you high, before you realize
'Round and 'round you'll go, up and down, never slow
Feel the excitement grow, oh
This is where you let go
And put your hands u-u-up
We're gonna have some f-u-u-n
We've only just beg-u-u-n
And it's too late to r-u-un, you can't run
So put 'em u-u-up
We're gonna have some f-u-u-n
Turn up the bass let it b-u-u-mp
We've only just begun, and you can't run
Hands high like a roller coaster
This love is taking over
Take us higher here we go
Oh, oh, oh
Welcome to the show
Gravity we're defying
'Cause we were made for flying
We're about to lose control
Welcome to the show
Shugo Chara
Death Veil
Chapter 03 :: Welcome to the Show
Pairing: Amuto
Irritated.
Angry.
Frustrated.
That's what Ikuto felt right at this moment. He sighed and face-palmed. She knew nothing. She didn't know how stressed and exasperated he was. She didn't know what tragedy befell him. She didn't know how their blood was just the beginning of this tale. She didn't even know what this journey held.
He needed this mask.
A muffled yelp caught his interest.
"Wait! What are you guys doing? Hey, HEY!"
Ikuto chuckled. That's one way to introduce her to her new role.
"You arsehole!" Oh, how Ikuto couldn't help the grin from splitting his face in half as he heard his pinkette screaming profanities from his room. Oh, how this was great. He left her alone for a week; no contact, three meals a day and no way to leave his quarters. He needed time to cool down and she needed time to herself. Not only to adjust to being thrust into a new world but to also work through a melt-down.
He felt kind of bad for leaving her all alone, but he knew she didn't want anyone around when she went through what she did. He couldn't help but smile when he thought of her melting down. A part of him wished he could have been there to see it, oh how he'd relish the sight.
…
Amu huffed. She was vexed to have Ikuto's words bother her so much that she sat down in the game room for much longer than she anticipated. But when she finally got up and left the room, she took no time in beginning her exploration. This room was huge. It seemed like she was left alone to her own devices, and well she'd like to think she knew how to entertain herself. So she pushed away from the dreaded red door and retraced her steps back to the main room. She noticed there was a royal blue door to the right of the bed and when she opened it, there she saw the most magnificent bathroom. Although the walls were an off-white, the decor made up for its blandness. There was a large black and gold trimmed bathtub, a shower fit for more than two and a stunning countertop (done in the same black and gold combo) spread across one wall with two equi-distanced wash-basins. Further into the bathroom, passed the arch that had luxurious curtains separating her from the doors on the other side was what she found out to be the toilet. It was nice to have that kind of privacy. She left the bathroom, she didn't have to use it for now, but it was definitely good to know where it was when she did need it.
What to do? Amu thought. She had a few ideas, but a certain blue-haired bastard wasn't present. So she was left to explore this large expanse and so far, she was happy with what she found. She noticed warm light shining on the bed through the curtains on one side of the wall and opted to investigate there next. Pulling the curtains back, Amu was face to face with a heart-stopping view of this new Kingdom. With the window being the same size as the wall, the panoramic view that was displayed was not only strikingly twisted but she noted how far up she was. From her view, Amu saw a path leading, from presumably the castle, to the large town that looked like it was bustling with the late evening rush; and if she strained her eyes to see further, she saw a body of water to the right of the town. The sun, unlike Earth's, was not the soft warm orange, yellow light she knew but a pale lilac that bathed this land in a sort of twilight hue. She hated to admit it, but this land was much more dangerously gorgeous than she ever expected that for one moment, she thought it wasn't so bad to be here. And maybe it wasn't. But Amu stepped away from the window, becoming a little queasy the longer she realized how high up she was. Amu was deathly afraid of heights.
She crossed back to the hallway passed the intricate archway in the main room and explored the hallway to her left. She opened each door she saw as she continued but to her chagrin, all were locked. All five were locked. Amu decided to go down the hallway on the right and found out that the only door that opened, was that damned red door. Again, she noted that in total there were only five doors. She also noted that except for that one special red one, these doors were all plain dark wood. Amu huffed again, finally deciding that the doors she first opened was where her new exploring would begin as well as pick up.
