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.
This author is just wondering if anyone is interested in a sequel of this part of the fic, taking on the greater challenge of investigating Yuber as he wanders into Windy's control and how he managed to fall under a spell that allowed only those who came across a spell to summon him afterwards. Any takers? If so, just let me know by either saying so in a review or emailing me directly at 'Nataku_NinjaofDestiny@hotmail.com' I would be very interested in a sequel if other people are, mostly because I already have some strange ideas.
Chapter 14 - All Dreams Must End
The Final Chapter (I promise)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
'Kill them! Make them bleed! Let us hear their pitiful screams until the blood red sun rises! Hahahaha! Kill them all!' Eight eyes watched in overjoyed wonder as blood splashed back on Yuber's face, the bittersweet tang of metallic blood driving the spider to voice its excitement at the chaos that flowed from the pure terror of innocence. It had been much too long since it had felt to weakness of mortals, the cold sweat of fear as a sword cut through flesh, the feel of the cool rain clashing with the warm splash of blood. It loved every moment of massive chaos, so much so that it managed to ignore the odd flash of silver as Natas dipped in and out of the blonde's vision.
It laughed as it released some of its power so that Yuber's arm crackled with black strings of energy, lashing out at any poor creature that came in close enough range. In moments such as these, the True Rune and the blonde's minds seemly merged together, the joy of the kill all too much for one man's senses to take in. It had just as much control of a kill as Yuber had, not wanting to lose to Natas any day. Yet, its gazed fixed on something so wonderful that even the blonde seemed drawn to look as well, but only after some time of looking around for his next victim.
The Eightfold Rune watched, its murmurs of excitement called to an immediate halt as all eight of its eyes focused on the one object that stood in its way, the last element of true freedom. It merely watched in silent appreciation as the ebony-haired woman stood motionless, watching Yuber as he moved from one victim to the next.
It noted that the woman's hair looked much more beautiful when wet, stray locks clinging to her body as the rain continued to fall, as if the tears that slipped from those shifting emerald eyes were the very tears that fell from the heavens. Her clothing clung to an equally beautiful frame, expressing every hidden contour, every curve, and every muscle. It thought that she looked so much younger standing with shaking knees as people raced passed her in panic. It could almost smile as the light of the burning houses seemed to illuminate her frame with a halo of light, every particle dancing over the rain drops that streaked down her body and pranced through every warm salty tear. To the spider, she was magnificent, but to Yuber, it knew that she was a goddess.
Power crackled over its body as it felt the woman's fate call to it, a last stand-off with the forces of Fate. It pulled back silently, eight eyes glowing as it took in the woman, memorized every aspect of her features, wanting to remember this moment more so than any other. This night would bring about its greatest achievements, the creation of the ultimate being. And tonight, it refused to lose. There was no turning away from this final struggle. It would reign supreme.
'Tonight, my darling. You shall bless this ultimate creation with your sweet blood. Tonight, I shall count your last breaths to ascension....'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Perhaps she had been much to quick to fall back on the fact that Yuber was still the boy that she had raised all those years ago, or perhaps she still denied what she already knew deep down. All those nights of wondering if he would ever return, the tales of a mysterious blonde who held nothing back in a war, the endless sighs and speeches that he would return to her when he was ready to take up a settled life. In more ways than one, she had always known what he was.
No matter how the years went by, he was different. She had always known that many children kept behind their mother's when he passed, that strange events would always follow him around no matter how many places they traveled to. The sudden deaths of sheep when he was in a black mood, the curdling of milk when his temper flared, the strange dreams that would make him sweat blood, and even the way his laughter would startle any well trained animal into a sudden panic. She had always seen how different he was, but she had refused to let anyone take him for anything that he was, that he just needed a little extra coaching to get him for learn anything other than fighting and make some friends.
And as she stood in the very position that he had left her side from, Mia watched as Yuber seemed to find his true element, sword swinging with absolute elegance and power. No creature he hit survived passed the first strike unless he wished it so. His hair clung to his body as the rain continued to fall, yet none of the drops ever seemed to touch his flesh, as if too frightened by his presence. His seemly loose clothing moved with every muscle in his body, hiding all the controlled potency yet revealing everything with each swing as hell itself was unleashed in a small fraction of time when Yuber arced the blade with deadly accuracy. His liquid movements were more entrancing to her than a snake the moment before it struck out to strike with poison. Mia thought that he looked very inhuman, almost as if he had never begun his life as one except for the shell that masked his true intentions as he grew aware of his surroundings. For her, it was like looking a god in the face yet never realizing it until he was long gone after the encounter.
