Disclaimer: In no way do I claim any rights to the characters of the Suikoden series. I do not own them, nor did I have any hand in creating them. Please don't sue as I don't have any money and just want to write a fanfic.
Only in Dreams
By: Chibi Nataku
Author's Note: Speech that starts with ' instead of " means mental talking. If a conversation is going on between Yuber and the Rune, it is purely in his mind, and assume that no one else is aware of the conversation, but can see any emotion that is displayed openly by the Rune-bearer.
Chapter 10 - Destiny's Dream Awakened
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Yuber felt a smirk pull at his lips as he stepped from the main dirt road, his gaze following the mostly hidden trail that left off into the woods. He glanced back to the small town of Kalekka, watching the villagers carry on their normal business as if they had never seen him at all. Yet, it was the villagers that had directed him to where his lover now resided. He was finally back to where he could hold Mia in his arms, a thought that had actually pulled him from his other activities.
After leaving the World of Emptiness, he had wandered various parts of the land, mostly to show off his new suit of armour. Of course, once he was back to the world of his birth, he simply had to join in on the border skirmish that was taking place, not really caring who he killed so long as a body fell at his feet after his blade lashed out. He had managed to decimate both sides, even while he was still wounded from his encounter with Natas, but then again, his mentor had always said that mere mortals were weak. With Natas gone, he knew just how right the Black Knight had been.
He savoured every drop of blood that hit his face, his actions some of the ones he was only starting to use. By the end of the battle, it was clear that he was on no one's side and was merely there for the sake of killing people. It was then that most of the warriors turned and ran when he came too close; Yuber merely brought forth a few creatures from the World of Emptiness to hold such people down while he took his time getting over to the pinned warrior's location. He made sure to leave nothing in the battlefield alive, except those who were on their deathbeds as it was. He would let those individuals suffer the long, painful process of death, taking some time to watch no particular individual die slowly, occasionally giggling like a child when he would poke the grievous wound to hear a cry of pain.
Never before the passing of Natas had he admitted, even to himself, that he felt quite at home wandering the blood-soaked fields were fierce battles took place. He felt himself being more and more drawn towards the fuelled anger, pain, and screams of battle, wanting to sit quietly while men killed their fellows reading a book, just listening to the sounds of male cries as if it were the finest music ever created. It had not been before the passing of Natas that he had dared wander the fields of death alone, mostly because the other man made such adventures more enjoyable if only because of his company. There had always been a certain, unmistakable charm to battle when Natas was around, even when he had been dragged against his will as was usually the case in the beginning.
Still, he remained long after the dying had long since passed on, listening intently to silence that was thick with memory. His gaze had turned skyward, a playful smirk pulling at his features as he watched the stars of night waking from a dormant sleep beneath the watchful gaze of the sun. His eyes moved over the deepening night, a cool breeze picking up around him to blow his cloak.
Soon, he found his gaze flicking to the glowing fireflies of night, their softly glowing bodies reminding him of times that were not so filled with war. Deep in the past, he remembered watching the very same creatures with his sisters, smiling carefree as they ran among the vast fields of wheat. Then again, he would watch the fireflies with Mia, and she would tell him wondrous stories of heroes of the past and how such warriors now resided in the skies to watch over the people in the form of stars. Yet, he had stood in a blooded field not so long ago with Natas at his side, their gazes moving to the sky in unison as stars fell from the black depths of night; they had remained in companionable silence together, as if friends of old.
Yet, on this night, he could find no comfort among the stars. He was alone to watch them on this night, a feeling that he had long forgotten, simply because their had always been someone who wanted to take care of him and teach him. Now, all those people were long in the past, dead or otherwise. On this night, his only company was the bodies around him, something that had made him remember that only those who hunted in packs were weaker than those who hunted alone. Perhaps all of his nights from now on would be as silent and cold as this one.
No, Mia was waiting for him. He simply knew that she would wait until the very stars themselves could shine no longer. His lover had always been waiting the shine light in the shadows of his mind. Mia had promised that she would wait, and he had promised that he would someday return to her. He knew that the tug of cool wind set his direction towards his lover once more, and he turned and followed that breeze into the night, disappearing like the shadow he had become from the history of the previous battle.
And so here he stood, a smooth smirk set across his lips as he walked slowly through the woods towards where Mia would be waiting. His gloved hand reached out to brush a branch of blue pine from his face, slipping off the path to travel among the trees, his cloak moving before him to investigate the mostly hidden path before him. He moved silently between the cedars, pines, and conifers, stopping when the faint candle light from a window of a cabin appeared from between some of the trees.
His paced quickened, leaving stealth for a more unceremonious approach to his lover. He stopped when he had stepped out from the darkened trees, gaze moving about the area to make sure that Mia was not waiting to ambush him like she had always been good at doing. When he could pick nothing that bothered his keen senses, he moved carefully towards the door, slowly lifting a hand to rap on the solid wood that blocked his view from his lover. His fist fell heavily on the dark brown wood, one of the first real sounds he had made in a long time. He stood and waited, becoming almost suddenly flustered that his appearance would somehow be unappealing.
Yet, all such thoughts faded back as the door opened and the shocked face of Mia stood staring at him. He smiled gently, outstretching his arms to take his lover into his arms, not surprised when the ebony-haired woman nearly flew into his grasp. He chuckled when she burst into tears against him, slowly rocking his lover to calm her. He allowed her to pull away and smile at him, tears still streaming from her eyes. "I'm back, Mia. I apologize for the extended period of time that I was away for. I hope you didn't worry too much about me." He smiled playfully, following Mia inside when she merely smiled and beckoned him to follow her.
