Weiss II: Interlude

#3: Memory

By: Aries Draco

A/N: Sigh. I have decided, more or less, who lives and who dies. Some deaths, I'm rather eager to write, yet I wish for them to stay alive… how paradoxical, ne? Anyway, this interlude/side story is… something I've been wanting to write. It explains the relationship between Uriel, Hikaru, [Jezebel] and Kushin. Have fun.

This story alternates between two different times. One is somewhere in Europe at about 1900's or so. The second one… goes in chronological order.

Warning/s: religion bashing, child abuse, violence, shounen ai (duh)

________

"Brother Jezebel?" called a soft, shy voice.

Jezebel turned around, smiling. "I'm not a brother, child," he explained.

"Sorry," whispered the child, ducking his head in shame. He looked down at his bare feet, silver hair falling all over his face. His small frame was clothed in a simple brown tunic with an orange rope belt. Beautiful white arms were folded; he was hugging himself.

"Is there something you want?" asked Jezebel. The child cringed. Oops. "There's no need to be frightened of me. You can say what you wish."

The kid looked up at him and he had to bite down hard on his lip to keep from gasping. The child was gorgeous. Silver eyes met his violet ones and in them, he saw a sadness that no child should have been forced to bear. He had never seen this boy before.

"Doctor Jezebel, there are some children who have fallen ill. The Father wishes for you to see them for he does not know what ails them," said the boy, dropping his head once more.

"Ah, I will come immediately," agreed Jezebel. He gazed at the child curiously as they made their way back to the orphanage. "Child, what is your name? I've never seen you around before."

"It's Uriel, sir," replied the boy shyly. "I… just came here a week ago, with the other boys."

Ah, yes. The orphanage had to take in the boys from another children's home as that had closed down. "How old are you, Uriel?"

"I'm six this year, when my birthday comes," answered the child, blushing. Why? Because an adult was talking to him?

Silence hung between them as they continued walking. Uriel obviously had something else to say for he was fidgeting even as they strolled along. Finally, he could not keep it in.

"I think you're very pretty," he declared.

Jezebel raised an eyebrow, causing the child to shrink back, as if expecting to be hit. Well, he was not that bad looking but 'pretty'? He was more often described as 'exotic', just because his father decided to marry a Japanese woman and had him. His chocolate brown hair was kept very long and neatly tied at the base of his neck. He was not as tall as most young men his age due to his mixed parentage but that, coupled with his delicate features and long, dark lashes, served to make him appear rather feminine. But no one had dared to call him 'pretty' before.

"Thank you," he said lightly, not wishing to alarm the poor kid. "But I think you look prettier."

A bright red flush bloomed on the child's white cheeks. "Th… thank you, sir," he stammered, covering his burning cheeks with his hands. "Le… let's walk a little faster? The Father is expecting us back soon."

~+~+~+~

A boy lay dying in a gutter, victim of a screwed up ritual. His parents did not care; they had conducted the ritual. His brown hair was messed up, covered in mud and blood. Brown eyes stared at the sky. He started to laugh.

Up there was a heaven that he would never reach. He never wanted to reach it. After all, heaven was where God resided… and God was not his goal. He was only interested in the Devil. The Devil who walked with a beautiful face, temptation personified. He was… proud to give his life over, even if they *did* screw things up. He was on his way to hell!

Then, that creature came along, just as he was about to die. That cursed creature that looked at him in pity and longing. It claimed to be a devil. Not THE Devil but one of hell's minions nonetheless. It gave him a choice, a contract to sign if he was interested. It would prolong his pathetic life in exchange for a place to reside in his body. It would live within his mind.

He jumped at the opportunity… only to find himself deceived. Instead of living once more, he was trapped in his own mind, sealed off from everything else. But he bided his time, waiting, waiting for that demon to slip up…

~+~+~+~

"Here, something for you," said Jezebel, pulling out a single wine-red rose and handing it over to the startled child. "A pretty flower for a pretty little girl?"

The kid took it, then beamed at him. "Thankyu, Doctor Jesse," she called cheerfully. "I feelin' much better now."

