Chapter 9.
"Neko? Are you okay in there?" Isana Yashiro asked, knocking on the thick wooden door that lead into what he supposed was a closet, pressing an ear to the door only to hear muted shuffling from inside.
The three had managed to successfully escape the monster as Kuroh had planned and so they decided to make their way straight Shiro's designated meeting place. However, before they could reach the staircase, Neko immediately shot past them into an open room close by.
At first the albino was worried she'd disappeared when he rushed in to find her gone, but a thump from behind a bookcase revealed the hidden door they were now standing in front of.
Neko, though, refused to come out or let them in. "Just wait there! DON'T COME IN! NYAA!" was all she said.
That was around ten minutes ago, and a certain irritable raven had just about had it.
Shiro stood silently where he was, eyes downcast as he lightly knocked on the door. "N-Neko? Are you okay…? Isn't it a little cramped in there?" he wondered, feeling his new companion's tension.
There was no answer.
"Tch. This is a waste of time!" Fushimi complained, kicking at the door in irritation, causing the albino to step back a bit. It didn't seem to do much damage though, the wood barely making sound. One would have to wonder just how sturdy it was. "I'm leaving" the raven claimed as he turned towards the exit.
"W-Wait Fushimi-san! Please calm do—"
The raven turned, flashing the albino a calm but dangerous eye effectively silencing him. Shiro gulped. "Mikoto-san may have instructed me to accompany you, but it's not like I have to answer to him. And if I have to waste another second here when Misaki could be out there somewhere bleeding to death and—"
THUD!
Saruhiko hissed, clutching his throbbing hand and a light melody suddenly filled the air. An opened music box lay open inches from his feet; it seems he'd accidentally knocked it off in his rage. The music stopped as he crouched to pick it up, inspecting the wooden casing. "Weird thing to be around here…" he mumbled, turning it over.
A key fell out.
"Ah…"
THUD!
"NYAA! DON'T BULLY SHIRO!" a cry came, and before Fushimi could react, he found himself face first on the floor, glasses and music box flying off somewhere and a heavy weight on his back.
…
…
…
A slightly ominous melody filled the air courtesy of the muffled music box inches from the raven's body….
"N…N-neko…?" Shiro whimpered, stepping back a bit. The strain, realizing her mistake, stumbled backwards as well, a chill crawling up her entire body even as she tried to keep a strong front. "N-N-Nyan…" she gulped.
A dark aura not unlike the deathly oppression they'd receive whenever the Monster was near permeated through the room, with the unmoving Blue Clansman at its center; Shiro couldn't help but shiver at how still he was, Neko finally giving in to her fear and darting behind him.
"F-Fushimi… sa…n?" Shiro squeaked, suddenly noticing how the raven's lips were moving, an almost inaudible string of words morphing into a sort of chant, merging with the melody only serving to send chills up his spine…
Why me? Why me? Why did I have to get involved in this? Why did I take up this stupid job? Why am I stuck here? Why is the Red King here and why am I even doing what he says? Who are these people anyway? I'm not a damn babysitter. Why do I have to do this? Where the hell is Misaki? So troublesome. Irritating. Bothersome. I can't believe this. Why me? Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?
Slowly, a pale limb stretched forth, nimble and spider-like, closely followed by the other as the raven began to push himself from the floor. Hands, elbow, knees, joints hardly working as he made his way up, giving the Blue Clansman a grace almost puppet-like in quality. The whole time his eyes lay hidden behind ebony bangs, lips not resting in his chant.
"S-S-Shiro… Z-Z-Zom—"
"Don't! D-Don't say it Neko… pl-please don't!"
"..N-nyaa"
Finally on his feet, body swaying unsteadily, nimble fingers reached down again to pick up the fallen glasses, the other swiftly snatching the key just beside his foot.
The music box lay forgotten. The other two held their breaths.
…
"M-MEANY GLASSES I'M NOT SCARED OF YOU!" Neko cried, having finally lost it even as she cowered behind Shiro's jacket, face completely hidden. Shiro on the other hand, felt as though he would faint when he received the full, burning, piercing impact of the raven's cold blue eyes, wide open, tears finally flowing down his face.
He flinched when the raven flicked his wrist, eyes reflexively clamping.
…
"The key says 1F. I'm going to investigate. Do whatever you like" the Blue Clansman stated plainly, demeanor reverting to its usual bored quality as he turned and walked out the room.
Shiro and Neko stared after his retreating back, gripping onto each other for support as their legs almost gave in.
"S-Sc-cary…."
"Ah? Wait! Fushimi-san?" Shiro then frantically called out, snatching the music box from the floor as the two tried to catch up to the Blue Clansman.
~.~.~
With precise, forceful strikes, Yatogami Kuroh delivered his finishing blow, sword repeatedly slicing through tangible shadows in much the same way he had seen the Blue Clansman perform earlier; Suoh Mikoto immediately coming in behind him and reducing what's left to ashes before it had a chance to let out that ear splitting shriek.