She was vaguely aware of the screams, of the deadly partner that stood all too close to her yet refused to strike, of how her son must have been so frightened, but most of her thoughts remained transfixed on every sing of the blade that Yuber swung. Every one of his movements, even the slightest shift of his eyes, were noted by her almost sluggish brain. She knew in the back of her mind that she should run and hide away from the truth of her lover, but she felt much too inclined to remain by him and watch him show her just what he really could do with himself. Despite the memories of her own share of war, she found him absolutely beautiful. Perhaps seeing Yuber in his element made everything of the past slip into place, all the cracked pieces that refused to make sense just fell glued together to form a whole picture.
Still, the mud that splashed up on her apron brought her mind to the screams around her and she was suddenly, more than ever, aware that she was staring Yuber down. He stood just down the road from her, blood and rain streaming down his features that stared back at her with absolute stillness, as if he were searching her for something. It was then that she truly knew that this stare down was a final battle between the two of them, that if he won she would die, and if she won, he would disappear. It was the first time that she felt confused and a bit fearful of what actions she should take against her lover.
"Yuber...?" She whispered to the crackle of the flames over head, all too aware of the distance screams that were dying all too quickly. Suddenly, it was just her and Yuber standing in the street, though she was again vaguely aware of another presence nearby, lurking in the shadows just out of her sight, obviously intent on watching this scene play out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Yuber waited silently, his nerves screaming at him that he should have never let himself go like this in front of Mia. The sword in his hand was as light as ever and still singing with the blood of his victims, its tip pointed towards the ground as he forced himself to take a heavy step forward. It was then that he realized just how much taller he was than Mia, that he literally towered over her small frame even from a distance.
Still, he forced his body towards her, each step a task of will just to bring himself closer, to look down at her as if they were meeting on the street in a normal evening in the rain. He could detect no fear from his lover, and it took all of his nerve to keep his gaze locked on her intense emerald green orbs. He was all too aware of his discomfort, though a part of himself scoffed at his obvious cowardice when he had just mercilessly butchered an entire village. The heat from the burning houses seemed much too hot even from the distance that he was at, and the mud beneath his boots made too much noise as it squished out. Yet, he forced himself to approach, but those moments seemed like the longest minutes of his life.
Eventually, he found himself inches away from Mia, looking down at her almost intently. He felt more than a little awkward standing with blood and rain running down his clothing. Despite his discomfort, he felt himself leaning down towards her as an almost instinctually reaction to her presence. He felt his lips brush against her cheek, tasting the rain that streaked her features, surprised when she turned her face to meet his lips, their first kiss since his return to her side. He forced the embrace to remain simple before finally tearing himself away from her, his gaze slipping from side to side as a scream ripped through the air all too closely; he smiled as his gaze landed on Natas who had stepped from the shadows and impaled an axe-wielding teenager, obviously trying to seek up on him.
"The whelp was trying to ruin the romantic atmosphere." Natas smirked and gestured at the burning village, the smell of fresh death, and screams of the dying. "I'll be sure to keep the intruders away while you have a little moment with your woman." As if to insinuate his point, Natas gestured vaguely at the building behind him, easing back into the shadows when the wood erupted into flames.
Yuber chuckled softly and turned his gaze back to Mia, forcing himself to take a step away in case his desire to hold her took him over. His gaze swept over the burning village in one smooth motion, tilting his head back to smell the metallic bitterness of the blood, smiling as the crackling of flames reached his ears. It was all a mix that made him raise his arms to feel the coolness of rain against his exposed heated skin, sighing as a gentle breeze brushed against him, all the elements coming together in unison to greet him as the clouds pulled away to expose the brightly twinkling stars.
Slowly, he came back to himself and looked down at Mia, their gazes meeting. He smiled warmly and gently touched her cheek with his fingers, leaving a thin line of blood that was quickly washed away by the ever present rain. "I guess this is good-bye, Mia. You know I won't stay, and you deserve much better." He snorted silently when he realized just how human he sounded.
"I know." Mia slowly nodded her head, gaze moving to her muddy feet. "Just as you know that I would follow you to whatever end lay at your feet. I know that you have thrown off the strings of fate that guide everyone else." She shifted her footing nervously as she felt Yuber's cold gaze on her. "The stars show many things about you, possibly things that not even you know. I have seen what lies ahead of you and my brother. I know that you were never mine to have and hold, but I still dreamed of the short time that we did despite our conflicting futures." She lifted her face to look at him in the eye, a sweet smile warming her features.
"Mia, what are you trying to say?" Yuber cocked his head to the side as his sword suddenly felt very heavy in his hand, almost heavy enough to slip from his moist grasp. He searched her face for any sign of what the stars had shown her that he was unable to see.
Mia sighed and leaned closer to the blonde, resting her cheek on his chest. "No matter what happens between us, I will always love you. I will cross all boundaries of space and time to be with you. It is because I love you that I have written my diary for others to find." She pulled away when one of his hands gently touched one of her shoulders. Her smile was ever-lasting. "Remember that you are always loved."