"I'm so glad..." Mia finally managed to choke out between her tears. The last week had been so trying on her, first with Pesmerga returning to her life and now Yuber. She felt as if her heart might explode with pride, seeing both of the men she had resided with grown into such fine gentlemen. She hugged Yuber again, content just to hold her love, surprised at his change in appearance, much as she had been with Pesmerga. "I've missed you so much, Yuber."
Yuber grinned and removed his black helmet, setting the metal down on the slanting wooden table. "Well, I'm back now to stay, Mia."
Mia gasped as she looked up at her lover's face, a hand raising to touch the tremendous bruise that covered the blonde's left cheek. "You're hurt!"
"Oh...don't worry, it's nothing really. I got it...sparring awhile back, and I didn't bother getting it looked at. It will heal with time." Yuber smiled innocently, having almost completely forgotten about the last gift Natas had given him in their battle. He had grown used to the dull ache and sometimes sharp pains that made him wince during his travels. Still, he did not really feel like stopping to heal the wound properly, but he did not resist when Mia forced him to sit so that she could look at his wound.
Mia touched the bruise softly, coming to the quick conclusion that such a wound would not have happened during a simple spar. Still, she remained silent to her unanswered questions and instead, placed her right palm against is cheek, summoning up the healing powers of the water rune, sighing as the bone reset and the swelling disappeared. Slowly, she opened her eyes to take a look at her lover, a fond smile tugging at her lips at his now almost constant smirk. It was good to see him in such good health.
Yuber leaned down and nuzzled his lover fondly, breathing in her familiar scent before wrapping her in a warm hug, blinking in slight confusion when her body seemed to refuse to fit to his like it used to. At first he thought it may be his armour, but after careful study of Mia's position against him, he came to his own conclusions, slowly pulling away to confirm his suspicions. 'Oh...Oh. Oh!' He knew that he looked completely flustered, mostly because Mia giggled and stroked his cheek, attempting to calm quickly rising adrenaline.
'No better than Miku...Breeding like rabbits seems to be the only thing that you filthy mortal creatures are good at.' The Eightfold Rune grumbled in exasperation as the blonde's mind seemed to freeze and skip normal thought. The spider occasionally poked at Yuber's mind, hoping for some entertainment for the situation, returning to grumbling when the blonde merely sat completely dumbfounded. 'This is great. The ultimate being of the True Runes is stalled because he managed to breed.' It slapped the blonde again, slowing forcing Yuber to respond to it. 'Come now boy, you can take whole armies alone, take care of a hundred-year-old demon, wield a power greater than mortal can imagine, and cause world-destruction when you awaken, but an unborn child makes you a complete moron. I never thought I'd see the day when absolute human stupidity reached such a limit...You never cease to amaze me, boy, and don't take that as a compliment.' The Eightfold Rune felt the blonde's mind stirring to retaliate against it and chuckled to itself. 'Keep this up and I'll kill you myself, boy.'
Yuber shoved the Eightfold Rune away and sat silent, slowly calculating how long it would be until his child made an appearance. He felt torn now, one half of himself overjoyed that he would be a father and be able to raise his child, yet the other half seemed to take a much colder stand-point that a child would be just another weakness in his life that needed his attention. He was unsure if he was ready to lose his new-found independence again to take care of lesser being that would cling to him for more years than he would admit to himself. He found part of himself screaming in anger at this new turn of events, wanting to run out in another battlefield and take this anger out on some pitiful human. 'A child will slow me down.'
The True Rune blinked its eight eyes separately, contemplating its next move. The blonde was torn with this new turn of events, something that it could use to its own advantage. He could feel the less human side of Yuber rebelling to the idea of having to stick around to raise a child, calling for blood at his own stupidity. Yet, the other, much quieter part, glowed contently, slowly mounding around the idea of fatherhood. It slowly ushered away from that part of the blonde, instead moving much closer to the angered side. 'Are you really ready to be tied down to a mortal child? This is like selling your soul on the open market for anyone to pick up. You don't even know what the beast will look like. It's too dangerous for us to remain in one place for long, boy. Dharma could be waiting to kill you at any moment, leaving that child fatherless anyway. Better to leave now so it doesn't have a chance to get attached to you.'
Yuber felt himself recoil at the thought of abandoning Mia again, yet, he could not deny the nagging feeling that his opposite walked in the shadows behind him, quickly catching up on him. He could now see why Natas refused to be attached to any creature, mostly because the same dilemma would have cracked the Black Knight's mind in half like it was doing him. Yet, as he stared at Mia, he already knew his mind was made up; for the betterment of his lover and their child, he would be forced to leave her again, if only to protect them both from the entity of Order. He would never be able to tell when his opposite would strike, unless he found Dharma first and destroyed his only rival. To destroy Dharma would leave Mia out of harms way.
Mia tilted her head to the side, not very surprised as Yuber's face turned into a torrent of emotion. She had expected as much from him. For him to have returned to her at such a time, left him in a very bad position, yet there was nothing that she could have done to make this information easier for him to digest. Still, she would force herself to welcome him no matter the position he took on their unborn child. "Yuber...?"
Yuber met Mia's worried gaze equally, nodding to himself slowly. He forced a smile on his face, taking one of his lover's hands in his own, placing a soft kiss on the palm. "It is so good to see you again. However...I cannot stay too long, Mia. I have an enemy who is relentless in his search for me, and unless I destroy him first, he could try and attack you and our child..."
"And why would I do that to my own sister, accursed Shield?"
Yuber instinctive went for his helmet, his leg shooting out to knock the metal into the air, slipping to the left as the black metal settling back on his head as he called his sword to his hand. He felt his cloak moving to surround Mia in protection as his unveiled gaze locked with softly glowing golden eyes. He felt a smirk pull at his lips as Pesmerga stepped up from the shadows of a window and the True Rune in his right hand send excited shivers up his arm. He was more than a little disturbed at the physical similarities between himself and the ebony-haired young man standing in front of him. He remained silent as he took in the other man.
