The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer: I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.
Well, here's Chapter Two! Hopefully I didn't scare anyone away with the overly long Chapter One, this chapter's quite a bit shorter…just a smidge longer than the prologue.
Chapter Two: Bloody Feathers
It was completely dark outside, and it would have been inside too, had it not been for the candle burning on the bedside table. The clouds had rolled in even thicker; the winds they brought with them tearing against the fruit trees and the harsh rain ripping itself across the rickety old cabin. Thunder roared across the sky, illuminating the curtain covering the sole, small window for just a moment. The whole of the cottage shook slightly, trembling in the first autumn storm.
But it was warm enough inside nevertheless, and though the walls creaked and groaned, they were steady.
Cooro sighed, pulling the two thick blankets he'd been given up to his face and wrapping up his legs in an attempt to get comfortable. He didn't know how long he'd been lying awake with tense muscles and wide open eyes… Nothing at all had happened… Perhaps it was time to just let himself go to sleep. Or at least to try.
He rolled over onto his side, finally letting his body relax and his sleepy eyelids close.
Cooro was so glad not be sleeping under a tree right then, the wind and rain pounding against his flesh and soaking him to the bone. It was dangerous, too, being out in lightening and such high gusts.
The boy liked to think of himself as strong enough to handle something as simple as bad weather, but in the back of his mind he knew how weak he'd become. If it hadn't been for Nana…he could easily have become the autumn's first victim.
He'd known that. He'd known that even when he'd asked to simply stay outside…but even still he would have been fine with just remaining in the orchard. Even if he had succumbed to the elements in the middle of the night…what would it have mattered, anyway? But Nana, even after the years that'd passed, had been kind enough to let him in. Apparently, it would have mattered to her.
…He hoped he hadn't put her in danger. Guilt ate at his chest, painting his mind with unease. But still, it was a small smile formed on his face as a sleepy haze eventually started to overcome him. To think, it would have mattered to someone. Even if only a little bit.
…It was peaceful, having somewhere safe to stay in the storm.
"Don't get too comfortable!"
His tired eyes shot back open instantly, a rush of the same horrible sensation from the other night suddenly burning through his body and his heart almost jumping out of his chest. He sat up with his hands clasped to his shoulders, wincing as the strange pain spread down his arms. The breath caught in his throat, his whole figure shaking with sudden panic as realization sunk in.
No! …It's her, it's happening again! Please, no! Not here!
The sudden familiar burning was all too strong…she was close this time – even closer than she'd been the night before!
"Come and join me, now!"
Far too close.
No – I wont! Not ever! Leave! Please, just leave…
"Enough. I'm not going to play games tonight! I'm right nearby, and I want you to come find me."
No! For the last time, just go away! I'm not coming! I wont ever be coming!
"…Then I take it you don't care much about that girl sleeping in the other room."
Cooro stifled a gasp, the voice's threat hitting him right in the stomach.
"My patience with you is gone! If you want that girl to wake up in the morning, I'd better be seeing you in person soon."
Nana… No... The boy didn't answer for a moment, his limbs almost going numb. No…you wouldn't!
"Just like I wouldn't kill Yumea?"
Cooro tensed up completely at the mention of his friend's name, tears suddenly falling from his eyes.
No! No…please! Leave Nana alone! Stay away from her! She has nothing to do with any of this!
"Do you think I care? …Stupid girl, she'd been better off leaving you to freeze to death. "
The tone of the voice changed, a new hint of amusement tinting it.
"It's your fault, you know…if something happens to her. You shouldn't have stayed with her. You knew that, but you couldn't bring yourself to turn away from her kindness, could you? Kindness. That's something you don't get very often, isn't it?"
A mocking laugh echoed in Cooro's head.
"Selfish. So very selfish! Unless you want you want your old friend here to pay the price for her adorable little offer, you'd better do exactly as I say. Don't wake her up! Don't touch the candle! Don't touch anything! If you want her to ever open her eyes again, come straight down to meet me by the merchant shop."
He couldn't…he couldn't go to her! There was no way! If he did…
But, if he didn't…then Nana would… He'd be choosing her death.