Yuber took a step away from his lover, feeling more than a little confused but below that, he felt dizzy. He took a few more steps away from her, stopping when he knew that the next step would bring him to his knees if he attempted. So he remained silent, holding his spinning world with one hand, trying to rid his gaze of the creeping black edges that threatened his consciousness. He felt angered at his bodies sudden weakness, fighting it back as if it were an enemy to kill until he felt control return to him, yet in some ways, it did not entirely feel like all his control.
Slowly, he felt a greater weight settle over his mind like a thick blanket, a haze that he was forced to squint his eyes just to see through. In those moments as he looked at his lover, he saw a woman who looked much too different to be Mia, yet all the same, the similarities were uncanny. The woman stared back at him with saddened eyes, full of memory of both the past and the future, almost as if.... 'No!'
Before he could wrench himself away and flee, he was already moving to close the distance between them, hysterical laughter ringing to every corner of his mind as his blue eyes shifted to golden red, sword arcing above his head as his gaze traced the path of his future blow. His merciless gaze locked with the understanding green one of his lover and the smile that crossed her lips was like a bitter, cold slap across his face. His sword came down with such ease that he was stunned by his sudden burst of humanness as his other hand lifted to grab hold of his wrist and prevent the blow from occurring. He found a battle between separate halves of himself rage forward as he struggled to hold his blade from hitting its intended mark.
The confusion that passed over Mia's face forced him to turn his back to her, one hand still fighting with the other as his human side battled fiercely with his merciless one. His shoulders shook with effort as he felt his humanity slipping away from him, a last desperate plea to hold on to what he knew was already gone from him. "Mia! Run! Get away from me!" He shook his head wildly as he found the Eightfold Rune aid offset the battle to destroy his last shreds of humanity.
"Yu...ber?!" Mia took a step back as she watched at the blonde's eyes shifted between blue and increasing red as he appeared to be battling himself. She reached a tentative hand towards him, pulling it back as he let out a groan of pain. She took a tentative step back, much too confused to leave Yuber groaning in the rain on his own, so she waited for him to react to her presence silently, tracing the rain that streaked his hair a deep gold. When his shoulders settled into relaxation, she took a weary step forward. "Yuber?"
A blade sung in the thick air with more speed and venomous intent than was really necessary. Yuber was not even sure himself if he had hit his mark until his lover's shocked scream of his name made him turn to regard her. His gaze traced the deep wound, from her hip to her left shoulder.
His crooked grin only increased the insane look in his red eyes as an explosion of black energy leapt from him in a sonic wave, snuffing out any fire and knocking any surviving villagers to the ground as well as some of the unstable houses. Within the same instance that Yuber stepped over his shredded humanity, his black armour was summoned around his body and the fully ascended demon took his first step forward, a tremor of his power shaking the very earth. Yet, as his gaze crawled over the quickly dying woman at his feet, Yuber felt something much less maniacal grab at part of his mind and shake it violently.
'Immortality, power, death, chaos...all these things are mine for the taking.' He bent to look more closely at Mia who struggled to keep her eyes open, reaching a armoured hand to stroke her cheek almost tenderly. Before he could really stop himself, his fingers dipped down to run over her wound, chuckling softly as she gasped in obvious pain. Yet, he released his hold on his blade and wrapped gentle arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a seated position for an intended hug, but he felt a sudden change of heart and just snapped her neck, letting her now limp body fall back to the mudded ground as he climbed to his feet. He flexed his hand and felt his sword return to his grip, and in a complete kaleidoscope of emotion, he let everything go as he tore her body apart.
Perhaps time passed by him as he stood silent over the remains of his lover's body, rain trailing paths down his deep black armour. Yet, no matter how much time past, he remained still and quiet, almost frozen in one pose. He was unaware of anything but his own mixture of thoughts that raced down every path of his mind, jumping from one subject to another that made little sense in its connection. Yet, he remained for what was probably a very long time.
Eventually, he became aware that he was not alone, that another stood beside him, remaining as silent as he was. His mind was so clouded that he really couldn't recognize the feeling of the other, aside from the fact that they did not appear to be a threat to him. So, he continued to stand silently.
Natas sighed heavily as the rain only seemed to increase the longer he watched Yuber stand silently, finally giving in to walk over to his friend. His gaze traveled over the massacre that he was witnessed, not concentrating on anything except the power and technique that had been used to complete such a vile act. Again, a long breath escaped his lips as he finally turned to regard the blonde, cocking his head to the side when he could not make out any real features from Yuber. He bit his lip in indecision before finally bending down to look the blonde in the face, nearly falling to the ground in shock at what he found there. As he stood again, he found Yuber's gaze follow him. "You...Your...Yuber?"
"..."