Mia's older adoptive brother was equally his height, facial features and hair-styles so similar to his own that anyone passing by would have assumed that they were twins. Strong in build, silent in demeanor, it was obvious that Pesmerga was in this room to offer the same kind of protection to Mia that Yuber was giving. Long ebony hair trailed down Pesmerga's back, it length equal to Yuber's blonde locks. Possibly the most disturbing part of the other man's appearance was the duplicate armour, all except the rich deep yellow cape. The same smirk marked Pesmerga's features as it normally did his own.
Pesmerga took another step into the room, eyeing the only creature that mattered right now because should that creature managed to transcend, the world itself would shudder and the balance of the True Runes would forever be altered. His gaze shifted from the blonde to his younger sister who appeared to be studying their similar appearances with some shock. "Though we have never met before, I know you as if you were my own brother. I suppose that we could be called brothers, but our relationship ends with that. We are out for completely different goals, you for destruction, me for stopping you. Lucky for you, I have patience, and I knew you appear here sooner or later. It was just a matter of time, and when the star known as Natas flickered and faded, I knew you would appear here and so here you are, just a predicted."
Yuber felt his eyes narrow in irritation. "Nice speech, Pesmerga. I take it you wish to bore me to death?" He smirked when the other Black Knight glared at him and brushed blonde bangs back into place under his helmet. "Not interested in your speeches. I think you've overstayed your welcome, though. Don't make me throw you out of this house." Yuber felt his eyes flicker gold as he raised his sword. "Nothing would please me more than killing you right here and now, but I don't want to get Mia's floor dirty with your blood."
"Hmmm, much too cocky. I'll be sure to make you grovel at my feet before I finish you off." Pesmerga called his sword to hand, raising it before beckoning the blonde to attack him. He was a little miffed when Yuber merely stood watching him, as if studying him. He shouted angrily when the blonde suddenly burst into laughter and ran from the house, cackling like a complete lunatic, taunting him. He immediately gave chase, slipping into the shadows as laughter echoed around the forest. "This is not what I was told he would be like...Much too nice. Still, I must kill him to protect both myself and my sister."
Yuber teleported into the front lawn, perching on the axe buried into brittle wood, his cape bellowing out in its search to capture Pesmerga. He felt power crackle around him, the symbol of his childhood murders flaring to life beneath his helmet. The trees around him began to groan and bend away at the push of his power before finally falling as their trucks exploded, sending a shower of splitters around him. The axe beneath his boots began to shift colour and shape, taking on a constantly shifting look. Spirits of the forests retreated away desperately, all letting out high-pitched screams in an attempt to ward off his power.
Casually, he stepped from his shifting pedestal, foot touching steps that formed from the air until his feet touched the ground, green grass rippling in and out of existence before finally flattening against the ground. His golden gaze shifted around the clearing, searching out the other Black Knight. "Come out...Come out, wherever you dare hide from me."
Pesmerga cursed as the blonde started to blow up random trees that had yet to hit the ground. He clenched his fists to repress his own power, not wanting to completely render his sister's house to rubble. Still, he was finding his options very limited with Yuber moving in his direction, as if aware of his position; the blonde was making simple combat difficult in a higher state of being. "I have to stop him from doing that...He's much too dangerous expelling that much chaos." He looked down in his left hand, closing his eyes as a small light flickered to life in his palm. "I have no choice...Mia...forgive me."
Yuber gaze immediately found Pesmerga when the ebony-haired man stepped out from behind a quickly buckling tree. A cocky smirk easily worked across his lips as he turned to regard the other Black Knight, sword casually floating at his shoulder. "You have the look of a pitiful human, Pesmerga. Why don't you show me your power? I showed you mine."
"Stop prattling, Yuber! You want me, come and get me!" Pesmerga gasped when the blonde's eyes flashed angrily, groaning as he slammed back against a tree, pinned by the blonde's power. He clenched his teeth as Yuber advanced towards him, beginning to shake with concentration to merely keep his own power from exploding outwards. 'Just... a... little... closer... stupid... blonde...'
Yuber smirked at his easy win over Pesmerga. He would have surely thought that his opposite would have put up more of a fight against him. Still, he was always prepared to take the life of such a useless creature. He eventually stopped when he was a few feet from the other Black Knight, his mind wondering what he was supposed to do now that he had Pesmerga. He took another step closer, calling his sword to strike seconds before the Eightfold Rune screamed in the back of his mind. 'It's a bloody trap, boy! Get out of here!' Yuber let out a cry as he was suddenly blown back, groaning as slammed hard against a tree, the symbol of his forehead disappearing as he fell to his knees. Again, he became distracted with the nearly incoherent screams of the Eightfold Rune. 'Run! Get away from here! He means to rob us of our power! Flee!'
Yuber wasn't too sure if he want to yell more at the Eightfold Rune for distracting him from reacting or Pesmerga for tackling him and pinning him to the ground. He decided that the ebony-haired man was more in need of his attention, especially since Pesmerga seemed more than a little determined to rip his helmet off, practically tearing away the metal along with any hair that managed to get caught in the other Black Knight's hands. He attempted to thrown Pesmerga off of him, but found his arms pinned by the ebony-haired man's armoured knees. He growled and threw one of his knees forward, smirking in slight saticfaction as the other Black Knight grunted and jolted forward. "Get off of me!" He finally just screamed.
Pesmerga glanced back at Yuber drew his knee back for another shot at him, lifting a fist and punching the blonde across the face. He drew back as the blonde's cape attempted to grab his arm, letting out a small surprised groan as Yuber's knee again impacted with his back, sending him forward again. He reached out and caught the nearby tree, his gaze locking with the blonde's angered blue one, eyebrows creasing at the sight of a strange spider pacing deep in the other man's consciousness. "You...have a True Rune?" He asked softly, not too aware of the question until is sprang from his lips.