Nana…no…
The boy said nothing, water dripping down to his cheeks from his eyes as he slowly set his trembling feet on the floor. He got out of bed with legs that felt like lead, his heart pounding so fast he could barely keep his balance.
He could hardly breathe – what was he doing? This was mad! Completely mad! But…Nana…
No! No! No!
Cooro stumbled out of the small bedroom with his hands still clasped tight around his burning shoulders, his movements rigid with terror and his sight blinded by the tears streaming down his face.
Why had he ever chosen to stay with anyone? It had been for just one night…he'd thought that maybe… He'd been niave. Stupid. Stupid! Stupid!
He reached out blindly for the door knob, feeling his sweaty hand slip and knock against something else instead. Glass shattered on the floor, flowers and water spilling out onto the old carpet by the door.
"…Uhh…what?"
Cooro jumped, a sleepy moan sounding from the room behind him. "Nana!" No! He'd woken her up!
He turned and bolted out the door, finally getting it open. He hardly even noticed the wind that whipped him in the face as he dashed into the soggy grass of the orchard.
"Huh…? Cooro? Wait!" Nana had jumped out of bed immediately, hearing the door open. Cooro heard her voice but never looked back, running down the hill as fast as his racing heart would carry him.
"I said wait!" Something hard smacked into him from behind, taking away his breath and knocking him over face first.
Nana had come after him, her wings flapping behind her in the rain. She wrapped her arms around Cooro's chest, holding him back as he struggled to get out of her grip.
"No! Let me go! You have to go back inside!" The boy's words came in terrified, garbled rasps, his eyes as wild as when Nana had first seen him. She could feel his heartbeat pulsing madly against her hands, as if it was going to burst straight through his flesh, and the rags he wore were soaked from what was
more likely sweat than rain. He'd been acting strange since she'd first come across him, sure, but this was different – this was sheer terror!
A sudden rush of fear shot into the girl's chest, a shiver rushing up her spine as her own body started to shake. "Wait! What's happening? Cooro? What's wrong?"
A scream suddenly split the air, freezing them both in an instant. Their heads jerked towards the direction of the merchant shop, their faces morphed in shock.
"…Niomi!" Nana cried out after a brief moment, abruptly dropping Cooro and immediately bolting towards the store – cutting straight through the air as her wings beat frantically behind her.
Cooro fell right back to the ground. "Nana, no! Stop!" He reached out after her, barely able to stumble to his feet in his panic.
"Niomi!" Nana was already drenched by the time the store was visible though the darkness, though she didn't even notice the rain pelting down on her as she ran. Nor did she even think about the fact that she was headed right towards the merchant shop in her +anima form.
She dashed onto the porch, running right through the already opened door of the building. "Niomi?" She stopped in the middle of the room, completely frozen.
Even in the bleakness, she could make out two dark shapes further inside. Someone was lying splayed out on the ground.
Niomi!
Nana couldn't even scream, barely able to comprehend what she was seeing.
The second figure, a tall dark shape standing over the person on the floor, shifted…the pale skin of its face visible as it looked up towards the girl. A smile played across its lips; big, black wings shuffling behind it as it moved. It was a woman with black, feathery wings and long, dark hair.
Niomi lay motionlessly below, her limbs tangled under the woman's feet. Things from the shop were strewn around, dark splotches dotting the floor and a few bloodstained feathers dancing in the wind that found its way through the open door.
Nana's eyes stretched wide in complete horror, her whole body trembling so terribly that she couldn't even move.
"Well…" The man seemed hesitant for a moment. "There was the man's wife, who was left shaken but somehow unharmed. She claims that she heard a commotion late that night coming from the living room…and that she ran in to find her husband lying dead with a thin, clocked figure hovering over him. And…" The speaker paused, hesitating again. "And…?" The red-haired girl prompted. "And she claims that this person sprouted these huge, black wings and flew away as soon as she walked in…just like that! Leaving behind nothing but a few black feathers…"
It was her! The person she'd heard about! The murderer!