Amu was back at those large intimidating double doors. She was a bit nervous but she was excited. She may have been brought here against her will, but there were pros to being here. No bills to worry about, no need to work to survive in a money eating world. She was in a very magical place… a magical kingdom… in a magical castle. Obviously, she knew it was her childish side coming out now, basking in such a fun moment, but she knew it couldn't be this perfect. She was to be Empress. She had to lead. With great responsibility came… oh god, she could die. People could be out to kill her. Ikuto did say she should learn to defend herself so she wouldn't die that quickly as his equal. Was he kidding about that? She hoped so. She really didn't want to be in a world where it seemed killing was a normal thing. After all, Ikuto spoke of it with such ease.
Amu sighed and shook her head. Silly me, she thought before she grinned and placed her hands on the door handles. She turned them and… it was bloody locked. She was being restricted, she realized. She spent about a few hours in the place exploring before she figured out she was trapped in the confined space. She was being kept in a fucking cage? What was she: a feral animal? Amu snarled. She was such an imbecile to think after what she said to him, he wouldn't treat her like what she now felt like.
A captive.
She growled. And toggled the handles, knocking on the grand doors every so often and screaming at the top of her lungs, hoping that there would be someone outside, passing by that would come to her rescue. And no one came; her voice going hoarse, her lungs burning and her hands raw from being used as drum sticks against the doors after what felt like an eternity but in fact was merely another few hours.
Amu lasted much longer at her cacophony of noisy pleas to draw much needed attention than even she expected. But she was desperate. She definitely rejected the idea of being Empress. She definitely hated being here; kidnapped no less! She slid down the doors, resting her back on it, her knees pulled into her chest and her arms wrapped securely around herself, in a self-soothing manner. She sighed and bit her lips, refusing her trembling lips to burst into a fit of rage and self-pitying weeping. Amu rested her head on her knees.
She stared numbly at the wall obliquely opposite her with tapestry hanging on it.
And blinked every so often.
There on the drape was a depiction of a Fae couple who held onto a vine-basket holding five dragons of pure white, midnight black, light violet, blazing red-orange and pastel pink/grey. Amu found the art to be beautiful. The Fae woman looked fondly at the dragons; almost like a mother looks at her baby for the first time.
Amu closed her eyes and only then, did she realise how tired she was. All adrenaline rushing through her veins that day ceased and her shoulders sagged at how weak she felt. She didn't feel hungry but knew she hadn't eaten since that night she was taken by a swarm of darkness. How much time has passed since she's been here? From what she pieced together or could remember, it was only a day since waking up here and who knew how long she was out for in the first place. Her eyes drooped every so often, until they no longer stayed open. Light snoring was heard and soft breathing was the only indication that she was still alive. Amu was asleep. And she let the pain and worries for one day slip her mind until the next.
Amu rolled over and stretched her body, hearing the satisfying cracks of her bones loosening before curling back into the warm and soft comforter that was much softer than her comforter and smelled nothing like her apple scented softener she used on her bed linens. Amu froze and her eyes popped open. Everything from yesterday came rushing back, hitting her with a force she was not ready to deal with as soon as she woke up. Her eyes watered a bit and tears threatened to fall as the reality of the situation hit her; she was no longer in a world she once called home, she wouldn't be able to see her family whenever she felt like it, in fact maybe never again nor her dear friends. Her family must be worried sick about her; she hadn't called them since she was taken and by now they had to be alarmed. It was mandatory that she speak with her family once a day. A few tears cascaded down her face but she quickly wiped them away. Crying like this only pushed all thoughts south and Amu refused to give up hope. She knew there had to be another way out of this god forsaken kingdom that Ikuto refused to tell her about. She sniffed and wiped her face. She wasn't giving up just yet. She would just have to look a little harder!