Yuber was a bit caught off guard with the pity in the other man's voice before finally just settling with glaring at Pesmerga. "Who cares if I do. You won't live long enough to see its power." He again slammed his knee into the other Black Knight's back, watching as Pesmerga grunted and tried to keep hold of him. "You know you can't win."
Pesmerga smiled and shook his head at the blonde beneath him. "I don't need to win. I just need to seal your symbol." He felt his smile turn into a smirk at the sudden panicked look that overtook the blonde's features. He shoved off the tree that he had been supporting himself with and sighed heavily, placing his left palm on Yuber's forehead. He felt the blonde go rigid beneath him, a small whimper escaping the pinned Black Knight's lips before Yuber went completely limp. He slowly removed his palm, turning it over to watch the small shield symbol float silently. He lifted his hand towards the stars. "Begone! Back to Fate who walks among the stars!" He sighed heavily as the symbol disintegrated into shifting light before taking off to the sky.
He looked down at the blonde whose blue eyes were open but glazed over and completely unseeing. Pesmerga climbed to his feet, leaving the blonde to recover as best as he could, turning to return to his sister's house. He stopped a few feet from the house, his saddened gaze on his sister who stood shaking in the doorway. "Mia..." He glanced back at Yuber who remained motionless. "He is alive, Mia. Give him a few days, and he'll recover fine. Nothing will have changed...except for his level of power."
Mia looked between her brother and her fallen lover, shocked with the display that they had shown only moments before. She felt silent tears slip down her cheeks as she stared at Pesmerga, unsure of how to react to him. Certainly nothing had really changed between them except for the fact that Pesmerga and Yuber were destined to kill one another, just like the Eightfold spider had once told her. She locked gazes with her brother, searching him for answers that he was unwilling to give in words. They seemed to stare at one another for a long time, the silence of the night finally filling over the terror and destruction that had taken place only moments before.
Pesmerga smiled warmly at his sister, glad that she had silently forgiven him for his action against the blonde. His smile faltered moments before he dropped to his knees in pain, looking down to find a black armoured gloved hand protruding from his chest. Shakily, he looked behind him to confirm Yuber's wakefulness, letting out a shriek of pain as the blonde activated a lightning rune. He could only vaguely hear Mia's scream, yet the blonde's soft, mocking chuckle was as clear as his pain. He groaned in weak pain as the arm in his chest lifted him back to his feet, the blonde's other arm wrapping around his neck. "...How...?"
"That was not very nice of you..." Yuber whispered softly in Pesmerga's left ear, slowly switching side to whisper in the ebony-haired man's other ear. "I am not generally a vengeful man, but what you did makes me think that our relationship will always be a rocky one...brother." He hissed the last word as if it were a curse. He shifted his arm around the other Black Knight's neck, the tips of his fingers touching Pesmerga's forehead. He whispered a soft word, smirking as Pesmerga body went rigid against him, a small cry escaping the ebony-haired man's lips as the small symbol of the sword appeared. He left the symbol go, watching it as it slowly floated up towards the heavens, Pesmerga's body slumping heavily against his own. "An eye for an eye... brother." He smirked and placed a soft kiss on the back of Pesmerga's neck. "And then some...." He ripped his hand from the other Black Knight's chest, grabbing Pesmerga's right hand in his own. He felt the ebony-haired man begin to struggle against him, his gaze leaving Pesmerga to fall on Mia who stood in frozen horror. "Don't worry, my love. I will be finished with him very soon."
Mia slowly shook her head at her lover. "Yuber...stop. Please...stop! Don't fight! I beg you!"
Yuber ignored the nearly hysterical cries of his lover, turning his attention back to Pesmerga, whose struggles were becoming increasingly panicked. He concentrated on the True Rune in his hand, searching out power that would amuse him, quickly finding a little trick that not even the spider would know about, mostly because it was combining his power with the power of the True Runes. He smirked as Pesmerga opened his mouth to scream, yet no sound emerged, the other Black Knight's body starting to convulse before finally going completely limp. Yuber released his hold on Pesmerga, letting the ebony-haired man fall the ground, instead keeping his gaze on the pulsating light in his right hand. "Don't worry, brother. You won't need this anytime soon. Perhaps next time we can spend some actual quality time together."
He turned on his heel and started to walk away, stopping when Mia called to him. He felt his shoulders slump in defeat and slowly turned to regard his lover. He felt his cruel, cold exterior melt with her hopeless look of defeat. He took a step towards her, wanting to hold her in his arms more than anything, yet he denied himself such privileges. "Mia, I'm so sorry. I never wanted anything like this to happen, but there is nothing that can be done about it. Humans are ruled over by the power of Fate. We walk the path of destiny that has been set out before our feet. It is a force that cannot be denied, much to my own dismay, but...we can't change destiny. I must walk my path now. We will meet again, I'm sure."
"Y...ub...er...?"
Yuber turned away from Mia, his cape flowing out behind him. "Tell Pesmerga when he wakes up that if he wants what I took from him back, he'll have to kill me for it."
Mia looked down at her fallen brother then back at Yuber who was walking away from her, shaking her head in denial of the events that had transpired. She slowly approached Pesmerga's side, bending to take her brother in her arms, her gaze moving to the path that lead away from her home. "What did you take, Yuber?" She called, her voice shaking. She was not sure what her lover could have taken from Pesmerga that would make her brother pursue him.
"Oh, nothing much." Yuber called back. "It's not as if he needs a soul anyway, especially not where I'll be sending him."
TBC...
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Oh...I'm not too sure if I like how things worked out, but I guess I will work with what I wrote down. Just so that everyone is aware of it (and it will be explained in the coming chapter), but there is a reason for Yuber's sudden personality shift (makes crazy motions with her hands). Tell me what you think of it!