Natas turned away, looking straight ahead again as his mind gathered together all of his thoughts. He finally turned back after a few minutes, if only to confirm what he had seen. Sure enough, he found a pair of mismatched eyes staring right back at him, one demonic and red, the other the same dull blue that lost none of its hardness. He opened his mouth to speak again, to say something that would break the thick silence and make everything between perfectly normal, but it was lost to even him. So, he leaned closer, investigating the changes that he saw, pulling back as his gaze caught of something that he never would have thought on the strong blonde. 'He's ...crying? Yuber...he...' Again, he turned his blood gaze away, piecing facts together until it all made too much sense to him. 'He transcended but something went wrong....He has all the coldness and chaos that he could ever want now, but his now dead humanity shows through in one of his eyes...Why?' His gaze traveled down to Mia. 'She managed to make things go wrong, probably because this world isn't ready for something as powerful as the Shield walking around with a weakened Sword.'
"Natas." A cold voice cut through the tense air around the two Black Knights.
'The Eightfold Rune helped with this. I can feel it. I doubt that it understands what it has done now that it forced a transcention on Yuber. Between the Eightfold Rune's deception and Mia's death, it made things go completely wrong. I have to...help?' Natas felt himself recoil at that thought. 'I don't help anyone but myself. He can deal with this on his own...I think... Maybe...just help this once....'
"Natas." Again, the cold voice sounded, this time significantly more forceful.
Natas slowly turned to regard the blonde, raising his eyes to meet the merciless gaze of his friend. "What is it, Yuber?"
Yuber looked down at the remains of his former lover then back at Natas, gesturing to his cloak wordlessly. His expression remained neutral as the former Black Knight helped him to remove the material from his back, nodding when the silver-haired man handed the deep blue cloak to him. Bending, he gathered up his lover and placed her in his cloak, wrapping the material tightly around her remains as if it were fine china. Climbing back to his feet, his gaze locked with that of Natas. "She had a favourite tree at her house, one that she used to read stories to her child to. I will bury her there, where she would be happy."
Natas followed wordlessly, remaining only a few steps behind Yuber as the blonde did what he set out to do, bury his love. He watched in silence as they stood together around the loose dirt that had been recently dug and filled again. "The strong survive and the weak die. We are strong."
Yuber snorted at the words and turned away, gaze on the ground. "Kill them all. Kill everything. Mortals are useless maggots." A cruel smirk twisted his features as his gaze lifted to meet Natas' neutral one. "Nothing can stop me now. I want to bath in the blood of this world."
"You aren't the Shield, are you? You couldn't do it or else both of your eyes would be demonic, am I right?" Natas asked coldly, watching as the smirk faltered only slightly.
"Well, I knew I kept smart friends for a reason. These eyes are but a minor set back. They are an expression of what was of the past and what will be in the future. I will have my way." Yuber took a few steps away from Natas before stopping and half turning back to the former Black Knight. "If you will not help me, you are obviously too weak."
Natas quirked an unimpressed eyebrow. Silently, he closed the space between himself and Yuber, reaching up to run a finger down the blonde's cheek, rubbing his index and thumb together. "Tears don't suit you, my friend."
Yuber snatched Natas' fingers, grinning as he listened to the sweet snapping of bone beneath his grip. He leaned close to the silver-haired man, releasing his hold on Natas' broken appendages when he received no reaction that the former Black Knight felt any pain at all. "I never cry. I am not weak."
Natas opened his mouth to reply, but Yuber's glare indicated that such actions would not be all wise. Silently, he nodded and turned to leave, stopping when a hand grabbed his arm. He turned slowly to regard the blonde, surprised when Yuber hid his gaze beneath his wet bangs.
"Natas...I killed her. I love her even now, but those feeling are going cold in me. They are going distant, and I can't hear her voice anymore. Soon, I will only be a demon, Natas. Soon, I will grow cold and never feel again." Yuber felt an arm around his shoulders as his last plea of humanity escaped him, only to be swallowed up by the depths of his ascension to never be witnessed again. Only Natas will have seen this lapse of weakness. "Natas, am I evil for what I've done?"
"Not fully, but soon that will change." Natas felt Yuber's power gather and was surprised to be alive after it had dispersed again, finding himself to be back in his cold, gray home. "My master once told me that everyone is evil, some just don't know it yet. You are evil, my friend, now and forever." Natas watched Yuber's mismatched gaze lift to meet his gaze. "But, so am I."
Yuber nodded slowly and smiled cruelly. "This is the first day of a beautiful future."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I finally finished! Yay! All done this fic, though I'm not too sure that I'm all that happy about how the dead of Mia. I guess I will wait to see what you guys think about it. Please let me know if you like it! That and let me know if you want a sequel.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my fic. I really appreciate all the reviews and nice comments about it. I will hopefully be writing again very soon. Hope to see you all again!