"So…you woke up after all, huh? How…amusing."
The black-winged figure took a few steps closer, giving Nana a good looking over.
The bat +anima couldn't even step back, her body refusing to move as tears slowly started to fall from her terrified, disbelieving eyes. "Niomi! No!" Her voice came out as a ragged, uneven sob.
"Oh, a friend of yours? My apologies, I must admit I didn't expect to find anyone here… But when I did…well…" The fiend put on a fake guilty guise, answering as casually as ever.
"Niomi!" Nana wailed again, still completely in shock.
The woman bent down close to her.
"Don't worry, doll. Now that you're here, you'll be seeing her again before you know it!" The killer plopped her hands firmly on Nana's shoulders, the girl finally jerking away and letting out a light, sobbing scream. "I had been going to spare you too…such a pity you woke up." The woman added coldly as wicked delight spread across her features, slowly moving her face closer to the squirming, shaking Nana.
"O..oh!"
The fiend abruptly stopped, turning instead towards the entrance as another figure appeared at the door.
"…Oh…no…"
Cooro took a few steps back from the building as his hands flew to his mouth, tears already starting to fall down his face as he caught sight of the motionless form inside.
"C…Cooro!" Nana managed to sputter, finding her voice.
"Nana!" The boy ran inside at the sound of her voice, and took in a sharp gasp as he spotted the girl, suddenly noticing the black-winged figure hovering over her. He backed up against the wall, barely able to keep himself standing as he shivered and jerked. He gave out a sharp cry, falling to his knees as the burning sensation surged through him stronger than ever.
A dark grin lit the woman's face.
"Well, well…look who decided to show up after all."
"No… You… The shop owner!" Cooro's words were barely audible though his tears, the pain ravaging through his body almost keeping his breath from coming.
"That's right…she put up quite a fight too, but I couldn't have anyone else here with me." The killer answered in an almost playful voice, gently running her fingers along Nana's trembling face as she spoke. "And now I have this pretty little girl here, too."
"No…leave her alone!" The boy managed to speak, not looking up from where he sat huddled near the wall. He'd come – she had to let her go!
The woman gave another passive glance from Cooro to Nana, as if considering what to do next.
"Let her go!" Cooro insisted as he struggled to his feet, only to fall back down in pain with another agonized scream.
The woman suddenly loosened her grip on Nana, turning towards Cooro, unmoved. She took a few steps closer to him, deciding to focus on her real target. "It only hurts so much because you fight it, you know."
Cooro lifted his gaze to meet hers for the first time, his eyes a horrible mixture of terror, agony, and hatred.
"Stop!" An awful screech suddenly echoed through the small building. Both the killer and Cooro flinched with their hands to their ears, disoriented from the sonic cry Nana had unleashed with her +anima. A clang followed soon after, the woman falling back as blood spilled from her forehead.
Nana stood before her, holding a spiked iron rod in her hands. She'd managed to get a hold of it when the fiend had loosened her grip, grabbing it from the fire-place.
The girl swiped it through the air again, holding it over the fallen figure's head. "You… Niomi...you…" A fresh wave of tears fell from the girl's eyes as she spoke the words, her voice brimming with rage. "You killed Niomi! I'm not going to let you get away!"
The black-winged woman suddenly brought her left hand forward, a spark of light bursting from her palm right towards Nana. The girl screamed as it connected, falling briefly to the floor without even realizing what had hit her.
Voices could suddenly be heard in the distance as the fiend got back to her feet, coming from the direction of nearby village.
The killer took that as her cue to hurry things up, turning back towards the place where Cooro still sat hunched over. "Come, you must leave with me." She walked over to him and held out a hand, but the boy just shook his head, his eyes still terrified and teary. "No…" "Oh, just come on!" The woman practically yelled in her frustration, reaching out and grabbing his arm as Cooro let out another terrible, painful cry.
"No! Stop it!"
The black-winged figure flinched again at the second sonic screech, letting go and stumbling back a few steps.
"Don't touch him, you disgusting piece of filth! You're not leaving. You're not getting away!" Nana charged straight towards her again with a slash from the rod, leaving a cut across the killer's chest.