Only in Dreams
By: Chibi Nataku
Author's Note: Speech that starts with ' instead of " means mental talking. If a conversation is going on between Yuber and the Rune, it is purely in his mind, and assume that no one else is aware of the conversation, but can see any emotion that is displayed openly by the Rune-bearer.
Chapter 10 - Destiny's Dream Awakened
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Yuber felt a smirk pull at his lips as he stepped from the main dirt road, his gaze following the mostly hidden trail that left off into the woods. He glanced back to the small town of Kalekka, watching the villagers carry on their normal business as if they had never seen him at all. Yet, it was the villagers that had directed him to where his lover now resided. He was finally back to where he could hold Mia in his arms, a thought that had actually pulled him from his other activities.
After leaving the World of Emptiness, he had wandered various parts of the land, mostly to show off his new suit of armour. Of course, once he was back to the world of his birth, he simply had to join in on the border skirmish that was taking place, not really caring who he killed so long as a body fell at his feet after his blade lashed out. He had managed to decimate both sides, even while he was still wounded from his encounter with Natas, but then again, his mentor had always said that mere mortals were weak. With Natas gone, he knew just how right the Black Knight had been.
He savoured every drop of blood that hit his face, his actions some of the ones he was only starting to use. By the end of the battle, it was clear that he was on no one's side and was merely there for the sake of killing people. It was then that most of the warriors turned and ran when he came too close; Yuber merely brought forth a few creatures from the World of Emptiness to hold such people down while he took his time getting over to the pinned warrior's location. He made sure to leave nothing in the battlefield alive, except those who were on their deathbeds as it was. He would let those individuals suffer the long, painful process of death, taking some time to watch no particular individual die slowly, occasionally giggling like a child when he would poke the grievous wound to hear a cry of pain.
Never before the passing of Natas had he admitted, even to himself, that he felt quite at home wandering the blood-soaked fields were fierce battles took place. He felt himself being more and more drawn towards the fuelled anger, pain, and screams of battle, wanting to sit quietly while men killed their fellows reading a book, just listening to the sounds of male cries as if it were the finest music ever created. It had not been before the passing of Natas that he had dared wander the fields of death alone, mostly because the other man made such adventures more enjoyable if only because of his company. There had always been a certain, unmistakable charm to battle when Natas was around, even when he had been dragged against his will as was usually the case in the beginning.
Still, he remained long after the dying had long since passed on, listening intently to silence that was thick with memory. His gaze had turned skyward, a playful smirk pulling at his features as he watched the stars of night waking from a dormant sleep beneath the watchful gaze of the sun. His eyes moved over the deepening night, a cool breeze picking up around him to blow his cloak.
Soon, he found his gaze flicking to the glowing fireflies of night, their softly glowing bodies reminding him of times that were not so filled with war. Deep in the past, he remembered watching the very same creatures with his sisters, smiling carefree as they ran among the vast fields of wheat. Then again, he would watch the fireflies with Mia, and she would tell him wondrous stories of heroes of the past and how such warriors now resided in the skies to watch over the people in the form of stars. Yet, he had stood in a blooded field not so long ago with Natas at his side, their gazes moving to the sky in unison as stars fell from the black depths of night; they had remained in companionable silence together, as if friends of old.
Yet, on this night, he could find no comfort among the stars. He was alone to watch them on this night, a feeling that he had long forgotten, simply because their had always been someone who wanted to take care of him and teach him. Now, all those people were long in the past, dead or otherwise. On this night, his only company was the bodies around him, something that had made him remember that only those who hunted in packs were weaker than those who hunted alone. Perhaps all of his nights from now on would be as silent and cold as this one.
No, Mia was waiting for him. He simply knew that she would wait until the very stars themselves could shine no longer. His lover had always been waiting the shine light in the shadows of his mind. Mia had promised that she would wait, and he had promised that he would someday return to her. He knew that the tug of cool wind set his direction towards his lover once more, and he turned and followed that breeze into the night, disappearing like the shadow he had become from the history of the previous battle.
And so here he stood, a smooth smirk set across his lips as he walked slowly through the woods towards where Mia would be waiting. His gloved hand reached out to brush a branch of blue pine from his face, slipping off the path to travel among the trees, his cloak moving before him to investigate the mostly hidden path before him. He moved silently between the cedars, pines, and conifers, stopping when the faint candle light from a window of a cabin appeared from between some of the trees.
His paced quickened, leaving stealth for a more unceremonious approach to his lover. He stopped when he had stepped out from the darkened trees, gaze moving about the area to make sure that Mia was not waiting to ambush him like she had always been good at doing. When he could pick nothing that bothered his keen senses, he moved carefully towards the door, slowly lifting a hand to rap on the solid wood that blocked his view from his lover. His fist fell heavily on the dark brown wood, one of the first real sounds he had made in a long time. He stood and waited, becoming almost suddenly flustered that his appearance would somehow be unappealing.
Yet, all such thoughts faded back as the door opened and the shocked face of Mia stood staring at him. He smiled gently, outstretching his arms to take his lover into his arms, not surprised when the ebony-haired woman nearly flew into his grasp. He chuckled when she burst into tears against him, slowly rocking his lover to calm her. He allowed her to pull away and smile at him, tears still streaming from her eyes. "I'm back, Mia. I apologize for the extended period of time that I was away for. I hope you didn't worry too much about me." He smiled playfully, following Mia inside when she merely smiled and beckoned him to follow her.
"I'm so glad..." Mia finally managed to choke out between her tears. The last week had been so trying on her, first with Pesmerga returning to her life and now Yuber. She felt as if her heart might explode with pride, seeing both of the men she had resided with grown into such fine gentlemen. She hugged Yuber again, content just to hold her love, surprised at his change in appearance, much as she had been with Pesmerga. "I've missed you so much, Yuber."