He watched as the flames crackled, ignoring the smell of burning flesh. "With this at least we can make sure it's really gone" Kuroh mumbled, flicking the blood of his blade before sheathing it. "Thank you for your assistance, Red King" he bowed to his companion.
Mikoto nodded in reply, walking up with his hands in his pockets, sending a glance at the charred remains of the 'thing'. "Dunno if that does anyth'n though. We dunno how many there are in here"
The black dog could only tense at the thought. "But with this, we can at least rest assured there's one less of those things about... Anyways we should probably catch up with Shiro and the others now…" he changed the topic, fixing his coat as much as he can before walking down the hall. "Who knows what he could be up to…"
His eyes narrowed.
What he's up to indeed. It may not be so noticeable, but Shiro had been acting weird…
It may be due to adrenaline, like what Kuroh is feeling, or just his personality in general, but Shiro –supposedly the weakest of their group— seemed completely unshaken by this whole predicament. He wasn't even surprised when the Monster first appeared. There was no fear then, from what Kuroh had seen. Instead he seemed tense due to a completely different reason…
...as if he's hiding something…
…
But then again, he's been like that since the day I've met him.
"…You seem close" the Red King began conversationally, snapping the Black Dog from his thoughts. "Known him long?"
Kuroh glanced at him once. In truth, he hadn't really pegged the Red King as being conversational, however he wouldn't judge. This was, after all, their first meeting. He hummed, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "…not at all, really; although I suppose it does seem like it" he replied. "The first time we met we practically lived together, so I suppose that's where all the familiarity came from. A majority of the time I knew him he was….."
He stopped, trailing off as he stared off into thin air, a confused frown forming on his face. "…" Huh?
Tick
"What's up?" Mikoto called, pausing just beside him, expressionless as always.
Tock
"I… we were… Neko…" Kuroh mumbled lowly, a headache beginning to form at the back of his eyelids as he tried to recall…
Tick
Mikoto frowned at the gibberish his companion was muttering, noticing how the Black Dog's shoulders began to tremble, hands reaching up to clutch his head. "Oy…?"
Tock
"…ne…"
Tick
"Huh?"
Tock
"…gone…"
Tick
"Shiro was…"
Tock—
CRAAASH!
Kuroh snapped up, hand gripping the hilt of his sword as he frantically looked around, whole body tensing…
"Sorry. The noise was getting to me"
"…Huh?" the Black Dog mumbled intelligibly, blinking as he felt a haze clear from his mind. What…
A few feet in front of him stood Suoh Mikoto, right hand formed into a fiery fist and a slight frown on his face as he stood over fragmented pieces of wood and glass. Upon closer inspection, Kuroh noticed that it was from an old-fashioned clock on the wall in front of him, the face now completely crushed and the frame half-charred. A clock?
"The ticking was annoying" the Red King explained, lowering his fist. "Could hear it from all the way inside the room"
Ticking? Kuroh's brow furrowed. He hadn't noticed anything of the sort. "…What time did it say?" he asked out of curiosity, suddenly realizing the need to know. How long has it been since we were trapped here?
The Red King shrugged. "Dunno…" he mumbled, turning back to the clock. "wasn't really payin' attention"
Kuroh held back a disappointed sigh, thinking it couldn't be helped. Walking up to the King, he turned to the clock in order to inspect it himself. Closer now, he felt a slight shiver crawl up his spine, though he didn't know why. The clock was already broken beyond recognition at that point, parts still burning from the King's power. However, a glimmer caught his eye.
The clock seemed to be made entirely out of carved wood and glass, from what he could make out, which made the solid pendulum stand out, faintly glowing amidst the crackling flames. Without thinking, Kuroh found himself reaching for it, surprise clouding his featured when he found it cool to the touch despite the heat from the fire. Odd… He turned the object in his hand.
The weight and texture suggested a precious metal but its color was pitch black. It was shaped quite strangely for a pendulum: a sort of twisted cylinder, pointed at the tip instead of round, intricate carvings along the surface. Looking at it like that, it didn't seem at all like it belonged with the clock it was from, nor any clock for that matter.
"What's that?" Mikoto asked, although he didn't look the slightest bit interested.
"I'm not sure…" Kuroh replied before tucking the rod in his coat pocket. "But it might be helpful. Now we should go find Shiro"
~.~.~
"F-Fushimi-san, wait up! The others might be searching for us right now and I have the key" Shiro tried to explain, his strides not quite catching up to the Scepter 4 Officer as he held on to Neko –now in cat form (Note to self. How? He had to ask her later).
Fushimi Saruhiko made no sign he'd heard him, heading straight down the stairs. "I didn't tell you to follow me" he stated blankly.
Shiro sweatdropped at the utter rejection, but kept in stride anyway.
"The first floor doesn't have many rooms, unlike the other floors, so I guess the only place that key could be for would be…" the albino trailed off as he stepped off the stairs, facing the north hall opposite the door.