Maybe it was in Amu's mind, but perhaps thinking of her family made her imagine the sweet scent of blueberry waffles and maple syrup. And was that coffee she was smelling? She swallowed thickly and her stomach growled its impatience. Amu hopped out of bed and followed that lovely aroma into another room separated by an archway she never noticed until now. There on a cute dining table was a large plate of one of her favourite breakfast foods. And behold a teapot of coffee! Oh blessed morning! She sat down, ready to eat greedily everything from her plate but paused. Someone put this here. Meaning, the door was unlocked for a few moments while she was asleep to put this together. Hmm… maybe there was a pattern to this feeding schedule. And perhaps she could use it to her advantage. She would need to get into that later, because right now she couldn't wait a second longer before eating. She knew she didn't need to worry about being poisoned, after all Ikuto would be thoroughly pissed if that happened.
She leaned back and patted her tummy with the most pleased smile she's had since arriving. "Compliments to the chef!" Amu all but spoke out to whoever would be willing to keep an eye on her to know when to come into the room to leave food. She giggled at her idiocy. There wasn't another soul here watching her closely. Maybe, instead there were special demon powers or pets that could tell when she was sleeping or not paying attention. She snorted, that was really ridiculous. But… maybe it wasn't at all all that complicated. Perhaps it was a set time they came in. Amu checked her wrist and frowned at the loss of her watch that was given to her by her parents when she succeeded in her first piano recital when she was only fourteen. She gave a bittersweet smile at the memory. That was five years ago, now she was nineteen and ready to do something more than work at a music store. She was ready to make a name for herself outside of school. She frowned. That chance was down the drain, she missed her appointment. She sighed and shook her head, ridding her mind of such thoughts. She needed to be positive for this to work; for her to find a way out of here back to her family.
But she needed to find a clock or something to measure time. She needed to figure out this pattern. She got up and looked around the room, noticing a small bookshelf in the corner and as she got closer, there was another archway leading to a massive library with comfortable sofas and a writing desk. She heard the steady ticking of a clock as she was about to walk right past a bookshelf close to the opening. She looked thoroughly and on the top most shelf she saw the shiny thing peeking out between two books. Quite comically, this bookstand seemed to have books dealing with any change of time. Taking a deep breath, Amu found the ladder on the other side of the room and slid it over to the shelf she wanted and started climbing. She refused to look down and continued her trudge upwards and finally her hands grasped the mechanical object that told the time. Surprisingly, this clock showed thirteen hours; perhaps this kingdom measured time differently from Earth. Amu took her time coming down the ladder before crossing the dining room back to the bed where she sat down inspecting the clock. Obviously, she checked the writing desk for paper and any writing instrument and was pleased to find such items. She knew it took about half an hour to find this clock and maybe ten minutes or so before she found the food since it was still warm when she ate it and so she wrote down what she assumed was the time the food arrived.
Now it was showing 11:45 a.m.
She also wrote down the day she was kidnapped and counted the amount of days she was here for before she hid the paper and pencil in the nightstand, feeling pleased that she had some sort of a plan and a way to keep her wits about the time and days spent.
Amu was feeling icky, having not showered for at least a day and wasted no time trying out the bathroom. She relieved herself, hopped into the shower and washed her long, mid-back length hair; happy to scrub her scalp and rid it of the oily dirt she felt. She was surprised to notice that an outfit and women toiletries were present on the countertop. Perhaps this came the same time the food did. Amu hoped they hadn't come in while she was in the shower. She brushed her teeth and dressed in the clothes they provided. Another simple kimono garb was presented but instead of black, it was a pretty white with pink Sakura petals dotting the sleeves and the bottom of the skirt. Unlike the other one, there were slits on both sides reaching mid-thigh. She frowned but found the piece to make her feel pretty. Even the underwear they provided her made her feel sexy and she should have been appalled when all she found were sexy lingerie. But Amu enjoyed the feeling of dark purple, almost black lacey panties and bra. A guilty pleasure she's had since she turned sixteen. No one besides her best friend knew of her little secret.
She brushed her hair as she exited the bathroom and read the time on the clock she placed on the nightstand.
1:00 p.m.
Amu spent so long in the bathroom pampering herself? Wow, two hours can definitely fly. But what was there to do? Amu decided to do a quick sweep of the multiple rooms, trying every door she saw to see if it opened up into an exit but was met with same fate as yesterday: all were locked. Though, she did find the walk-in closet that was inside the bathroom. At least she knew where her clothes came from. She even saw clothes for Ikuto. She frowned as she thought of the blue-haired shit that brought her here.