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.
This author is just wondering if anyone is interested in a sequel of this part of the fic, taking on the greater challenge of investigating Yuber as he wanders into Windy's control and how he managed to fall under a spell that allowed only those who came across a spell to summon him afterwards. Any takers? If so, just let me know by either saying so in a review or emailing me directly at 'Nataku_NinjaofDestiny@hotmail.com' I would be very interested in a sequel if other people are, mostly because I already have some strange ideas.
Chapter 14 - All Dreams Must End
The Final Chapter (I promise)
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
'Kill them! Make them bleed! Let us hear their pitiful screams until the blood red sun rises! Hahahaha! Kill them all!' Eight eyes watched in overjoyed wonder as blood splashed back on Yuber's face, the bittersweet tang of metallic blood driving the spider to voice its excitement at the chaos that flowed from the pure terror of innocence. It had been much too long since it had felt to weakness of mortals, the cold sweat of fear as a sword cut through flesh, the feel of the cool rain clashing with the warm splash of blood. It loved every moment of massive chaos, so much so that it managed to ignore the odd flash of silver as Natas dipped in and out of the blonde's vision.
It laughed as it released some of its power so that Yuber's arm crackled with black strings of energy, lashing out at any poor creature that came in close enough range. In moments such as these, the True Rune and the blonde's minds seemly merged together, the joy of the kill all too much for one man's senses to take in. It had just as much control of a kill as Yuber had, not wanting to lose to Natas any day. Yet, its gazed fixed on something so wonderful that even the blonde seemed drawn to look as well, but only after some time of looking around for his next victim.
The Eightfold Rune watched, its murmurs of excitement called to an immediate halt as all eight of its eyes focused on the one object that stood in its way, the last element of true freedom. It merely watched in silent appreciation as the ebony-haired woman stood motionless, watching Yuber as he moved from one victim to the next.
It noted that the woman's hair looked much more beautiful when wet, stray locks clinging to her body as the rain continued to fall, as if the tears that slipped from those shifting emerald eyes were the very tears that fell from the heavens. Her clothing clung to an equally beautiful frame, expressing every hidden contour, every curve, and every muscle. It thought that she looked so much younger standing with shaking knees as people raced passed her in panic. It could almost smile as the light of the burning houses seemed to illuminate her frame with a halo of light, every particle dancing over the rain drops that streaked down her body and pranced through every warm salty tear. To the spider, she was magnificent, but to Yuber, it knew that she was a goddess.
Power crackled over its body as it felt the woman's fate call to it, a last stand-off with the forces of Fate. It pulled back silently, eight eyes glowing as it took in the woman, memorized every aspect of her features, wanting to remember this moment more so than any other. This night would bring about its greatest achievements, the creation of the ultimate being. And tonight, it refused to lose. There was no turning away from this final struggle. It would reign supreme.
'Tonight, my darling. You shall bless this ultimate creation with your sweet blood. Tonight, I shall count your last breaths to ascension....'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Perhaps she had been much to quick to fall back on the fact that Yuber was still the boy that she had raised all those years ago, or perhaps she still denied what she already knew deep down. All those nights of wondering if he would ever return, the tales of a mysterious blonde who held nothing back in a war, the endless sighs and speeches that he would return to her when he was ready to take up a settled life. In more ways than one, she had always known what he was.
No matter how the years went by, he was different. She had always known that many children kept behind their mother's when he passed, that strange events would always follow him around no matter how many places they traveled to. The sudden deaths of sheep when he was in a black mood, the curdling of milk when his temper flared, the strange dreams that would make him sweat blood, and even the way his laughter would startle any well trained animal into a sudden panic. She had always seen how different he was, but she had refused to let anyone take him for anything that he was, that he just needed a little extra coaching to get him for learn anything other than fighting and make some friends.
And as she stood in the very position that he had left her side from, Mia watched as Yuber seemed to find his true element, sword swinging with absolute elegance and power. No creature he hit survived passed the first strike unless he wished it so. His hair clung to his body as the rain continued to fall, yet none of the drops ever seemed to touch his flesh, as if too frightened by his presence. His seemly loose clothing moved with every muscle in his body, hiding all the controlled potency yet revealing everything with each swing as hell itself was unleashed in a small fraction of time when Yuber arced the blade with deadly accuracy. His liquid movements were more entrancing to her than a snake the moment before it struck out to strike with poison. Mia thought that he looked very inhuman, almost as if he had never begun his life as one except for the shell that masked his true intentions as he grew aware of his surroundings. For her, it was like looking a god in the face yet never realizing it until he was long gone after the encounter.