It had been a mild case of food poisoning, nothing too serious, fortunately. Now, after a few days, most of the kids were up and about again. Jezebel looked out at the courtyard, smiling. He loved children, really. They were so adorable and innocent. Watching them run around in their little games made him feel younger again. Then, something caught his eye.

He strode briskly over to the sprawling tree in the corner of the yard. "Hello there," he called softly, hoping that it would not startle the boy too much.

Silver eyes flicked up to his face, a flicker of… fear? Then, it was gone and the boy adopted a neutral look. "Good afternoon, Doctor Jezebel," he greeted politely in that mellow voice of his.

Jezebel smiled at Uriel though his heart was not in it. What was wrong with this picture? A boy sitting alone in a corner staring into space on a warm spring afternoon when the sun was shining and everyone else was playing games. And why did the kid seem frightened of him, even for a moment? He sat down next to the boy and looked up.

Sunlight streamed through the leaves, dying patches of ground gold where it hit. It was a lovely scene, yes. Such a lovely afternoon.

"They're better now?" asked Uriel suddenly. "Those who were sick?"

Jezebel nodded.

"Good," said the boy, whispering to himself. His eyes were shut and hands loosely clasped. "Let them all be safe."

Jezebel stared at the child. He had a sudden desire to hug the kid and coo to him that everything was fine. Of course, he could not. He was just a doctor, after all. So he settled for second best. "Don't worry your pretty head over it, Uriel," he said, offering a comforting smile. "They are all fine. It was just a mild case of food poisoning."

Uriel stared at him blankly before finally nodding. "Thank you," he whispered, blushing bright red.

Jezebel nodded back at him, then got up to leave. He had to get back to his practice soon. A soft sound made him pause and turn. He almost thought that Uriel had said something but the boy merely smiled at him.

"I think I could like you…" was what the boy had whispered. Jezebel did not hear but it was okay, Uriel heard. That was enough.

~+~+~+~

Betrayed into watching a clueless boy control his body, his life. He snarled and paced in his mental prison but that devil was ever so watchful. He was trapped, good and truly trapped. It was such a wonderful job that the boy landed with. Too bad he could not enjoy it. He would have loved it, revelled in the bloodshed. However, that stupid, innocent boy merely cried over it.

Well, boy! Don't you know? The gates of heaven has long been closed to you because you don't even fucking exist! This is my body, my soul. You are just a control measure, do you hear me?! That devil made you so he could control me! You are nothing, do you hear me?! DO YOU HEAR ME?!

And the boy dreamed uneasily.

~+~+~+~

Every time he visit the orphanage, he would end up talking to Uriel. That little boy intrigued him greatly. He seemed to have been of noble birth but that hardly mattered. Most nobles were only in name by then; there were few with fortunes to back their rank.

He was holding the boy's hand as they took a stroll around the small garden. In the few short weeks, they had become sort-of friends. Uriel would wait eagerly for Jezebel to visit and would pout and coerce the doctor into staying longer than he planned. Most of the time, Uriel was his usually sunny self but today…

"What's wrong?" asked Jezebel as they stepped into the shade of a tree and were hidden from the rest of the yard.

The boy seemed so morose and sad. He raised his head to look at Jezebel and the doctor was surprise to see traces of tears hiding in those clear silver eyes. "I…"

Jezebel knelt down so that they were face to face. Gently, he stroked a stray strand of silver from the boy's face. "What's wrong, Uriel?" he asked softly. "You know you can tell me anything."

"It hurts," whispered the boy almost soundlessly. He looked down, biting hard on his lower lip.

"Where does it hurt?" asked Jezebel, getting a little worried. Was Uriel sick? Did he injure himself? Did someone hit him?

"Here," replied Uriel, pressing one hand to his chest. He gazed at Jezebel with tears in his lovely eyes. "It hurts here. My heart hurts."

Now the doctor was very, very alarmed. A heart problem?! "When does it hurt?"" he inquired further, trying hard to keep his cool. What was wrong with poor Uriel?