She had to keep positive and so she lightly tapped her face with her hands to brighten up. Amu actually liked reading and knew what she would do for the rest of day. She passed through the dining room and stopped. A fresh plate of delicious Italian food awaited her. They came and it seemed just moments ago. Amu grinned, now she knew what time they came for lunch and quickly rushed back to write it down before scarfing down the food. She never realized how hungry she was, but she assumed it was because she hadn't eaten all day yesterday.
Amu was pleased to find a fiction section in the library, taking a few books she found interesting to the couch she found most comfortable. There she killed time, enjoying the silence while reading. One book was done and Amu was eager to start the next. Her stomach grumbled, making sure to remind her that it needed food. She hid a yawn behind a closed fist before stretching and leaving the couch in search of food. She frowned when she was met with an empty dining table. She went to check the time and it read 6:56 p.m. Maybe a few more minutes and food would be ready. Amu hoped that by the time she was finished with relieving herself, dinner would be prepared. And to her satisfaction, it was! She took the time to write down the time and started on her food, pleased to end the day with a delicious soup. She may not have been happy to be here, but if they kept feeding her such five-star quality food, she'd have a hard time leaving without taking one of the chefs with her. She chuckled at the thought.
9:00 p.m.
Much too early to sleep, Amu concluded. She picked up the book she began in the library and marched over to the bed to settle in for the night. It was a lonely day, but it was also a peaceful day; granted if she forgot she was being kept here against her will.
Over the course of three days, Amu was hit with the powerful force called reality: I'm stuck here… without my friends or family; alone. Although some mornings she woke up, able to keep her emotions in check, some days were just too real for her that try as she may, holding in all of her tears was proving to be more and more impossible. However, she was able to soothe herself with false optimism. Her self-medicating system was quite impressive actually; where she thought she'd buckle under the weight of it all, her dose of hopefulness got her through another day. And that made her feel powerful. Being left in her own thoughts for so long without any outside communication was dangerous; even desperate enough to hope that Ikuto would visit so she wouldn't visit the darkest parts of her mind so often. The books did so much to kill time as well as to distract her. In addition to doing her routine check up on all corners of this large cage and she was met with the same locked doors, she did find a few interesting knick-knacks though they proved to be as entertaining as watching a beard grow.
She sat in the library, her book in her lap and her thoughts consuming her. Amu frowned and was quite displeased with the monotony of her days lately. But so very pleased to see that her feeding schedule, (she shuddered at the word choice) was fixed. Dinner was next and Amu was ready to give her plan a try; what was there to lose?
6:55 p.m.
Amu huffed and decided to sit in the bedroom. She'd be able to hear if a door opened and then she'd make her break. It was closest to the main door and she hoped to any higher being that took pity on her that today would prove to be lucky. She pretended to be napping on the bed, a light sheet covering her body loosely and her breathing low and calm. She peeked at the clock on the nightstand and was pleased to see it was time for dinner. She waited with baited breath and although she didn't hear the door open, she certainly heard it close with a light thud. She strained her ears and was pleased to hear light footsteps heading towards the dining room. Time to make a move!
She quickly hopped off the bed and paused mid-step as the person who came in rounded the corner and was heading to the main entrance. Amu couldn't let this slip through her hands! She yelled at the blonde woman dressed in green and said woman froze mid-step. The woman peeked over her shoulder, her eyes wide at being caught and started making a mad dash to the door. Amu's feet moved just as quickly, she could feel hope running through her veins as the lady was about to close the door behind her, Amu's hands were a breath away from touching the handle. So close! And then the door was locked with inhumanly speed and Amu was left with her hands on a handle that wouldn't be opening any time soon.