Yuber grinned and removed his black helmet, setting the metal down on the slanting wooden table. "Well, I'm back now to stay, Mia."
Mia gasped as she looked up at her lover's face, a hand raising to touch the tremendous bruise that covered the blonde's left cheek. "You're hurt!"
"Oh...don't worry, it's nothing really. I got it...sparring awhile back, and I didn't bother getting it looked at. It will heal with time." Yuber smiled innocently, having almost completely forgotten about the last gift Natas had given him in their battle. He had grown used to the dull ache and sometimes sharp pains that made him wince during his travels. Still, he did not really feel like stopping to heal the wound properly, but he did not resist when Mia forced him to sit so that she could look at his wound.
Mia touched the bruise softly, coming to the quick conclusion that such a wound would not have happened during a simple spar. Still, she remained silent to her unanswered questions and instead, placed her right palm against is cheek, summoning up the healing powers of the water rune, sighing as the bone reset and the swelling disappeared. Slowly, she opened her eyes to take a look at her lover, a fond smile tugging at her lips at his now almost constant smirk. It was good to see him in such good health.
Yuber leaned down and nuzzled his lover fondly, breathing in her familiar scent before wrapping her in a warm hug, blinking in slight confusion when her body seemed to refuse to fit to his like it used to. At first he thought it may be his armour, but after careful study of Mia's position against him, he came to his own conclusions, slowly pulling away to confirm his suspicions. 'Oh...Oh. Oh!' He knew that he looked completely flustered, mostly because Mia giggled and stroked his cheek, attempting to calm quickly rising adrenaline.
'No better than Miku...Breeding like rabbits seems to be the only thing that you filthy mortal creatures are good at.' The Eightfold Rune grumbled in exasperation as the blonde's mind seemed to freeze and skip normal thought. The spider occasionally poked at Yuber's mind, hoping for some entertainment for the situation, returning to grumbling when the blonde merely sat completely dumbfounded. 'This is great. The ultimate being of the True Runes is stalled because he managed to breed.' It slapped the blonde again, slowing forcing Yuber to respond to it. 'Come now boy, you can take whole armies alone, take care of a hundred-year-old demon, wield a power greater than mortal can imagine, and cause world-destruction when you awaken, but an unborn child makes you a complete moron. I never thought I'd see the day when absolute human stupidity reached such a limit...You never cease to amaze me, boy, and don't take that as a compliment.' The Eightfold Rune felt the blonde's mind stirring to retaliate against it and chuckled to itself. 'Keep this up and I'll kill you myself, boy.'
Yuber shoved the Eightfold Rune away and sat silent, slowly calculating how long it would be until his child made an appearance. He felt torn now, one half of himself overjoyed that he would be a father and be able to raise his child, yet the other half seemed to take a much colder stand-point that a child would be just another weakness in his life that needed his attention. He was unsure if he was ready to lose his new-found independence again to take care of lesser being that would cling to him for more years than he would admit to himself. He found part of himself screaming in anger at this new turn of events, wanting to run out in another battlefield and take this anger out on some pitiful human. 'A child will slow me down.'
The True Rune blinked its eight eyes separately, contemplating its next move. The blonde was torn with this new turn of events, something that it could use to its own advantage. He could feel the less human side of Yuber rebelling to the idea of having to stick around to raise a child, calling for blood at his own stupidity. Yet, the other, much quieter part, glowed contently, slowly mounding around the idea of fatherhood. It slowly ushered away from that part of the blonde, instead moving much closer to the angered side. 'Are you really ready to be tied down to a mortal child? This is like selling your soul on the open market for anyone to pick up. You don't even know what the beast will look like. It's too dangerous for us to remain in one place for long, boy. Dharma could be waiting to kill you at any moment, leaving that child fatherless anyway. Better to leave now so it doesn't have a chance to get attached to you.'
Yuber felt himself recoil at the thought of abandoning Mia again, yet, he could not deny the nagging feeling that his opposite walked in the shadows behind him, quickly catching up on him. He could now see why Natas refused to be attached to any creature, mostly because the same dilemma would have cracked the Black Knight's mind in half like it was doing him. Yet, as he stared at Mia, he already knew his mind was made up; for the betterment of his lover and their child, he would be forced to leave her again, if only to protect them both from the entity of Order. He would never be able to tell when his opposite would strike, unless he found Dharma first and destroyed his only rival. To destroy Dharma would leave Mia out of harms way.
Mia tilted her head to the side, not very surprised as Yuber's face turned into a torrent of emotion. She had expected as much from him. For him to have returned to her at such a time, left him in a very bad position, yet there was nothing that she could have done to make this information easier for him to digest. Still, she would force herself to welcome him no matter the position he took on their unborn child. "Yuber...?"
Yuber met Mia's worried gaze equally, nodding to himself slowly. He forced a smile on his face, taking one of his lover's hands in his own, placing a soft kiss on the palm. "It is so good to see you again. However...I cannot stay too long, Mia. I have an enemy who is relentless in his search for me, and unless I destroy him first, he could try and attack you and our child..."
"And why would I do that to my own sister, accursed Shield?"
Yuber instinctive went for his helmet, his leg shooting out to knock the metal into the air, slipping to the left as the black metal settling back on his head as he called his sword to his hand. He felt his cloak moving to surround Mia in protection as his unveiled gaze locked with softly glowing golden eyes. He felt a smirk pull at his lips as Pesmerga stepped up from the shadows of a window and the True Rune in his right hand send excited shivers up his arm. He was more than a little disturbed at the physical similarities between himself and the ebony-haired young man standing in front of him. He remained silent as he took in the other man.