She was vaguely aware of the screams, of the deadly partner that stood all too close to her yet refused to strike, of how her son must have been so frightened, but most of her thoughts remained transfixed on every sing of the blade that Yuber swung. Every one of his movements, even the slightest shift of his eyes, were noted by her almost sluggish brain. She knew in the back of her mind that she should run and hide away from the truth of her lover, but she felt much too inclined to remain by him and watch him show her just what he really could do with himself. Despite the memories of her own share of war, she found him absolutely beautiful. Perhaps seeing Yuber in his element made everything of the past slip into place, all the cracked pieces that refused to make sense just fell glued together to form a whole picture.
Still, the mud that splashed up on her apron brought her mind to the screams around her and she was suddenly, more than ever, aware that she was staring Yuber down. He stood just down the road from her, blood and rain streaming down his features that stared back at her with absolute stillness, as if he were searching her for something. It was then that she truly knew that this stare down was a final battle between the two of them, that if he won she would die, and if she won, he would disappear. It was the first time that she felt confused and a bit fearful of what actions she should take against her lover.
"Yuber...?" She whispered to the crackle of the flames over head, all too aware of the distance screams that were dying all too quickly. Suddenly, it was just her and Yuber standing in the street, though she was again vaguely aware of another presence nearby, lurking in the shadows just out of her sight, obviously intent on watching this scene play out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Yuber waited silently, his nerves screaming at him that he should have never let himself go like this in front of Mia. The sword in his hand was as light as ever and still singing with the blood of his victims, its tip pointed towards the ground as he forced himself to take a heavy step forward. It was then that he realized just how much taller he was than Mia, that he literally towered over her small frame even from a distance.
Still, he forced his body towards her, each step a task of will just to bring himself closer, to look down at her as if they were meeting on the street in a normal evening in the rain. He could detect no fear from his lover, and it took all of his nerve to keep his gaze locked on her intense emerald green orbs. He was all too aware of his discomfort, though a part of himself scoffed at his obvious cowardice when he had just mercilessly butchered an entire village. The heat from the burning houses seemed much too hot even from the distance that he was at, and the mud beneath his boots made too much noise as it squished out. Yet, he forced himself to approach, but those moments seemed like the longest minutes of his life.
Eventually, he found himself inches away from Mia, looking down at her almost intently. He felt more than a little awkward standing with blood and rain running down his clothing. Despite his discomfort, he felt himself leaning down towards her as an almost instinctually reaction to her presence. He felt his lips brush against her cheek, tasting the rain that streaked her features, surprised when she turned her face to meet his lips, their first kiss since his return to her side. He forced the embrace to remain simple before finally tearing himself away from her, his gaze slipping from side to side as a scream ripped through the air all too closely; he smiled as his gaze landed on Natas who had stepped from the shadows and impaled an axe-wielding teenager, obviously trying to seek up on him.
"The whelp was trying to ruin the romantic atmosphere." Natas smirked and gestured at the burning village, the smell of fresh death, and screams of the dying. "I'll be sure to keep the intruders away while you have a little moment with your woman." As if to insinuate his point, Natas gestured vaguely at the building behind him, easing back into the shadows when the wood erupted into flames.
Yuber chuckled softly and turned his gaze back to Mia, forcing himself to take a step away in case his desire to hold her took him over. His gaze swept over the burning village in one smooth motion, tilting his head back to smell the metallic bitterness of the blood, smiling as the crackling of flames reached his ears. It was all a mix that made him raise his arms to feel the coolness of rain against his exposed heated skin, sighing as a gentle breeze brushed against him, all the elements coming together in unison to greet him as the clouds pulled away to expose the brightly twinkling stars.
Slowly, he came back to himself and looked down at Mia, their gazes meeting. He smiled warmly and gently touched her cheek with his fingers, leaving a thin line of blood that was quickly washed away by the ever present rain. "I guess this is good-bye, Mia. You know I won't stay, and you deserve much better." He snorted silently when he realized just how human he sounded.
"I know." Mia slowly nodded her head, gaze moving to her muddy feet. "Just as you know that I would follow you to whatever end lay at your feet. I know that you have thrown off the strings of fate that guide everyone else." She shifted her footing nervously as she felt Yuber's cold gaze on her. "The stars show many things about you, possibly things that not even you know. I have seen what lies ahead of you and my brother. I know that you were never mine to have and hold, but I still dreamed of the short time that we did despite our conflicting futures." She lifted her face to look at him in the eye, a sweet smile warming her features.
"Mia, what are you trying to say?" Yuber cocked his head to the side as his sword suddenly felt very heavy in his hand, almost heavy enough to slip from his moist grasp. He searched her face for any sign of what the stars had shown her that he was unable to see.
Mia sighed and leaned closer to the blonde, resting her cheek on his chest. "No matter what happens between us, I will always love you. I will cross all boundaries of space and time to be with you. It is because I love you that I have written my diary for others to find." She pulled away when one of his hands gently touched one of her shoulders. Her smile was ever-lasting. "Remember that you are always loved."
