Author's Note: Okay so here is my seventh chapter…it's kind of short in comparison to the other six but I hope it doesn't bother anybody too much.
Disclaimer: I don't own D and I don't know what his problem is…it's not like I would do anything horrible to him. Jeez…at least Allura's nice to me…then again I did kind of giver her life…oh well no more spazziness onward!
Chapter Seven: Mind Fuck…kinda
We soon arrived back at the caravan re-stocked and ready to go. We handed out ammo and new equipment to everyone who needed it. "Allura! Allura!" I heard a little voice calling to me before my leg was caught in a vice-like hug. "Mmmm!!" little Anthony was snuggling the captured limb as I looked down. I shook my head. "Let's get going!" I called to the men. "We can sleep at the next stop got it?" I pried the child off of my leg and brought him to rest at my hip instead. I needed to walk around after all. "Rico did this really neat trick with his eye!" he chirped happily pointing at his own. "Really? Well I guess the two of you can show me later." I smiled at the little one. "Emmie really misses mommy." he said on not so lighter of a note. "Me too." he added a bit down. "It's okay." I lifted his chin. "You're going home to see her soon." I reminded. "Yes…" he looked away for a moment. "But then I'm gonna miss you!!!" he blurted with a pout. Awww the poor thing. It was touching that anybody would miss me at all, never mind these pure little cherubs.
I ruffled his hair. "Now don't you go forming attachments to an old leach like me." He giggled in response. "I'm never around for very long.." I poked his nose, feeling a slight melancholy. "But you could be." he looked up at me hopefully. I simply chuckled in response. How very naïve. "Perhaps I will visit you often as I can." I smirked. He smiled widely. "Now then…I believe it is past your bed time." I scolded in a sing song tone. His bright expression went suddenly sour and flat. I laughed. "Go on then." I shooed him off as I set him down. I watched him as he scurried off the wagons. I giggled a bit as he struggled to climb up the lip and a mercenary hiked him up with an amused chuckle. I shook my head. I decided to take a break from riding a horse, I was a bit sore, so I sat on a wagon lip staring ahead as we moved. The night sky was beautiful once again.
To my surprise D sat beside me. I raised a brow but decided against saying anything. His company was soothing…it made me feel better. He said nothing either, just stared at the stars with me. "You seem to like the stars." he spoke flatly. "Don't you?" I responded with a frown. "Must everything be some sort of challenge to you?" he asked. "Sorry." I shrugged. "My whole life I've had to spend on my guard." I said simply. "The stars…yes they are beautiful.." I began to explain.. "but one thing that I find truly meaningful about them is that they never change...I can always rely on them to be there forever…it's a bit obsessive but nothing in my life is constant and when that happens to someone they tend to crave stability." I sighed. D simply nodded. He seemed troubled. I did not know what he was thinking but…I'd never seen him so perturbed.
We were silent, just enjoying each other's presence. Once in a while people would look at us with curious or mischievous expressions. It was a bit annoying that they ruined the moment for me. I just enjoyed his company that was all. When we weren't bantering and bickering it was actually pretty nice. Then again I found that I enjoyed bantering with him as well. Teasing him was automatically at the top of my list though. I chuckled. "Is something funny?" he inquired suddenly. I shook my head no. "Just thinking." I grinned warmly. I noticed something odd in his expression as he looked at me then, but I let it pass as though it never happened.
It suddenly became freezing. The stars were now blocked out by the snow covered branched. Snow? This is odd. I thought to myself looking around. Such a climate change in such a short distance? Impossible. "D…?" I trailed reaching out to prod him. "I feel it too." he stated with a nod. There were murmurs from the men, looking around nervously. I narrowed my eyes. All of a sudden we were in a clearing, surrounded by bare snowy trees. I looked around scrutinizing the immediate area and started slightly when I noticed a little girl clutching a rag doll standing in our immediate path. She looked to be about five. D and I exchanged similar glances. We stopped.