Mia's older adoptive brother was equally his height, facial features and hair-styles so similar to his own that anyone passing by would have assumed that they were twins. Strong in build, silent in demeanor, it was obvious that Pesmerga was in this room to offer the same kind of protection to Mia that Yuber was giving. Long ebony hair trailed down Pesmerga's back, it length equal to Yuber's blonde locks. Possibly the most disturbing part of the other man's appearance was the duplicate armour, all except the rich deep yellow cape. The same smirk marked Pesmerga's features as it normally did his own.
Pesmerga took another step into the room, eyeing the only creature that mattered right now because should that creature managed to transcend, the world itself would shudder and the balance of the True Runes would forever be altered. His gaze shifted from the blonde to his younger sister who appeared to be studying their similar appearances with some shock. "Though we have never met before, I know you as if you were my own brother. I suppose that we could be called brothers, but our relationship ends with that. We are out for completely different goals, you for destruction, me for stopping you. Lucky for you, I have patience, and I knew you appear here sooner or later. It was just a matter of time, and when the star known as Natas flickered and faded, I knew you would appear here and so here you are, just a predicted."
Yuber felt his eyes narrow in irritation. "Nice speech, Pesmerga. I take it you wish to bore me to death?" He smirked when the other Black Knight glared at him and brushed blonde bangs back into place under his helmet. "Not interested in your speeches. I think you've overstayed your welcome, though. Don't make me throw you out of this house." Yuber felt his eyes flicker gold as he raised his sword. "Nothing would please me more than killing you right here and now, but I don't want to get Mia's floor dirty with your blood."
"Hmmm, much too cocky. I'll be sure to make you grovel at my feet before I finish you off." Pesmerga called his sword to hand, raising it before beckoning the blonde to attack him. He was a little miffed when Yuber merely stood watching him, as if studying him. He shouted angrily when the blonde suddenly burst into laughter and ran from the house, cackling like a complete lunatic, taunting him. He immediately gave chase, slipping into the shadows as laughter echoed around the forest. "This is not what I was told he would be like...Much too nice. Still, I must kill him to protect both myself and my sister."
Yuber teleported into the front lawn, perching on the axe buried into brittle wood, his cape bellowing out in its search to capture Pesmerga. He felt power crackle around him, the symbol of his childhood murders flaring to life beneath his helmet. The trees around him began to groan and bend away at the push of his power before finally falling as their trucks exploded, sending a shower of splitters around him. The axe beneath his boots began to shift colour and shape, taking on a constantly shifting look. Spirits of the forests retreated away desperately, all letting out high-pitched screams in an attempt to ward off his power.
Casually, he stepped from his shifting pedestal, foot touching steps that formed from the air until his feet touched the ground, green grass rippling in and out of existence before finally flattening against the ground. His golden gaze shifted around the clearing, searching out the other Black Knight. "Come out...Come out, wherever you dare hide from me."
Pesmerga cursed as the blonde started to blow up random trees that had yet to hit the ground. He clenched his fists to repress his own power, not wanting to completely render his sister's house to rubble. Still, he was finding his options very limited with Yuber moving in his direction, as if aware of his position; the blonde was making simple combat difficult in a higher state of being. "I have to stop him from doing that...He's much too dangerous expelling that much chaos." He looked down in his left hand, closing his eyes as a small light flickered to life in his palm. "I have no choice...Mia...forgive me."
Yuber gaze immediately found Pesmerga when the ebony-haired man stepped out from behind a quickly buckling tree. A cocky smirk easily worked across his lips as he turned to regard the other Black Knight, sword casually floating at his shoulder. "You have the look of a pitiful human, Pesmerga. Why don't you show me your power? I showed you mine."
"Stop prattling, Yuber! You want me, come and get me!" Pesmerga gasped when the blonde's eyes flashed angrily, groaning as he slammed back against a tree, pinned by the blonde's power. He clenched his teeth as Yuber advanced towards him, beginning to shake with concentration to merely keep his own power from exploding outwards. 'Just... a... little... closer... stupid... blonde...'
Yuber smirked at his easy win over Pesmerga. He would have surely thought that his opposite would have put up more of a fight against him. Still, he was always prepared to take the life of such a useless creature. He eventually stopped when he was a few feet from the other Black Knight, his mind wondering what he was supposed to do now that he had Pesmerga. He took another step closer, calling his sword to strike seconds before the Eightfold Rune screamed in the back of his mind. 'It's a bloody trap, boy! Get out of here!' Yuber let out a cry as he was suddenly blown back, groaning as slammed hard against a tree, the symbol of his forehead disappearing as he fell to his knees. Again, he became distracted with the nearly incoherent screams of the Eightfold Rune. 'Run! Get away from here! He means to rob us of our power! Flee!'
Yuber wasn't too sure if he want to yell more at the Eightfold Rune for distracting him from reacting or Pesmerga for tackling him and pinning him to the ground. He decided that the ebony-haired man was more in need of his attention, especially since Pesmerga seemed more than a little determined to rip his helmet off, practically tearing away the metal along with any hair that managed to get caught in the other Black Knight's hands. He attempted to thrown Pesmerga off of him, but found his arms pinned by the ebony-haired man's armoured knees. He growled and threw one of his knees forward, smirking in slight saticfaction as the other Black Knight grunted and jolted forward. "Get off of me!" He finally just screamed.
Pesmerga glanced back at Yuber drew his knee back for another shot at him, lifting a fist and punching the blonde across the face. He drew back as the blonde's cape attempted to grab his arm, letting out a small surprised groan as Yuber's knee again impacted with his back, sending him forward again. He reached out and caught the nearby tree, his gaze locking with the blonde's angered blue one, eyebrows creasing at the sight of a strange spider pacing deep in the other man's consciousness. "You...have a True Rune?" He asked softly, not too aware of the question until is sprang from his lips.
