Disclaimer: If you buy CLAMP for me, I will worship the soil you tread upon.
Postscript: Eh. Nothing much to tell you guys this round, except to enjoy the chappie and please excuse me if it sounds a little wonky.
Chapter 27: Waking from the Dream, Living the Nightmare
Nothing but the tarry darkness and the silence. The emptiness is his company. The darkness…it seems to move, pulsate with something. He turns, a confused soul, but only the black greets his sight. His eyes blink in fear, confusion, pain. I smile. He is mine, in my grasp. I know his every thought. He yells, he wants to be free. He wants to return to the Light. To the others.
I will deny him that. This is his punishment…punishment for taking my trusted servant.
I will not let him leave the darkness.
I will not let him go.
Never.
"Nice knife-work, Caldina," commented Umi, watching the Soul-Merge dissolve into nothingness. "Ah, its nothing," said Caldina, flipping an errant strand of cotton candy hair out of her face. Then, Zagato yelled and everything went into pandemonium…
"God, Lantis, I want to kill you!" screeched Umi, pounding her balled-up fist half-heartedly on Lantis's head. "How was I supposed to know?" the man defended himself by putting his hands on his head to stop the irritating, but painless, thudding. "Zagato told me, but it clean slipped my mind!" Umi stopped knocking Lantis on the head. "Alright, I know Jevo was about to kill you but…" she sighed, exasperated. "Damnit…just be glad he's living. Or I'd have skinned you. Alive." She slammed the door. "She doesn't mean it, you know that," chuckled Ferio. "Hikaru would bash her head in first if Umi tried anything funny." Lantis glared at the green-haired man. "You're not exactly Jimbo the Clown, Ferio," the raven-haired swordsman said gruffly. "Just trying to help…" Ferio said, mock-pouting. "Help your own rocky relationship with Fuu," Lantis replied sourly, before following Umi and slamming the door. (Opening it first, of course. You can't slam a shut door.) Ferio slapped himself on the forehead. "Great going, Mr. Sunshine…"
"Let me go!" he yells, azure eyes flaring in anger. Never. You will never go. I watch as he tries to free himself of his prison, but no, he cannot go. "Why are you doing this to me?!" he demands, growing anxious, worried. I see him weakening, slowly. I will keep his soul, but eventually, he will break free. He is suffering, great spasms of pain wrack his body. I know. I see him collapse to his knees…No, Master Mage, I will not let you go. Not yet. Not till you break free…
I want to be free of this prison of endless dark. But he won't let me. I want to go back…I feel pain…everywhere. I feel like a dozen knives are slowly piercing me…please…let me go…
"Its really, really queer," said Ascot, half-worried, half-confused, and totally swamped in paperwork. He was frantically multi-tasking; taking care of state matters, keeping Mokona from splattering ink everywhere, worrying about his teacher and trying his very best to explain to Umi what the heck was going on. "Why?" queried the Water Knight, deciding to aid Ascot by a) kicking Mokona out of the study, and b) sorting out the paperwork she could do. "I mean like…his physical self is here and everything seems fine and dandy," said Ascot, throwing an empty ink-well at Mokona when he peered in again, "but its like…he's sleeping." "Sleeping? Try coma," said Umi, rolling together some parchment. "I mean, even a heavy sleeper will wake when you drop a water balloon on him…" Ascot paused and stared. "A…water balloon?" Umi held up her hands in defense. "It wasn't me!" she said hurriedly as the parchment sprang out of its roll with a sproing. "That was an accident, on Hikaru's part." "I…see," Ascot replied, a little doubtful.
I sense it. Growing. He's growing stronger, his will to break free grows with each minute I keep him in this prison. Although his struggles seem futile, I know better. He is slowly seeing the Light. I cannot keep him for long. But I have kept him; kept him long enough to feel him weaken.
Umi sighed sadly when she next looked in on him. His eyes were still shut. She knew he was being tormented by pain, and yet, in his condition, he couldn't feel the pain. That was both blessing and curse.
Why? Why, even though I am in this state, why do I still feel the pain? Why do I still feel this endless pain? Death would be better…but no…the others…they need me…but…I do not want this pain anymore…waking up will bring more pain…but I must…I must break free.
No…to wake up will only inflict more suffering, pain on yourself. Do not awake…he is breaking. Breaking out of the grip that holds him. No. He will yield.
Even if I free myself, I will still be tormented by pain. Is it any different than it is now? Isn't this pain I am feeling the same as the one I will feel when I awake? Set me free…
Umi's joyous cry rang out through the castle.
"Clef!"
Author's Note: Eeeeh. Pretty angsty chapter here. Gomen-nasai…don't worry, there's still a touch of humour in here. I don't usually write THIS much angst but believe me, I'm a cheerful person, NOT prone to suicidal tendencies but it's a really gloomy day. =)