"Shit!" Amu growled and her hope slipped from her. Take pity on me, she all but thought desperately; hoping beyond hoping that the blonde woman would open up or at least offer conversation. She whimpered, biting her lips to refrain from crying just yet and began her cacophony of noisy pleas from the first day. She screamed, fussed, kicked, knocked desperately and all her efforts were for naught. She refused to give up, lasting much longer than the first day. Even when her voice was hoarse and her throat was beyond sore and her hands were not only bruised red, black and blue but bleeding a little with little cuts dotting her hands and knuckles, she blinked away all tears and started with renewed vigor. I was just so close to escaping! How could it escape her so easily? Five hours passed and even though her voice was dying and she was tired, she continued to knock and fuss and then she gave up. Plopping unto the floor and pulling her knees into her chest and all the tears she had been holding back this past week, came flowing. A pitiful, rage snot-bubbling weeping filled the room.
And she cried and cried and cried. Everything she's been holding in finally flowed free. And she was beginning to feel the weight of the past week disappear for this moment. It felt good. Really, really good.
She hiccupped and no more tears flowed. She felt drained and was disappointed. Disappointed she failed… but hey, it was just her first try. Many more chances were to come. Her head cleared and she gave a bittersweet smile. More chances meant she knew what to do next time instead!
Amu rested her head on her knees and worked on getting her breathing back to normal, hiccupping every so often. She smiled again as she spotted the beautiful drapery depicting the Fae couple.
The drapery moved a bit.
Amu paused and sat straighter. Wiping her tear-stained face on the sleeves of her clothes, she blinked a few times to register what she just saw. Did she see right? It was on a wall that was hidden from the view of many eyes, the drapery shouldn't be moving unless the windows were open, and if they were open, the wind wouldn't be able to reach this wall to cause such movement on the curtain. Amu snorted though, the only window she found was the one that was far too large to open. She tried; she took a chair and swung at it with enough force it should have shattered but as luck would have it, this window was made with a non-shattering material. She got up and walked over to inspect it closely.
And it moved again!
There had to be a draft somewhere and Amu placed her hand right under the tapestry and waited with baited breath. She felt it. The undeniable feeling of cold air hitting her hand. Excitement and hope washed through her veins and a shit eating grin was there splitting her face in half. She moved the curtain to the side and stared blankly at the wall. She didn't see a door-shaped passageway she was hoping was there. There has to be more to this! Amu thought urgently, holding on to this new shred of hope. She placed her hands on the expanse of wall and knocked on certain areas, trying to check for false walls and such. She didn't hear anything out of place, but as she passed her hand to the right, she felt a piece of the wall dip in like a button. And with confidence, she pushed back at that soft spot and that door appeared. No loud whirring noises nor a cloud of smoke appeared. Just a quiet sigh as a door-shaped indentation on the wall materialized and swung out a bit.
Why didn't she think that in a castle this big or supposedly this old, there wouldn't be secret passageways?
Finally! Amu all but thanked the heavens for this moment. Who said the only way out was through the front doors? She opened the door and she was met with darkness. More cold air brushed passed Amu, ruffling the skirt of her black and white kimono of varying lengths; short in the front, long at the back. She was giddy! Oh the joy at finding this!
She needed a source of light though; the passageway was much too dark to see clearly where she should go. She looked around the room and found a lighter in the writing desk of the library, spotting the full moon of the late night through the large window as she walked back to the main room. Okay, she could work with this. She paused in the bedroom and inspected the room. The coffee table's leg was a bit wobbly when she tried it out a day ago. There was some rubbing alcohol in the bathroom when she was snooping around for changes. Let's not forget that the white sheets could be used too. By the time Amu was done with ripping one of legs off the coffee table and using a pair of scissors to shred the bed linens, she knew she had materials to make a make-shift torch.
She soaked the cloth in rubbing alcohol before wrapping a generous amount on the top of the wooden handle before she stepped forward with the lighter at hand, ready to go through this new route. She was extremely excited and unable to wipe that Cheshire grin off her face. She was about to step through but realized she had no footwear nor a piece of chalk or something to help her find her way back. Amu frowned as she put down her torch and walked towards the closet in search of some shoes. She came out with a pair of slippers and went in search of yarn or crumbs or something to mark her path. She looked around the bathroom and noticed her cosmetic bag. Lightbulb! She rushed forward in search of lipstick and was pleased to find a new tube of red lipstick. Wait… maybe she should walk with the clock to know when she should return— if she should return before the next scheduled meal. She nodded and grabbed the clock too.