"When you leave," was the whispered reply. "When night falls and the cock crows thrice [1]. When I am alone."

Jezebel nearly laughed in relief. So that was it.

"Will you stay longer, Jezebel?" asked the boy softly. "Please? Will you stay forever?"

"I'm sorry, kid, I've got a job to do, you know," replied Jezebel, smiling slightly. So this was another delay tactic. His smile faded when the boy turned away and began to cry. He shook his head, then patted the boy's head. "I'll be back tomorrow, I always am."

"But that's too late…"

Such cryptic comments from such a young child. "What do you mean by that?" asked Jezebel, frowning now. Uriel started to answer, then abruptly fell silent, staring at someone behind the doctor. Jezebel turned.

"Good afternoon, doctor," said the smiling Father. "Having a chat with one of the boys, I see?"

"Yes, good Father," replied Jezebel smiling ever so faintly. "Just talking, don't worry. I'm going off soon anyway."

Uriel hid behind him, grabbing tightly onto his coat. Jezebel looked back in annoyance. "I know you like talking to me but I really have to go."

"But I have something important…"

"Tomorrow, Uriel, tomorrow," said Jezebel firmly. He glanced at his watch and shook his head. "I really must leave now or I shall be late. See you!"

He totally missed the shattered look on the boy's face.

~+~+~+~

He loved churches. It was fun to listen to the lies being preached. The boy liked churches for another reason. He hated the boy. Stupid creature. As if God has ever loved his creations. And that monster disliked churches. That was the only reason why he did not mind that stupid boy visiting churches. It annoyed the demon.

Looks like the boy isn't such a great avatar, huh?

He laughed, a cruel, malicious sound. The boy shivered slightly but did not know that the cold came from within.

~+~+~+~

He had left some important documents at the orphanage. Jezebel cursed himself as he hurried back. It was already near midnight, damn it! He should have been more careful with those things. However, he was always distracted when he was with Uriel. Laughing cynically to himself, he scaled the wall, since the gates were locked at this time of night. In the distant, a cock was crowing, once, twice, three times…

A strangled sob made him pause in his step. What the…? He softened his tread instinctively, falling back into the deep shadows. The moon was waning but the semi-circle provided just enough illumination for Jezebel to navigate the familiar grounds. Carefully, he walked toward the origin of the sound. It was in the main building. He crept in silently. Shock.

In a patch of moonlight, there lay a creature that might have come from the moon itself. Long, silvery hair tumbled loose over the slender, pale body. However, there was a pool of dark liquid beneath the ethereal creature and it seemed to be crying. Like a fairy straight out of a storybook or a nymph… no, it was a child. Beside that beautiful angel was a man, dressed in the brown habit of the monks who ran the orphanage, finishing his dressing. What had gone on prior to Jezebel's arrival? The young doctor could guess.

"Hey, you!" he called, running forward. The dark figure seemed to start at his voice, then sprinted away, as swift as a deer. Jezebel would have followed but for the fact that there was a child bleeding and naked on the cold stone floor. He knelt before the child and the kid looked up.

There was such sorrow in those silver eyes, coupled with fear. "Uriel…" Jezebel felt sick, terribly sick. Was this what Uriel had been trying to tell him? Was this why Uriel wanted him to remain? And he had just brushed the boy off. He was such an insensitive jerk.

"It… it hurts," whispered the boy faintly. "Jezebel, don't leave. Make them stop…"

"Who?"

"Take me away from here… "

A noise startled Jezebel and he spun around. For a moment, he thought he saw the fires of hell and blood red feathers. There was a boy there, watching them. He looked about fifteen with jet-black hair that hung dead straight down to his shoulder. From his dressing, he was rich. Who? Why was he here?

"You're here…" Uriel was now staring at the youth. In his eyes shone such joy and adoration, love.

"But it seems that I am too late," said the youth softly. His voice was filled with sorrow and regret, a silky sound. Then, he faced Jezebel. "And you…"

"Who are you?" demanded the doctor, moving into a defensive position.

"You can call me Hikaru," said the youth quietly. "Now step aside. He's mine."