The fiend jumped back, almost taking another hit as her gaze fell behind her at the sound of the approaching voices. She'd run out of time. Damn it! She was so close…but by the time she dealt with them it'd be too late.
"Ugh! Forget it!" The winged killer suddenly jumped into the sky, practically spitting out the words in rage. Even she knew it was wise not to make the huge commotion that would be caused if the people coming saw her, especially since that one widow got a good look at her already that other night.
She flew straight up, quickly angling for the forest behind the shop. Nana took right off into the air after her, clinging to her legs as she tried to make her escape. She swung the iron stick again as she flew, barely missing the woman's face.
The desperate killer suddenly struck her palm forward again, this time placing it right on the girl's stomach. Nana let out a wail as the strange spark went right into her, falling to the ground as the pain tore through her body.
She landed with a dull thud as the black-winged woman disappeared into the shadows of the night sky, her face lying limply in the mud.
Cooro got to his shaky feet as the burning within him slowly started to ebb, looking over at Niomi in a trance of horror. He still trembled and his heart still pounded in his chest, but he managed to stumble listlessly over to the motionless form; peering down at her through watery eyes.
The woman lay on top of a mixture of blood and broken glass, probably from a vase she'd tried to defend herself with. Her limbs and short, dark brown hair sprawled lifelessly across the oak beneath her, her whole figure hauntingly still. There was a gash across her left cheek, and a horrible scrape running down her side. The wounds alone wouldn't have been fatal, but the shop keeper wasn't breathing.
She was dead.
It was his fault. It was all his fault!
Cooro suddenly fell back to his knees, a ragged, uncontrollable sob tearing from his throat.
She'd followed him. She'd been looking for him. If he'd never stayed there, none of this would've happened. The woman in front of him would still be alive.
Tears streamed down his face.
It was always like this, everywhere he went. Why had he stayed? Even just asking to stay in the orchard had been too much, he should have kept as far away from anyone as possible…even if it meant suffering through the storm all night. He'd been stupid to even hope it might be okay.
And selfish. She'd been right about him.
He slammed his fist into the floor, panting as drops of water continued to fall to the wood below.
Why was he even alive? That killer would always pursue him wherever he went, and along the way, more people would die. Even if he didn't see it, he'd be bringing death with him. Maybe he should just die himself. That would be the best, wouldn't it?
She'd follow him until he came with her… But…if he did what she wanted…then he would…
He looked down as he felt something brush against his wrist. It was a black feather, sliding across the floor in the breeze. He picked it up with shaking fingers, staring down at it thoughtfully. The bristles were matted, the tips of the black shape stained red with blood.
He felt the strange prickling begin to creep into his shoulders again as he let his gaze rest on the bloodstained shape almost hypnotically, tears still falling from his eyes.
"Hey! What the heck is going on! We heard the screaming even from the village!"
A voice resounded through the air as the approaching group of villagers finally made their way into the clearing, snapping Cooro out of his thoughts as he dropped the feather and jolted his eyes back towards the door.
"What? Nana!" A male voice cried out the name, the shock undeniable in his voice.
Oh no! Nana! He hadn't even…
Cooro immediately jumped to his feet and frantically bolted out of the building, coming to a halt when he saw what the group of five or so men were gazing at with such wide eyes.
The girl was lying motionlessly in the mud. She was still in her +anima form – her ears in the triangular bat-like shape, and wings were spread out behind her. The people above her didn't do anything at first, only their faces belaying their disbelief. One man that worked for the merchant shop took a step closer, a hint of disgust creeping over his features. "Nana…she's…"
Cooro suddenly rushed forward, practically shoving the man back. "Stop!" He spat, his eyes wild. "Stay away! Don't you touch her!"
Poor Nana and Cooro are both going to need hugs after this…
What exactly is Cooro's connection to that strange girl, and why is she after him? And what will happen to Nana now that she's been discovered to be a +anima? Stay tuned!
Reviews would be appreciated…let me know what you think of this rather odd chapter.