Yuber took a step away from his lover, feeling more than a little confused but below that, he felt dizzy. He took a few more steps away from her, stopping when he knew that the next step would bring him to his knees if he attempted. So he remained silent, holding his spinning world with one hand, trying to rid his gaze of the creeping black edges that threatened his consciousness. He felt angered at his bodies sudden weakness, fighting it back as if it were an enemy to kill until he felt control return to him, yet in some ways, it did not entirely feel like all his control.
Slowly, he felt a greater weight settle over his mind like a thick blanket, a haze that he was forced to squint his eyes just to see through. In those moments as he looked at his lover, he saw a woman who looked much too different to be Mia, yet all the same, the similarities were uncanny. The woman stared back at him with saddened eyes, full of memory of both the past and the future, almost as if.... 'No!'
Before he could wrench himself away and flee, he was already moving to close the distance between them, hysterical laughter ringing to every corner of his mind as his blue eyes shifted to golden red, sword arcing above his head as his gaze traced the path of his future blow. His merciless gaze locked with the understanding green one of his lover and the smile that crossed her lips was like a bitter, cold slap across his face. His sword came down with such ease that he was stunned by his sudden burst of humanness as his other hand lifted to grab hold of his wrist and prevent the blow from occurring. He found a battle between separate halves of himself rage forward as he struggled to hold his blade from hitting its intended mark.
The confusion that passed over Mia's face forced him to turn his back to her, one hand still fighting with the other as his human side battled fiercely with his merciless one. His shoulders shook with effort as he felt his humanity slipping away from him, a last desperate plea to hold on to what he knew was already gone from him. "Mia! Run! Get away from me!" He shook his head wildly as he found the Eightfold Rune aid offset the battle to destroy his last shreds of humanity.
"Yu...ber?!" Mia took a step back as she watched at the blonde's eyes shifted between blue and increasing red as he appeared to be battling himself. She reached a tentative hand towards him, pulling it back as he let out a groan of pain. She took a tentative step back, much too confused to leave Yuber groaning in the rain on his own, so she waited for him to react to her presence silently, tracing the rain that streaked his hair a deep gold. When his shoulders settled into relaxation, she took a weary step forward. "Yuber?"
A blade sung in the thick air with more speed and venomous intent than was really necessary. Yuber was not even sure himself if he had hit his mark until his lover's shocked scream of his name made him turn to regard her. His gaze traced the deep wound, from her hip to her left shoulder.
His crooked grin only increased the insane look in his red eyes as an explosion of black energy leapt from him in a sonic wave, snuffing out any fire and knocking any surviving villagers to the ground as well as some of the unstable houses. Within the same instance that Yuber stepped over his shredded humanity, his black armour was summoned around his body and the fully ascended demon took his first step forward, a tremor of his power shaking the very earth. Yet, as his gaze crawled over the quickly dying woman at his feet, Yuber felt something much less maniacal grab at part of his mind and shake it violently.
'Immortality, power, death, chaos...all these things are mine for the taking.' He bent to look more closely at Mia who struggled to keep her eyes open, reaching a armoured hand to stroke her cheek almost tenderly. Before he could really stop himself, his fingers dipped down to run over her wound, chuckling softly as she gasped in obvious pain. Yet, he released his hold on his blade and wrapped gentle arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a seated position for an intended hug, but he felt a sudden change of heart and just snapped her neck, letting her now limp body fall back to the mudded ground as he climbed to his feet. He flexed his hand and felt his sword return to his grip, and in a complete kaleidoscope of emotion, he let everything go as he tore her body apart.
Perhaps time passed by him as he stood silent over the remains of his lover's body, rain trailing paths down his deep black armour. Yet, no matter how much time past, he remained still and quiet, almost frozen in one pose. He was unaware of anything but his own mixture of thoughts that raced down every path of his mind, jumping from one subject to another that made little sense in its connection. Yet, he remained for what was probably a very long time.
Eventually, he became aware that he was not alone, that another stood beside him, remaining as silent as he was. His mind was so clouded that he really couldn't recognize the feeling of the other, aside from the fact that they did not appear to be a threat to him. So, he continued to stand silently.
Natas sighed heavily as the rain only seemed to increase the longer he watched Yuber stand silently, finally giving in to walk over to his friend. His gaze traveled over the massacre that he was witnessed, not concentrating on anything except the power and technique that had been used to complete such a vile act. Again, a long breath escaped his lips as he finally turned to regard the blonde, cocking his head to the side when he could not make out any real features from Yuber. He bit his lip in indecision before finally bending down to look the blonde in the face, nearly falling to the ground in shock at what he found there. As he stood again, he found Yuber's gaze follow him. "You...Your...Yuber?"
"..."