A rattle caught his ears. "Tch. Still no luck" he heard the blue clansman utter before a thud alerted him to the raven's frustration with the sealed exit. Almost immediately, the raven turned around and stalked past him, once again making Shiro jog after him.
"How unsociable… well, not that I can talk I suppose" the albino mumbled to himself with an exasperated sigh.
He paused.
The North hallway was quite short, he noticed, opening up to a Japanese styled room that looks worn but well taken-care of. "Wow…" Stepping foot on the tea-green tatami mat gave Shiro a sort of strange feeling, as the entire area looks completely separate from the mansion they were in.
Fushimi, though, seemed unperturbed, turning straight towards the only closed door in the area. Click, the lock went, and a well-kept room opened up before them in a mix of Japanese and western. They could see another door at the end of the hall in front of them.
CRASH!
Shiro froze, whipping around to look up at the ceiling, eyes flickering as if seeing through to the second floor where the sound had resonated.
"Nya!?" Shiro? Neko asked from his shoulder, startled at the sudden movement. She hadn't heard anything out of the ordinary…
"…It's broken…" the albino mumbled dreamily, confusing the pink kitten even more, his amber eyes unfocused but locked on to a spot on the cobwebbed ceiling. "It's too soon…"
This time, a different noise broke out closer to them, his senses clearing up just as the Blue Clansman rushed out the only doorway to the right mumbling curses under his breath.
Almost immediately, splintering wood rang through his ears, and he could see angry shadows seeping through the cracks. "You should have closed it!" he hissed to himself, but otherwise kept his mouth shut as he hid behind a suit of Japanese armour, out of sight behind one of the sliding doors, watching as the shadow followed after his companion.
Shiro held his breath, a comforting hand on Neko's trembling form on his right shoulder, counting 1… 2… 3…
Once he was sure the coast is clear, he slowly peeked out, scanning the area and noting the damage. Stepping out, he turned to the direction the Scepter 4 Officer had left, seeing nothing but empty halls and darkness. "…Sorry Fushimi-san" he mumbled apologetically, expression somber as he patted the kitten on his shoulder. "Well see you later" Turning towards the now destroyed doorway, he stepped around the splintered wood into the space within, inspecting the only other door paces in front of him.
He didn't have a key to the door there just yet, so instead he turned left, facing a large traditional closet, one of two doors wide open.
Crouching down in front of it, he picked up the small, nearly unnoticeable container near the back of the space, turning it once. He brought out the music box Fushimi found earlier, popping the lid open and letting the beautiful melody envelope him till it came to a stop not seconds later. Neko looked on in wonder.
Shiro turned to her with a smile. "Pretty isn't it Neko?" he stated, turning the box in his hand, admiring the simple craft and the intricate carvings on the casing. There was a small mirror inside it, just big enough to show the top half on one's face. "Fushimi-san shouldn't have been so rough" he frowned, fingering a fresh crack on the once clear surface.
Tipping the container he found produced a silver dial. "Nya?" the kitten inspected it, sniffing slightly at the metal. Shiro skillfully fitted it to the side of the music box in his hands and began to wind it up. Clockwise once, twice, seven times, before turning it back once.
A melody began again from the box, but this time one could tell it was slightly different from before. Longer, clearer… sadder… Neko turned to Shiro in curiosity. She froze.
A grave expression was pinned on the albino's face as he stared at the cracked mirror; eyes reflecting such a painful look that made the small kitten tremble… "N-Nya…?"
And then it was gone as if it was never there in the first place, making Neko blink, doubting if she'd actually seen it. Shiro…?
"I wonder how Fushimi-san is faring… I hope he was able to get away…" Shiro wondered as he shut the lid, a slightly worried look on his face before her a chipper smile, standing up from the crouch they had been in. "Well, it is Fushimi-san though so he should be fine"
Closing the door, he turned to the other one, eyeing it for a minute too long before he turned around, out the room, and up the stairs. "Have Fushimi-san and the others met yet I wonder…"
*peeks* Uhm... Hi guys...? ^w^
So, I KNOW I am EXTREMELY late with this chapter again TTwTT (yes, I admit it's a common thing with me I'm afraid) but I was hit with a Block and got carried away by the DMMD fandom... yes. I am that fickle ^^;
STILL! Don't you DARE think this fic'll be abandoned! I love these guys too much! XDD (I WANNA WATCH THE MOVIE DAMMIT! TTATT MISSING KIIIIINGS!)
So! Here's Chapter 9 XD (FINALLY!) And once again things are moving X3
Thank you very much to all who reviewed XDD I LOVE YOU!iDoodleAzu-san: Yep. I did say Ib. This fic DOES have Ib themes, and yes I am writing an Anna=Ib fanfic somewhere under my folders xP
So yeah, I hope you guys liked this chap XD If all goes well at home then I should (hopefully) be able to get stuff up again every week XDD
THANKS AGAIN!