She looked up at us from under ebony curls…eyes a misty off blue. She was pale…deathly so in fact. Her eyes were large and melancholy almost. I sensed something off about her presence. Besides the fact that she was a little girl all alone in a dark forest, seemingly unafraid, and unharmed…just…standing there. Slowly she reached a frail looking little arm out to our group. "Play with me." she breathed, in a sorrowful tone. Beckoning. I tensed at the waves of odd coaxing. It was official this was no simple child. D narrowed his eyes and was about to speak when something alarming happened. I just in time noticed little Anthony with a blank expression staring at her, eyes wide walking toward her as if hypnotized. Hypnotized! I let out an alarmed yelp as I snatched him up, clutching him to my chest protectively. Well two could play at this game. With a violent mental tug of my own I pulled his attention to me and kicked her out of his head. In response she fell onto her bottom soundlessly. He looked around alarmed suddenly. "Allura?" he stared up at me. The fox hounds stared at me as I glared at her figure. She dropped her little rag doll. I put up a mental barrier and felt all of her attention suddenly focused on me.
Standing up slowly she pointed a finger at me. "You…" she trailed almost menacingly. "Everyone…focus your thoughts on something now! Something that inspires the best in you and hold on to it!" I warned them. "You…are beautiful." she said unexpectedly in a dreamy off breath. "I want to play with you." she said wistfully. It was eerie but I'd seen similar things. "Go into the wagons." I told Anthony sternly. Not used to my tone he ran away quickly to find his sister. "Barriers are strong." she commented with a soft Russian accent. "but I can pierce them with effort…Tata promised I could play." she seemed to be talking to herself. "Who will play with me?" she looked at me expectantly. It went against my principles to willingly endanger my mind by engaging in these games but Vincent had amply prepared me for these sort of things. "I want the vampiress." she said with all the demanding of a child. "She would be a lovely doll." she smiled crookedly. The others would not stand a chance. I felt the potent power tugging at me. I noticed Rico faltering but maintaining. A few others were fighting to control their movements. D stood but I stopped him. "I will do it." I said evenly. He frowned and caught my arm.
"No. I don't like it." He shook his head. I frowned at him. "The others are getting vulnerable, and I am the one with the best mind control." I reminded. "Seeing as you are only half." I added.
For some reason he abruptly dropped my arm staring up at me. I gracefully stepped off the lip. I felt the satisfaction of the 'child' as a small smile tugged at the corners of her little mouth. "So you said Tata." I noted. "Da." she answered. "Do you mind telling me where your Tata is?" I asked. "He said no…now play." she frowned. "How do you play?" I asked making sure to maintain a calm tone of voice. "I must enter your mind." she purred. I felt a few movements behind me but did not acknowledge my obviously disapproving comrades. "You're mate is very doting." she commented, staring over my shoulder. "Does he not allow you to have any fun either?" she tilted her head. "My Tata is even worse, I'm never even allowed to leave my room…until now." she grinned and it was possibly the most disturbing sight I'd ever seen. Her mouth went so far up her cheeks the grin seemed to almost literally split her face in half. I hid a grimace. I said nothing in reply to correct her. Whether D was my mate or not was not important, I had to focus.
"We will battle.. But don't worry, not in a place where your friends will be harmed." she whispered with childish glee. "Let's begin." I answered simply. She nodded and began to concentrate. I resisted a shudder as I felt her invade into my mind. Her prodding was different than Vincent's or any others id experienced. It was cold, slow, and deliberate…almost slimy. Like an eerie tentacle of some sort. She was obviously not a mentally stable child. What had happened to her? Was she born this way? "My Tatya made me this way." her voice echoed into my head. I opened my eyes only to find myself in another place. Some sort of parallel? No it looked exactly the same…except for the fact that I was now by myself.
"This is my playground." she appeared before me once again. Only now she was different. She looked older…perhaps eight? "We will play now." she told me giddily with a hint of something unnerving in her tone. I had to do something I knew it…but what? In an instant she vanished. I whipped out my sword and focused my senses onto my surroundings. "Ally?" a familiar voice called that made my heart stop. "Ally-Al?" it repeated. Slowly I turned to meet them. "Mother.." I stared awestruck. She smiled warmly. "Look at you…you're so beautiful." she held out her arms. My first instinct was to run into her arms and weep into her shoulder…but something told me otherwise. My instinct as a vampire and a fighter went against it.