Natas turned away, looking straight ahead again as his mind gathered together all of his thoughts. He finally turned back after a few minutes, if only to confirm what he had seen. Sure enough, he found a pair of mismatched eyes staring right back at him, one demonic and red, the other the same dull blue that lost none of its hardness. He opened his mouth to speak again, to say something that would break the thick silence and make everything between perfectly normal, but it was lost to even him. So, he leaned closer, investigating the changes that he saw, pulling back as his gaze caught of something that he never would have thought on the strong blonde. 'He's ...crying? Yuber...he...' Again, he turned his blood gaze away, piecing facts together until it all made too much sense to him. 'He transcended but something went wrong....He has all the coldness and chaos that he could ever want now, but his now dead humanity shows through in one of his eyes...Why?' His gaze traveled down to Mia. 'She managed to make things go wrong, probably because this world isn't ready for something as powerful as the Shield walking around with a weakened Sword.'
"Natas." A cold voice cut through the tense air around the two Black Knights.
'The Eightfold Rune helped with this. I can feel it. I doubt that it understands what it has done now that it forced a transcention on Yuber. Between the Eightfold Rune's deception and Mia's death, it made things go completely wrong. I have to...help?' Natas felt himself recoil at that thought. 'I don't help anyone but myself. He can deal with this on his own...I think... Maybe...just help this once....'
"Natas." Again, the cold voice sounded, this time significantly more forceful.
Natas slowly turned to regard the blonde, raising his eyes to meet the merciless gaze of his friend. "What is it, Yuber?"
Yuber looked down at the remains of his former lover then back at Natas, gesturing to his cloak wordlessly. His expression remained neutral as the former Black Knight helped him to remove the material from his back, nodding when the silver-haired man handed the deep blue cloak to him. Bending, he gathered up his lover and placed her in his cloak, wrapping the material tightly around her remains as if it were fine china. Climbing back to his feet, his gaze locked with that of Natas. "She had a favourite tree at her house, one that she used to read stories to her child to. I will bury her there, where she would be happy."
Natas followed wordlessly, remaining only a few steps behind Yuber as the blonde did what he set out to do, bury his love. He watched in silence as they stood together around the loose dirt that had been recently dug and filled again. "The strong survive and the weak die. We are strong."
Yuber snorted at the words and turned away, gaze on the ground. "Kill them all. Kill everything. Mortals are useless maggots." A cruel smirk twisted his features as his gaze lifted to meet Natas' neutral one. "Nothing can stop me now. I want to bath in the blood of this world."
"You aren't the Shield, are you? You couldn't do it or else both of your eyes would be demonic, am I right?" Natas asked coldly, watching as the smirk faltered only slightly.
"Well, I knew I kept smart friends for a reason. These eyes are but a minor set back. They are an expression of what was of the past and what will be in the future. I will have my way." Yuber took a few steps away from Natas before stopping and half turning back to the former Black Knight. "If you will not help me, you are obviously too weak."
Natas quirked an unimpressed eyebrow. Silently, he closed the space between himself and Yuber, reaching up to run a finger down the blonde's cheek, rubbing his index and thumb together. "Tears don't suit you, my friend."
Yuber snatched Natas' fingers, grinning as he listened to the sweet snapping of bone beneath his grip. He leaned close to the silver-haired man, releasing his hold on Natas' broken appendages when he received no reaction that the former Black Knight felt any pain at all. "I never cry. I am not weak."
Natas opened his mouth to reply, but Yuber's glare indicated that such actions would not be all wise. Silently, he nodded and turned to leave, stopping when a hand grabbed his arm. He turned slowly to regard the blonde, surprised when Yuber hid his gaze beneath his wet bangs.
"Natas...I killed her. I love her even now, but those feeling are going cold in me. They are going distant, and I can't hear her voice anymore. Soon, I will only be a demon, Natas. Soon, I will grow cold and never feel again." Yuber felt an arm around his shoulders as his last plea of humanity escaped him, only to be swallowed up by the depths of his ascension to never be witnessed again. Only Natas will have seen this lapse of weakness. "Natas, am I evil for what I've done?"
"Not fully, but soon that will change." Natas felt Yuber's power gather and was surprised to be alive after it had dispersed again, finding himself to be back in his cold, gray home. "My master once told me that everyone is evil, some just don't know it yet. You are evil, my friend, now and forever." Natas watched Yuber's mismatched gaze lift to meet his gaze. "But, so am I."
Yuber nodded slowly and smiled cruelly. "This is the first day of a beautiful future."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I finally finished! Yay! All done this fic, though I'm not too sure that I'm all that happy about how the dead of Mia. I guess I will wait to see what you guys think about it. Please let me know if you like it! That and let me know if you want a sequel.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my fic. I really appreciate all the reviews and nice comments about it. I will hopefully be writing again very soon. Hope to see you all again!