Yuber was a bit caught off guard with the pity in the other man's voice before finally just settling with glaring at Pesmerga. "Who cares if I do. You won't live long enough to see its power." He again slammed his knee into the other Black Knight's back, watching as Pesmerga grunted and tried to keep hold of him. "You know you can't win."
Pesmerga smiled and shook his head at the blonde beneath him. "I don't need to win. I just need to seal your symbol." He felt his smile turn into a smirk at the sudden panicked look that overtook the blonde's features. He shoved off the tree that he had been supporting himself with and sighed heavily, placing his left palm on Yuber's forehead. He felt the blonde go rigid beneath him, a small whimper escaping the pinned Black Knight's lips before Yuber went completely limp. He slowly removed his palm, turning it over to watch the small shield symbol float silently. He lifted his hand towards the stars. "Begone! Back to Fate who walks among the stars!" He sighed heavily as the symbol disintegrated into shifting light before taking off to the sky.
He looked down at the blonde whose blue eyes were open but glazed over and completely unseeing. Pesmerga climbed to his feet, leaving the blonde to recover as best as he could, turning to return to his sister's house. He stopped a few feet from the house, his saddened gaze on his sister who stood shaking in the doorway. "Mia..." He glanced back at Yuber who remained motionless. "He is alive, Mia. Give him a few days, and he'll recover fine. Nothing will have changed...except for his level of power."
Mia looked between her brother and her fallen lover, shocked with the display that they had shown only moments before. She felt silent tears slip down her cheeks as she stared at Pesmerga, unsure of how to react to him. Certainly nothing had really changed between them except for the fact that Pesmerga and Yuber were destined to kill one another, just like the Eightfold spider had once told her. She locked gazes with her brother, searching him for answers that he was unwilling to give in words. They seemed to stare at one another for a long time, the silence of the night finally filling over the terror and destruction that had taken place only moments before.
Pesmerga smiled warmly at his sister, glad that she had silently forgiven him for his action against the blonde. His smile faltered moments before he dropped to his knees in pain, looking down to find a black armoured gloved hand protruding from his chest. Shakily, he looked behind him to confirm Yuber's wakefulness, letting out a shriek of pain as the blonde activated a lightning rune. He could only vaguely hear Mia's scream, yet the blonde's soft, mocking chuckle was as clear as his pain. He groaned in weak pain as the arm in his chest lifted him back to his feet, the blonde's other arm wrapping around his neck. "...How...?"
"That was not very nice of you..." Yuber whispered softly in Pesmerga's left ear, slowly switching side to whisper in the ebony-haired man's other ear. "I am not generally a vengeful man, but what you did makes me think that our relationship will always be a rocky one...brother." He hissed the last word as if it were a curse. He shifted his arm around the other Black Knight's neck, the tips of his fingers touching Pesmerga's forehead. He whispered a soft word, smirking as Pesmerga body went rigid against him, a small cry escaping the ebony-haired man's lips as the small symbol of the sword appeared. He left the symbol go, watching it as it slowly floated up towards the heavens, Pesmerga's body slumping heavily against his own. "An eye for an eye... brother." He smirked and placed a soft kiss on the back of Pesmerga's neck. "And then some...." He ripped his hand from the other Black Knight's chest, grabbing Pesmerga's right hand in his own. He felt the ebony-haired man begin to struggle against him, his gaze leaving Pesmerga to fall on Mia who stood in frozen horror. "Don't worry, my love. I will be finished with him very soon."
Mia slowly shook her head at her lover. "Yuber...stop. Please...stop! Don't fight! I beg you!"
Yuber ignored the nearly hysterical cries of his lover, turning his attention back to Pesmerga, whose struggles were becoming increasingly panicked. He concentrated on the True Rune in his hand, searching out power that would amuse him, quickly finding a little trick that not even the spider would know about, mostly because it was combining his power with the power of the True Runes. He smirked as Pesmerga opened his mouth to scream, yet no sound emerged, the other Black Knight's body starting to convulse before finally going completely limp. Yuber released his hold on Pesmerga, letting the ebony-haired man fall the ground, instead keeping his gaze on the pulsating light in his right hand. "Don't worry, brother. You won't need this anytime soon. Perhaps next time we can spend some actual quality time together."
He turned on his heel and started to walk away, stopping when Mia called to him. He felt his shoulders slump in defeat and slowly turned to regard his lover. He felt his cruel, cold exterior melt with her hopeless look of defeat. He took a step towards her, wanting to hold her in his arms more than anything, yet he denied himself such privileges. "Mia, I'm so sorry. I never wanted anything like this to happen, but there is nothing that can be done about it. Humans are ruled over by the power of Fate. We walk the path of destiny that has been set out before our feet. It is a force that cannot be denied, much to my own dismay, but...we can't change destiny. I must walk my path now. We will meet again, I'm sure."
"Y...ub...er...?"
Yuber turned away from Mia, his cape flowing out behind him. "Tell Pesmerga when he wakes up that if he wants what I took from him back, he'll have to kill me for it."
Mia looked down at her fallen brother then back at Yuber who was walking away from her, shaking her head in denial of the events that had transpired. She slowly approached Pesmerga's side, bending to take her brother in her arms, her gaze moving to the path that lead away from her home. "What did you take, Yuber?" She called, her voice shaking. She was not sure what her lover could have taken from Pesmerga that would make her brother pursue him.
"Oh, nothing much." Yuber called back. "It's not as if he needs a soul anyway, especially not where I'll be sending him."
TBC...
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Oh...I'm not too sure if I like how things worked out, but I guess I will work with what I wrote down. Just so that everyone is aware of it (and it will be explained in the coming chapter), but there is a reason for Yuber's sudden personality shift (makes crazy motions with her hands). Tell me what you think of it!