I moved closer with a smile on my face. "Is something wrong?" she seemed puzzled. "Of course not Mother." I smiled then abruptly threw my sword at the apparition before me. She vanished as the sword sliced through her chest, not a drop of blood spilt. I was sitting on a log over a very familiar brook suddenly. I recognized the place. "Are you going to kill me too? Llura?" a soft young voice called inquiringly. I whipped around. "Anthony." I said. Anthony Graham stood before me still as young as the day I last saw him. His dazzling green eyes sparkling with what seemed like the life I was used to seeing in him all the time. How cruel of her.
To torment me with this memory was despicable. He laughed. Such a heartbreakingly beautiful sound. I wanted to hug him the way I always used to. "What are you doing here?" he asked. I felt my grip slipping. What was going on? 'It's not real!' I shouted to myself. "Are they calling you a freak again?" he took a seat in front of me. My eyes prickled with tears. 'It's not real! It's..not real! That's not Anthy! It's….not…' My head started swimming with a warm buzzing feeling. Damn. I had underestimated the girl. '….real?' "Anthy…" I breathed in a strange state. "You know Llura. You're mother is worried sick." he had a concerned expression. It was like reliving a memory. "Oh don't cry Llury." he wiped tears from my cheek. "Here. Let's have a hug." he held out his arms.
'No!' I tried to shake my head. My arms trembled as they slowly reached out to him. As I came closer I heard a sound…like an echo. A rifle? Anthony had flown back…but not in a normal way. He had been bent awkwardly back like some sort of creature. I stared in shock regaining some control. He pulled back to a standing position with an ugly scowl. Blood oozed down his forehead…but not normal blood it was black and it reeked. Something entirely not Anthony at all. "Try and take her from me Dhampiel." he hissed to nobody in particular. "Your friend is being a nuisance. I will have to cut this short." his eerie eyes met mine. I stared for a moment before I pushed out the sickening fog from my senses. I narrowed my eyes and immediately a change began to take place.
He morphed from the beautiful face of my childhood love into a hideous creature. His height increased by at least three times his original size. I felt nausea taking over as his bone structure contorted grotesquely. "If I am to make you my doll I have to destroy your soul. Who knew a full-blooded vampire could have one?" It growled amusedly. I was unsure whether I should call this thing a little girl. I shook off my shock and snatched out my sword. If I was going to die it wouldn't be without a fight. "You can try." I hissed. "You are brave." It remarked before it lunged. I twirled away avoiding a claw from impaling my abdomen and delivered a slice to the shoulder barely missing the beast's neck. It roared in pain. "Blessed silver." it hissed. "Surprising isn't it?" I smirked. "It's nothing!" the monster snarled. It attacked me again, slicing my thigh. I grunted in pain as I rolled to avoid another killing blow. It licked my blood off of it's claw.
"Tasty." It purred. My upper lip curled at it's gruesome expression of delight. Had I been human I would have been unable to catch it movements as it leapt for my throat. I took a swing to slice off it's head. I only managed a cut to it's throat. Black liquid spurted. Some of it splattering on my face and bodice. I gagged. It let out a strangled roar of anger. What did it expect? For me to just lie here and ask it to eat me? Or my soul? Whatever came first. Who knew a vampire could even have a soul. It swiped at me and I kicked off a tree to avoid it. I shot it in the head making it fall over. Before it could get up I charged with an angry cry for it's mockery of my Anthony. It head went flying in an instant and I stabbed it straight through the heart. It melted into ooze. The stench thereof was over-whelming. I covered my mouth. 'It' soon morphed into a 'she' as the same little girl appeared in it's place sobbing as she slowly died. I felt nothing. It was an act of mercy to kill this girl. "Tata…he lied to me." she coughed up more sludge.
"Where is he?" I asked kneeling cautiously over her. She stared up at me with large beautiful eyes. "…In the castle of symphonies." were her last words. Her eyes drifted shut. I felt wind whipping about me like a gentle swirl of breeze and she was gone. I looked around. It was no longer snowing. I was back in a normal forest in the middle of the night. I was lying on the ground. I looked up to find D hovering over me. I flinched. "Ah! Don't scare me like that." I frowned exhaustedly. Rico was standing beside him worried to death. My mind felt drained. "Are you alright?" he asked impassively. "I'm fine. Which one of you shot her?" I groaned. "That would be Capital D here." Rico pointed. "I'll have to thank you for that." I sat up feeling the toll of the battle on my body. "Ugh. She was an intense little girl." I grunted. I noticed that I had claw marks on my thigh. Rolling my eyes I sighed.
