Author's Notes: Minna-chan! Well, it's not too long of a chapter, but I find this fic tends to be more description heavy so I figured it made up for it. *grins* I'm currently juggling a lot of ideas in my head, and between the full-time job, part-time job, beta-reading fics, and having some semblance of a life, I'm really hard-pressed for time. I'm trying my best to get out more chapters as much as possible. But for those readers and especially my wonderful reviewers, although the reviews and hits aren't as high for this fic, I really like the story and I'm going to continue no matter what! Special thanks to all my wonderful chan's (D, Hikari, Jade, MK - Welcoming newcomer Ivory) and a super thanks to Angel-chan for giving me ideas and pushing me along with this fic!
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Cursed: Chapter Three
He couldn't believe what he was experiencing. Her left hand was enclosed in his, and from that point of contact, shock waves were crashing through his body. It was almost as if the pain that she was radiating was transmitting to him now, and he was feeling a piece of what she carried every day. He struggled to find something to say, the irony in itself striking him since he was well-known for his diplomacy and tact. He began speaking finally, drawing her eyes back to him.
"It's been years, hasn't it?" Silently, he berated himself for stating the obvious.
She merely nodded at him, something he noted was becoming a habit for her around him. He wondered why she wouldn't really speak to him. "What is it?" He asked.
She turned her head quickly, not before he caught a glimpse of a crystalline tear, falling down her cheek. She pulled back slightly, whispering "Gomen nasai" so softly he almost missed it before fleeing the dance floor. And around him, the couples twirled by, lost in their own happiness. It took him a moment to recover from the shock before he went after her.
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I made my way to the closest balcony, unable to keep up the pretense any longer. Tears were finally falling freely down my face, tears that had yearned to escape for so long. I tried so hard to deaden my heart, so I couldn't feel anything, feel this endless pain that kept plaguing me. Chid... why had he returned after being gone for so long? I didn't understand why he kept trying to talk to me, when he was the one who left in the first place. He was the one who broke his promise to me. The scene of us dancing that waltz replayed endlessly in my head, replacing the one of a young boy grasping at his throat, struggling to breathe. I kept seeing how golden Chid's hair was, how blue his eyes were, and how he had this kindness about him that threatened to overwhelm me. I remembered the boy that had been my best friend and the man he became, who had stood before me. It seemed as if the face just merged seamlessly. He had not lost his sense of self along the way unlike me. Silently, I remembered the one premonition that I had, the one that ultimately made me the way I am, and how I was just biding time until it came true.
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It was the oddest thing that happened. He had started to follow her, and though the crowds seemed to envelop her form, he had managed to sense an aura from her, as if she left an energy signature behind. Standing at the entrance, Chid stood there, staring helplessly at her back, her shoulders shaking slightly. He had never been this aware of her. He could almost see the slight trembling of her fingers as she gripped the railing, trying to control her emotions. Her body became still suddenly, and he wondered how she could sense his presence. Within a matter of seconds, he could feel the change in her. She turned around slowly, and he was amazed by how composed she looked, not to mention how cold. Was this the same woman who had cried to him as a child? Shared every emotion she was feeling with him?
"Did you want something, Chid-sama?"
Her voice was soft, steady and calm, betraying none of her conflicting emotions. He cringed inwardly. Chid-sama. She never called him that, not even when they first met as children.
"Usa-chan..." Her eyes widened in shock, finally forced into revealing her thoughts. For one brief moment, he saw the naked truth in her eyes. She was sad and angry at her circumstances, and how she had been born the way she was. He had never seen her powers, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how nearly killing that young boy would've affected her sensitive nature. "How are you?" He kicked himself mentally, cursing himself for coming up with something as inadequate as a "how are you". How could that possibly sum up the fifteen years of hell she went through?
"I'm fine." She replied, having regained her composure. She began to move away when he reached out to grab her hand. She whirled around, looking at him, and her expression was one that would be forever etched in his mind. Hurt, shock, betrayal stared him from her deep blue eyes, silently asking for answers though he knew she would never say a word.
"I..."
What had he wanted after so long? She was obviously no longer the child he remembered. Why had he been drawn back to Fanelia? There were pressing matters to be taken care of in Freid, but he had insisted on leaving. For once, he wasn't going to break his promise. The word rang in his head, striking a long buried memory that resurfaced without warning.
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"You'll forget me," a tearful Usagi had proclaimed.
"I won't, I promise."
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With a sudden start, he realised what he had done. He had broken his promise to her. He hung his head in shame. His promises to her had been empty ones, and for a child who had seen the dark side of her powers at such a young age, he could imagine what not keeping his word would've done to her.
"I'm… sorry," he said, his heart never feeling so broken up at the moment.
She gave him a sad smile and said, "I'm sorry came fifteen years too late" before walking away, leaving a deeply regretful duke behind.
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He leaned against the railing, as a deep and heavy sigh escaped his lips. How could I have done that to her? I promised her. The drums of guilt kept pounding repeatedly in his head, and he heaped the blame on himself. How could I have forgotten her? She had never really been forgotten, truth be told. Despite how it may have looked, she was never far from his mind. She had captured his heart from an early age, since she had been an enchanting girl who lived her life whole-heartedly. Ominously, the balcony beneath him gave a strange sound before giving way.