12:30 a.m.
Amu was ready to embark on this journey. She had everything she thought she needed. She tied the clock with a piece of cloth and hung it around her wrist as a make-shift bracelet and tucked the lipstick into her obi. After lighting the torch, she placed the lighter there as well. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Amu stepped through the door and was greeted with a seemingly never ending staircase. The walls were filled with cobwebs and it smelled dank and musty. She took a few steps down and noticed torches lining the walls on her left. It looked as if it hadn't been used in a long while. Fear crept into her mind. What if there is nothing down here? What if this leads to an ancient burial ground? Spiders… if there are cobwebs, there are spiders around. Amu shuddered at her thoughts. Maybe I should go back… She was about to turn back but faltered and frowned before gritting her teeth. No, she was not going to run back to that cage, she got this far and she was not going to give up a chance to find a way out of here. So she continued a few steps down and as she stepped down on one specific step, she activated another button and the door behind her closed with a light thud. Amu was left with one way to go now; no turning back. But how do I get back in now? She shook her head. When the time came, she'd figure it out then.
Tick, tick, tock.
The ticking of clock was Amu's only companion on this quest but she continued down the stairs, deeper and deeper and deeper it went. And just when she thought it was never going to end, it stopped abruptly and she was met with the stench of old mildew. She was on flat ground now. She took out the lipstick and made her first mark on the wall. A large red X was printed next to the last torch of the staircase. Amu decided it was safe enough to light one without the glow appearing through the secret door should anyone look for her. Hmm… she didn't think anyone would be looking for her so she didn't even think to leave a pillow beneath the sheets to provide false security. Screw them, Amu thought as she lit the torch; the new source of light provided extra lighting to the area and she felt a little safer. She checked the clock:
12:40 a.m.
Only a ten minute walk so far but it seemed so much longer than that. It seemed a lot colder down here too but Amu shrugged it off and continued ahead. Her torch lit the area fairly well, and she was proud she made it thus far. The area looked big but she continued forward. And after what felt like an hour but was indeed only five minutes, Amu was met with a room of six tunnels. Which one to go through? A gust of freezing cold air came out of nowhere and pushed Amu forward towards the tunnel in the centre. Strange… but she continued ahead; against better judgment that listening to the wind was not a good choice. All sanity pleaded that she should have turned around for the night but she felt compelled it wasn't just the wind… she felt compelled that it wasn't a malicious spirit leading her and she felt compelled that fate was doing more than just leading her astray. Fate was pushing her towards a scary and unexpected path but her feeling told her it was going to be okay. After all, it hasn't ever led her awry.
She placed another red X on the wall outside of the tunnel.
Tick, tick, tock.
The ticking of the clock sounded so much louder when she finally stepped through the opening of the tunnel. Amu shuddered, not out of fear or the cold but from the feeling of passing through something… she didn't know what and she didn't have the sane mind to think about it now.
12:48 a.m.
Amu continued through the tunnel, the walls seemingly changing from its mossy covered brick walls to smooth, mossy-free stone veneer walls. What awaited her at the end of the tunnel was a large, golden door and not for one second did she hesitate grabbing the handle, pushing the door open with ease and a small whine. The room she entered smelled of old books and Amu drank it in, having a keen sense of what to expect. She noticed a ledge on the wall that held some black, shiny substance. Hmm… she dipped the torch into it and the room lit up; the fire spreading throughout the room by following the trail of what Amu now knew to be lantern oil. It finally ended at the chandelier in the middle of the room. Amu's eyes lit up with awe at the spectacle and show she received.
Amu placed the torch into one of the holders at the entrance before stepping further into the room. The room was large and shelves touching the ceiling to the floor covered all the walls with thousands maybe even more books occupying them.
