Dead Man Walking
By Chibi Hime
"Who is he, Michael? The boy in the picture? The one I based your disguise on, you know? Who is he?" she asked, magenta eyes alight with a spark of curiosity.
He knew she would ask that someday. He wanted to tell her the truth. He wanted to pour out his feelings to someone who cared, to someone who could love him for what he is without longing for what he was. She's never known him as anything but the disgusting abomination he is now. She could love that, even if he could not. That's fine. He doesn't love that. He was not even sure if he was capable of loving someone else at all, but she comes close. What he felt for the mana witch was the closest thing he's ever felt to love and he would not risk that for the world, not even for his own peace of mind.
"He's dead," Darkstar answered, voice devoid of any real emotion though his voice was strained by a phantom pain in his throat.
Charmcaster's face was suddenly alert.
"Did you know him?" she asked.
"We were very close. He was family,"
Her eyes clouded up for a moment. They did that sometimes, usually when he was in some kind of pain or anguish, when it was something she could not fix. He knew why, the energy he drained out of her explained what she felt a lot better than words ever could. It made her feel powerless, as an energy manipulating witch, that was never a good thing.
"I'm so sorry. If I'd have known, I never would have..." she started.
"No, it's fine. No harm done. Honest. Sometimes its nice to see that face again," he reassured her. He took her hand in his gloved one and rubbed it soothingly.
Why couldn't he have met her a year ago? Back when he was still Mike Morningstar. If he had, he wouldn't...no...he probably would be. He just liked to imagine things would have been different. A year ago, he would have drained her without a thought and left her to die. He couldn't imagine doing that now...now that he knew what it was to have no one. To the world, Michael Morningstar no longer existed, he was dead, erased from the universe.
But not really.
He was still there, every now and again.
He was there when Darkstar forgot who he was now.
He was there when she took his hand and kissed him. He was there when her fingers touched his dry cheek and he found he wanted to buy her everything she ever wanted.
Those things made Darkstar forget he was a dead man.