Jezebel's eyes narrowed but Hikaru just brushed past him. He spun to protest but the words died before they reached his mouth. He stared in disbelief and awe at the vision before him.

An angel with pure white wings lay on the cold floor reaching out to a demon with a single red wing. Their hands met and clasped each other desperately. "I'm sorry," whispered the creature known as Hikaru. Uriel gazed up at him then suddenly turned to face Jezebel, reaching out with his radiant hand. It was over. The vision was gone. The dead child lay on the cold stone floor, the youth staring morosely at the corpse.

Jezebel was kneeling still, staring at the pair of them with wide eyes. His mind was blank save for one thought. "He's dead."

"Jezebel," called Hikaru. He sauntered over, flicking off the silent tears rolling down the doctor's face. Violet eyes slowly raised up to look at him. A curious expression crossed his face for a moment, then, it was gone and he spoke. "Did you love him?"

"Yes," came the strangled reply. "As I would love my own child."

"Do you want to be able to protect him?"

Thoughtlessly, recklessly, Jezebel gave his answer. "Yes." He was making a deal with the devil. That, he knew perfectly well. "I want make up for what I failed to do. I want to keep him from harm." Who cares? Uriel was worth his soul.

A strange sort of smile spread over Hikaru's face. "Come with me."

So he went.

~+~+~+~

That monster was pissed but could not do anything about him, not anymore. That stupid boy was cracking and he was regaining some control. It amused him to scare the shit out of that gentle boy. Well, being a professional killer did wonders to allow his release. Soon, that boy would be no more and that monster would have to find a new host. He smirked, mocking the demon.

I will get rid of you yet!

~+~+~+~

"Are you the devil?"

"Hell, no! Pretty nice fellow but he's always bitching and whining about having been cast out of heaven," replied Hikaru, laughing.

Jezebel shook his head. "I don't see how you can be so happy after Uriel… after Uriel died," he said quietly. "And how is it that he's an angel? And why do you even care? You're a devil, aren't you? Not THE Devil but A devil?"

"Smart boy," commented Hikaru, still sounding very amused. "Yes, I am a devil or demon from Hell. As to why Uriel is an angel and why I care, that's going to take a little explaining." They were both sitting in his coach, going God knows where. Oh, wait. Perhaps that should have been 'devil knows where'? "By the way, love, you're already bound. I'm just bringing you home to make you a little comfortable before I proceed with the next step of it."

Next step? Of what? Did it really matter? No. Jezebel merely nodded, then stared into space.

"He's being punished," explained Hikaru, voice suddenly sombre. "Once, long ago, Uriel was one of the sweetest and purest of angels. Then, I met him. If I had not fallen, it would have been, literally, a match made in heaven. He was accused of… how should I put it? Fucking the enemy." Jezebel winced at the choice of words. "But he was still pure, mentally, spiritually, if not physically. They could not just let him fall. Instead, they decided to be 'merciful'. They sent his soul down to earth to be reincarnated over and over again. In each life, he dies young and violently."

"That… hardly sounds fair," interrupted Jezebel tentatively. "If heaven is filled with love, why would they punish love?"

"Two logical fallacies there, my dear doctor," corrected Hikaru, smirking. "One, heaven is loveless. How else would they keep things in order up there? Two, of course they would punish love! They just slap a title to the 'love', calling it lust or greed or gluttony, then declare it a sin."

Well, he had never seen it that way before. "Please, go on," he urged politely. "With you tale?"

"What more is there to say?" sighed Hikaru. "I search for his soul life after life in an attempt to keep him from harm. Sometimes, I succeed but his form now is only human. Death is inevitable."

"One more… make that two more questions? One, why have we stopped? Two, what are you planning to do with me?" asked Jezebel. It was… a sad story. Poor Uriel.

"Want a simple answer? One, we're here. Two, something."

"That explains A LOT," snapped Jezebel sarcastically. Hikaru looked at him from under his black bangs.

"I am not obliged to explain anything," the demon pointed out. "But out of respect for you, I am explaining. However, I still have a choice of how much I want to say to you."