"Wow," Amu spoke softly. The room held onto an antique structure of what she supposed was what the old castle once was before repairs and re-designs took place. Columns sparsely decorated the area and in no specific pattern— or at least that was what Amu could see. Though when she counted them, thirteen was the strange number she arrived at. An old but surprisingly grand clock was etched into the only empty space on the wall that began chiming and melancholy subtle dongs filled the room.
13:00 a.m.
For a moment it seemed as if time stood still, that time no longer existed but the quiet ticking of the clock resumed and Amu was released from the spell. There were a few desks in this room, piled high with books that were never finished nor returned to their original space on the wall. She walked over to one of the three desks and fingered one of the covers. She didn't understand the characters written nor did she ever see characters like those before but she shrugged it off and look at the other books only to come across the same conclusion. It was written in a different language. Amu frowned but opened a large black bound book with no title and on the first page she saw the characters written in old text she could make out:
"Dæse Veile," and written below was, "Gousutokurokku." The words sounded strange rolling off her tongue but it flowed so smoothly… sounding like Death Veil even if it wasn't spelt the same way. Interesting. She fingered through a few blank pages before coming across more text but it was written in the same odd characters she saw on every book on this desk so far. She sighed, just when she thought she found new information she could use, she didn't understand it. She huffed and turned around and right below the chandelier hanging in the middle of the room was an antique looking piano and Amu's heart thudded in her chest dangerously fast. Could it really be a piano? Oh it was such a beauty and Amu couldn't resist venturing closer to it. Although the instrument was covered in a thin layer of dust, when she played a few notes the vibrations of the hammer hitting the strings was undeniably in tune and did it provide a lovely shiver down her back. She blew as hard as she could causing dust to float off the keys before she sat down and ran her hands experimentally over random keys; testing how they felt and how they sounded.
Amu felt like she was under a spell as her hands ghosted over keys in ways she never had before producing a haunting lullaby. Her fingers knew where to go to continue this melody and she couldn't resist the urge to allow her fingers to move where they pleased. She closed her eyes and it did seem she really was under a spell of some sort. She thought of her first performance, of her family and of her friends. It was because of her musical skills that she was asked to go to a prestigious school of arts, graduating top of her class and earning a masters at such a young age in music: eighteen. Amu didn't think she was the brightest person out there, but certainly not the dumbest. She was told when she played by her family and friends that time stopped just for her as her fingers played the loveliest notes, evoking the most emotional high for everyone listening; the purity of her feelings just made it seem like she was glowing. It was gift she had, the school had said when they came for her after her first successful recital at fourteen. She didn't just play notes impeccably most times, she put her heart into it and anyone who heard could feel everything she felt while playing. It seemed… magical.
Shadowy, humanoid creatures began appearing; resembling the creatures that had captured her but were in smaller stages. They looked like children compared to the tall creatures that she had met. These shadowy creatures paired off and began dancing in time with the piece of music and if only Amu would open her eyes would she see just how beautiful this whole display was.
Amu's fingers slowed to a stop, lingering on an especially bittersweet note with a calm ringing, sounding throughout the room. A smile graced her face but as she opened her eyes she was startled by what she saw. Her hands flew to her mouth to stifle a blood curdling scream that was sure to attract unwanted attention. Amu stared at the creatures and they stared right back.
She blinked.
One, two, three.
And she got up all too suddenly and the stool grated against the marbled floors. She stood still, her hands still over her mouth as she breathed raggedly. Holy shit, was the only thought ringing through her mind. What was this?
The creatures tilted their horned heads before bowing in discord and vanishing from her sight.
Her hands fell from her mouth.
Swallowing thickly, she turned on her heals and rushed towards the door, making sure she grabbed her source of light before she numbly retraced her steps back to the long stairway. Her footsteps echoed creepily in the dark underground caverns and her skin broke out in goose flesh. She glanced at the red X on the wall beside the only torch she lit on the stairwell before hurriedly walking up the steps. She didn't know how to open the door but as she neared the top of the steps, one of the tiny shadowy creatures sat quietly on the torch handle. As it noticed her shivering form, it bowed its ghostly head and pointed at the handle before disappearing. With shaking hands, Amu placed her torch in one of the free torch holders and pulled on the staff the creature was once on. The door popped open and Amu quickly extinguished her torch and left it at the top of stairwell in the empty torch holder before she stepped back into her cage. The door closed behind her and the tapestry fell into place as if it was never disturbed.