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Unexpectedly, I freeze, not too far away from the balcony. I whirl around and make my way back as quickly as possible, only to see Chid's form tumbling off the balcony as it collapsed.
"NOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" I could hear myself scream, as I jumped off the balcony not too far behind him. My back began to tingle, and the slight discomfort passed before my wings burst free from the confines of my body. I flew down as fast as I could, managing to grab a hold of Chid before his body connected with the hard concrete pavement below. Unfortunately, my powers did not preclude being able to carry a full-grown male plummeting towards the ground, and as a result, we both tumbled onto the ground painfully. I landed awkwardly, and the breath was knocked out of me as Chid crashed into me. I came this close to yelling in pain, but I settled for passing out instead.
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Chid opened his eyes painfully, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of feathers tickling his face. Several things came to him at once. First, he had thought for sure he was a goner. He had fallen and a million images had swarmed his mind, the most prominent of a woman with silver hair and sad blue eyes. I'm sorry for letting you down, Usa-chan. If I ever get a chance, I'll make sure that I will make it up to you. That's one promise I intend on keeping if I make it through. He thought of his kingdom, and who would take his stead. Suddenly, he had an image of an angel rescuing him as she held him in her arms, her wings stretching out in vain to slow the impact towards the ground. As his vision returned to him, he realised that the sensation he felt earlier was indeed feathers. He was lying on top of the angel. With a muttered oath, he scrambled off her quickly, watching in fear as she lay there unmoving. Had he killed the angel? Kneeling down next to the still figure, he couldn't help himself as he gently touched a wing. It fluttered lightly in unconscious response, attesting to the undeniable fact that it was real. He slowly turned her over, unable to hide the expression of shock or the breath that had been knocked out of his system as he realised who the angel was.
"Usa-chan…" He whispered, noting the slight discolouration that had marred her beautiful skin. He brushed her hair away from her face tenderly, his thumb grazing over her right cheek. It made so much sense all of a sudden. She was the daughter of Van and Hitomi de Fanel. Why had he never seen the wings in all the time he had known her? Why all the secrecy? He finally came to understand everything she had gone through. She must've known at an early age. She had come into her powers, and had almost killed a child. The wings that were a part of her, but could not display. The broken promise that came from him. It would be enough to destroy the hope and faith in most people, but he knew her to be stronger than that. Silently, he wondered if there wasn't something else he was missing. Gazing upon her form lying so still, he couldn't help the worry that began seeping his mind. "You have to wake up, Usa-chan…" he pleaded. "You can't leave me. I have so much to make up for."
She emitted a soft groan right before her eyes fluttered.
"Oooh, I feel as if I got hit with something hard," she muttered, feeling the aches and pains in her body. She suddenly noted Chid kneeling next to her, staring at her in shock. "What?" She demanded, disoriented for a moment before her memories finally fell into place. Her lips curling up slightly in the corner, she realised the reason for Chid's expression. She was acting like the way she used to be as a child. Sobering quickly, she attempted to get up, ignoring his outstretched hand. She stood up, and dusted herself off, noting with dismay the rip on the side of her dress. Sighing, she knew that her parents would be displeased again. The duties of being a princess weighed heavily on her shoulders as she tried to calm her emotions down. Emotions led to unpredictability and could lead to wishes. She fluttered her wings, stretching them out to full length. A small smile crept on her lips as she felt the sense of freedom such a movement provided her. A few feathers came loose and she watched in horror as a black one floated lazily in front of her. It was happening.
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Well, what did you like about it so far? Hate about it? (Well hopefully you don't hate it) Have I kept you in enough suspense yet? *giggles* I know this fic is a bit slow-moving but I really want to focus on Usagi's emotions (Tossing Chid off the balcony should be action enough *grins*). And those who actually read Unforeseen, again my note to say, it won't be continued until I end up in a better mood to want to try to finish that fic. The two reviewers really upset me and I have to say this much, it's not the pairings that make the fic. If you don't like it, don't read it and don't review it. If I were to write stories for the sake of unusual pairings, I'd write one on Mr. Popo and Chausu.
Anyway, now that that's out of the way: I'd like to share some ideas I've been thinking about/working on. I'm going to be exploring the idea of a YYH/SM crossover. I really haven't seen one and unless Eternal-chan beats me to the punch, I may be one of the first few! And it won't be a yaoi, and the idea in my head is that it'll probably be a Hiei/Usa pairing. I also have another one loosely titled "Goddess" right now. I'm not too sure where the idea is going so far, but I might have enough material to release it soon. Again, another DBZ/SM crossover (yeah yeah don't yell at me) and it WILL be an Usa/Trunks fic (no amount of cursing or bad reviewing will change my mind on this one). I've discussed the idea of the fic with a few authors and they seem to like it, and hopefully you will too! ^-^ I've talked enough, and you know what to do to keep me going. *grins* Ja ne!