He could say nothing about that. Silently, Jezebel followed Hikaru into the huge mansion sprawled before them. They went up the stairs to the second level and down the hallway. A few confusing turns later, they were at a gigantic bedroom. Jezebel stared at the lavish decorations, a little envious. Hikaru shut the doors behind them with a soft click, making Jezebel turn to face him.

"Before you start asking questions again, my dear doctor, I will be explaining what I'm planning to do with you. Have a seat," said Hikaru, gesturing to the bed. Once he saw that Jezebel was comfortably settled, he continued. "I want to bind your soul to Uriel's so that you will be near him wherever and whenever his is born again. I will give your soul immortality and a limited ability to heal whatever body you are in. You will be able to seek out dying people and take over their bodies with their consent and utilise the body until Uriel dies or until the limits of you healing ability is reached."

"Wait a second! You're saying you're going to turn me into some kind of wandering spirit?"

Hikaru met his eye coolly. "Yes," he answered firmly. "Not that you have a choice in this matter." Suddenly, Hikaru was standing over Jezebel, shoving the doctor onto his back on the bed.

"What are you…?!"

"Hush, my dear doctor," whispered Hikaru, staring down intensely into Jezebel's eyes. The doctor shivered. "Step one was your verbal contract. Step two is the conversion. Hold still, this may hurt…"

~+~+~+~

I want to grab him and fling him down and rape him. Something so pure exists to be corrupted. I want him crying, screaming under me. I want to hurt him, to whip him, to cut him, to kill him. Spread red blood on his lovely white skin…

The boy is disturbed at the thoughts. He laughed at the stupid boy. Poor little figment of imagination. The monster was not pleased. He merely laughed some more. That lovely creature standing by the bed was the object of all their desires. It was how they desired him that differed. The devil was surprisingly loving toward the moonlit nymph, like a parent watching over a child. The boy, despite his protests, was definitely falling in love. And he, of course, he desired to corrupt the innocent darling.

I want him.

~+~+~+~

Jezebel took a few deep breaths, trying hard to stop himself from crying again. Hikaru was stroking him apologetically. It helped, a little. At least… at least the worst was over.

"Lovely, are you feeling all right?" inquired Hikaru. "I must say, you took that rather well."

"I think I am fine," whispered Jezebel hoarsely in reply.

"Good, we can now move onto step three."

Step… Three?! Jezebel stared up at the demon. A hand plunged through his ribcage and he screamed. It wrapped around his heart and…

He stared down at his body laying dead on the bed. He… died?

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it, my dear doctor?" asked Hikaru, looking up at him.

"You killed me…" murmured Jezebel in shock. "You just…"

"Of course I did," said Hikaru, brushing the comment off. "Now, get back into your body and start practising."

~+~+~+~

He called himself Siberian when taunting the boy. Of course, he had been around far longer than the name 'Siberian'. The devil called himself Jezebel. That moonlit nymph seemed to recognise the devil, even hidden within the boy. He fought to take over the body, just for awhile, as the beautiful creature sat down on the bed beside him.

~+~+~+~

"Is Jezebel still angry with Uriel?" asked Uriel timidly.

"It's 2 am, Uriel. What are you doing here?" demanded Kushin. Truth be told, he was uneasy with being alone with Uriel. Something in him was screaming for him to hurt the dear child and he was not sure that he could contain it.

"Sorry," whispered Uriel, biting his lip. "I didn't mean to…"

Kushin sighed. "It's okay, Uriel," he said gently. "I'm not angry with you, not anymore. I can't be angry with you. As for earlier on, I was just upset that you would lie to me."

"I won't do it again, I promise," said Uriel very, very quietly. "I'm sorry." He lay down beside Kushin, in spite of the straps criss-crossing the bed.

Jezebel said: It's okay.

Kushin said: Sleep now, love.

Siberian said: *nothing* He wasn't allowed to speak.

Two bodies and four people lay on the bed that night.

Goodnight.

________

A/N: And that's all. Next chapter in my head, screaming to be written now. See you guys soon.