"I'm going to have to patch up my tights." I ran my fingers over the tears in the black fabric. "Did she tell you anything?" D asked leaning me against a tree. I pushed his hands away. "Just that her 'Tata' was in the 'castle of symphonies.' Do you have any idea what that means?" I inquired. D shook his head. "It must be some kind of riddle." he answered. "She seemed kind of young to be speaking in complicated riddles." I said skeptically. "Possibly a child's perspective on her home."
"It must be a big house." he thought aloud. I smirked. "Help me up." I reached out. He gripped my wrists and stood, hauling me up with him. "Are you too tired to stand?" he asked before he let go. "No." I shook my head plainly. "I may walk a little oddly but…I will be fine." I assured. He nodded. "Ally. You gave me the biggest scare of my life." Rico commented walking beside me. "I am alright." I assured him. "I should hope so. You did awesome." he gave me the thumbs up. I smiled at him and shook my head. "I suppose…but had she been older with more experience backing her up…I don't know how I would have fared." I admitted. "You would have been great anyway." he gently shook my shoulder in a friendly manner. "You are one tough vampy." he poked my nose. I laughed, swatting his hand. "Thank you, Rico." was my only response. He had to be the sweetest human I knew, and to think he was a hardened vampire killer.
"Allura." D called. I jumped slightly, startled. "What?" I asked. "You drive the wagons. I don't want you riding." he told me. 'Bossy.' I muttered to myself making a face at his back. Rico scoffed. What could he possibly gain from making me drive the wagons? Would that not just mean more work for him? I rolled my eyes but a thought came to my mind. Was he worried? I smirked. "As you wish…but if Duster is neglected I will hold you accountable and I will do more than just kick you." I promised wagging a finger. He just silently mounted his (uurgh) awesome super-fast horse and trotted off. I folded my arms. "So Rico…sit up front with me?" I perked. "Love to." he smiled back and we walked off together.
Rico and I sat guiding the reins for the horses. We randomly sang songs, and laughed, and told stories to each other. Rico brought up my fight with the little medium-like creature. "You gave us all a scare though really. D nearly looked half-mad when he snatched my rifle to blow a hole through that little monster's forehead." he recalled. "Really?" I raised a brow skeptically. "He seems to have a certain disdain for me that I can't understand." I huffed. "I think it's because of what I am…what's his problem?" Shaking my head. Rico shrugged. "I don't know him well enough to tell…but it didn't look like he hated you while the two of you were perched here together a while ago." he smirked. "Oh hush." I rolled my eyes. "I hate assumptions like that."
"Sorry." he shrugged once again. "Do you like him?" he asked me curiously. "Sometimes he isn't so bad…but other times I hate his discriminatory guts." I narrowed my eyes. Rico laughed. "He seems to be pretty confounded by your personality. The way he stares at you when you snap or say something well…Allura-ish." I laughed this time. "I love that face." I admitted. "That incredulous expression right? The mix of anger, confusion, and finding oneself at a loss for words…it gives me a sense of victory." I added. Rico let out a bark of laughter. "That's a good sign of abusive behavior. You should get checked out." he chuckled. "It's only toward him." I said innocently, unable to conceal my mischievous expression for too long. "Dominatrix. It makes sense." he nodded. I smacked his arm.
Author's Note: There we are now review everybody! I'm losing my will to write…ugh. I've got like two other stories that I'm working on so it's difficult to keep focused. I need encouragement man! No pressure though. I am determined to finish this.
Shout Outs:
Tsuki no Rekuen: Thanks T.T, I needed to hear that rofl. Anyways thanx for reviewing and yeah…it must be lefty's fault dude. But from what I've observed of D's love-life…deep down he's such a hoe.
vampirehunterDfan217: lol thanks. I'm not quite sure though about who should develop a thing for who first…it's kind of tie-ish at the moment. Keep reading and reviewing my friend lol xD.