Amu dully put her shoes back into the closet, hidden from view, before placing the ruined lipstick in its cosmetic bag. She laid down in bed with the covers piled high around her and she called on sleep. Her form shaking every so often. Not because she was cold but because she was shaken by what she experienced today.
Her clock, placed back on its original place on the nightstand, ticked softly.
Tick, tick, tock.
13:45 a.m.
Her eyes drooped and all she saw was black.
Light filtered through the opened curtains on the window and it cast a soft morning lilac glow on Amu. Her nose twitched and her eyes fluttered open. It took Amu a few moments to register where she was and what had happened. She wanted to forget what happened last night. But it burned brightly in her memories. She got out of bed and yawned, stretching her limbs before heading to the bathroom to do her morning routine. She stepped out of shower and what awaited her shocked her into stillness.
Standing in a line and waiting patiently were four young women perhaps a year or two older than herself but nonetheless still young. Amu soaked their appearances in. Starting from the left, Amu saw a woman with long pink hair kept in a high ponytail with eyes in the same striking colour as her hair.
"Hello, I'm Ran," she spoke, excitement clear in her voice.
The next woman had short, blue stylish hair also accompanied by matching blue eyes. "Miki," she spoke calmly with an undertone of curiosity.
As Amu continued down the line, she couldn't help shaking off the dreaded feeling she had. Her eyes stopped and stared hard against green eyes at the blonde woman whom she remembered was the same heartless person that left her locked whilst she was pleading for help. Her hair was worn in low pony tails.
"I'm Su," she spoke softly and smiled with a wince in response to Amu's cold stare.
"I'm Dia," the fourth woman spoke, drawing Amu's attention. She had high twin ponytails of carrot coloured hair. Her eyes were deathly quiet.
Amu ground her teeth in aggravation and boy was she pissed. They had the gall to appear before her as if everything she went through over the week had never happened. After she was forced to not see much less communicate with anyone over the past week, Amu was in a bitter mood now that she was allowed contact. She picked up the object nearest to her which so happened to be a brush and she chucked it at them.
"I don't care who you are." Her voice was cold with quieted rage. "Get out now." They were most likely sent by Ikuto. She snarled at them, "Tell Ikuto he can stick this," and she flipped them the bird, "up where the sun doesn't shine."
The four girls dodged all that Amu threw at them. They were shocked to say the least, not expecting a tyrant to take care of- and a rude one at that. They gave each other a look and without warning Amu was being held back by the four girls who just materialized right behind her, stopping her hand mid throw of a can of hairspray. She froze and was shocked. What the fuck was happening? She was tired of all this and struggled against their grasp. They pulled her down into a seat and while Ran held her down, her grip much stronger than the girl appeared to be, the three girls began their work on her.
"Wait! What are you guys doing? Hey, HEY!"
They ignored her and busied themselves with the chore they were set out to do. It was all a blur. Amu may have stopped her fussy movements, knowing that wasting her energy right now was not the brightest idea. They came for her now, which meant she was going to see that snake. Boy did she have plans on what she was going to do upon contact with him. She sighed and for now allowed the girls to do as they were most likely commanded to do. It wasn't their fault they were in the positions they were in. Although her body was subdued, her mouth wasn't and Amu screamed profanities out at anyone… well, it was definitely directed to Ikuto whom she hoped was close by to hear every little dirty word she could come up with to call him. She needed to vent her frustrations out and he seemed deserving.
"You arsehole!"
A/N: Whelp, here's chapter 3!
Just wanted to thank all those that followed and faved this story since the last chapter was put out. It means a lot to get any form of feedback from you guys ^^
Hahah, poor Amu and this chapter totally changed from what the very first outline was. I'm quite pleased with it though and I hope you guys enjoyed it as well.
Please feel free to leave reviews on what you thought, on what you think I should clarify on, and definitely if you see grammar errors.
Thanks for your support thus far!
One-wiTHOut-sOul.
