Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Escaflowne or Sailor Moon. I'm just using them to exploit the insanity that is my mind. *grins*
Author's Notes: Minna-chan! I think one more chapter after this, and this fic will end too! *sniffles* I get so attached to my stories, and pardon any grammatical type errors that you may find. It's really hard when all your friends are online trying to talk to you, and you're trying to edit at the same time. *giggles* So to all my chans (Angel, D, Hikari, Ivory, Jade, MK, and our newest member, Silver), my chapter goes to you, and all my wonderful readers and reviewers. There aren't a lot of people who've watched the full Escaflowne series yet, but I hope you'll continue reading!
Mirai Trunks: And reviewing!
Tenshi: *squeals and drags Mirai off*
*giggles* Gomen.. I plead temporary insanity, and the fact that I've only gotten 4 hours of sleep each day! I won't be working on anything this weekend since I'm going away. But a new chapter of Goddess will be coming up either Monday or Tuesday (I hope). My best wishes to you all, and please please please, make me a happy writer by reviewing! :) Ja ne!
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Cursed: Chapter 5
Ever since the day that I found that black feather, and ever since the day Chid re-entered my life, I was convinced that there was some unknown factor involved in this. I had been a little more social much to my parents' delight. They planned on finding me a suitable Prince, I'm sure of it, now that I've become more princess-like. But how long would I have? I spread my wings, feeling the familiar sense of freedom that the action allows, and inspected each feather carefully. I longed to talk to my father to know why it was imperative that I kept my wings a secret. Maybe he believed that he could have protected me from all the pain that he had received as a child. Or maybe it was something else altogether. Sighing softly, I walked around my darkened room. Sometimes the darkness gave me a sense of peace that the light didn't give me. Like my own life, the inky blackness of the room allowed me to have a moment to myself without the interference of sunshine. It was strange that as I was thinking this, a voice called out to me, one I honestly thought I wouldn't hear in another fifteen years.
"Hello, Usagi."
Whirling around, I was astonished to see Chid standing right there at my doorway. Something in my expression must've given him a hint to my thoughts since he laughed.
"I snuck in," he grinned, moving towards me.
Memories of us as children flooded my brain. I could not count the number of times Chid would sneak into my room so we could spend one extra moment talking or playing. It was inevitable that the Duke would discover his disappearance, or that my father would somehow guess that the children were up to no good. But for those few moments, we had fun. Fun. It was something I hadn't had in a long time.
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"Why are you standing here alone in the darkness?" He asked softly. He had been shocked to see her by herself. The aura of loneliness and sadness hadn't been as strong as it was when he first saw her at the ball, but it still lingered.
"Thinking," she replied, turning away from him.
Her silhouette revealed that her wings were still out, and he was once again struck by how she resembled an angel. He moved over towards the window, and began drawing the curtains. Streams of sunlight flitted through causing her to squint silently. Golden beams mingled with silver hair, creating an illusion of an aura. She blushed under the gaze of his stare, and he couldn't help himself.
"If I've never told you this, your wings are beautiful." And he meant it. They took his breath away. Somehow they emphasized the ethereal nature of her beauty.
She blushed even further, and turned away from him.
"Why are you back? I know you have your duties as the Duke," she asked softly.
"I do, but there are some things far more important than that. I have more than capable advisors to help me out. If there are problems, they know where I am. I came back for one simple reason. You."
"Me?" She spun around, staring at him incredulously. The expression on her face reminded him of the way she was as a child, and he couldn't help the smile that appeared on his lips.
"I told myself that if I ever survived that fall, I would make it up to you."
"You don't have to," she replied, her eyes saddening somehow.
"What's wrong?"
She stared at him wordlessly, trying to blink back the tears that were threatening to spill again.
"You know, Usa-chan… there was a time where you used to tell me everything."
"I'm not the same person."
"Neither am I," he answered seriously. "Look, I know I've give you reason to doubt me, but you have to believe me. I'm… I'm not the same person who broke that promise." His eyes hardened suddenly, causing her to take a step back in surprise. "I just found out Allen Schezar is my father."
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I gasped out loud, unable to help myself. Allen-jisan was his father? How could that be? I remembered the dark, brooding face of the former Duke of Freid, and I remembered how he used to scare the living daylights out of me as a child. As I gave the idea more consideration, I could see the similarities between Allen-jisan and Chid, although I had always assumed that Chid's colouring came from Marlene. It certainly explained a lot though, like how I would always get this strange sense whenever Allen-jisan was around Chid. I looked at him, and his blue eyes held a sadness and betrayal I had never seen before. For some strange reason, that look caused me great pain. I felt so helpless and inadequate. That was all I had known for most of my life. How was I supposed to know what to do or say to make him feel better? I never wanted to leave the blanket of sadness and depression that enveloped me. He looked at me strangely then, and I could swear it was a look of understanding, as if he knew that I was struggling with myself to find the words to comfort him. He shrugged and mumbled something sounding like, "I'll be all right." And I knew how much doing that cost him. He was someone who felt everything deeply. There was something else though. Something else he wasn't saying. I could feel it deep in my bones, but I couldn't pry. Too much time had passed by, and too many changes had occurred for us to regain that amount of closeness in that little time. It tore at me, it truly did. Before I could say anything, Chid spoke again. "I bet it's been ages since you've had fun, right?" Fifteen years to be exactly, but I merely nodded. Grabbing my hand in his, he smiled and I couldn't help but be affected by what he did. He could shrug off his pain and still try to make me happy. I looked at him, dumbfounded, and stared at my hand in his. Somehow it felt so right. Everything felt right for once.
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The deity smiled in approval as he spread his wings. "Things are proceeding along nicely…"
The figure next to him was a picture of serenity, omnipotence at its finest. "Indeed they are."
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The laughter sounded like music to his ears as he pushed her on the swing, watching in awe at her silvery blond hair that had fallen loose from the pins. It was almost a scene from their childhood years, except they were no longer children. Time had passed, and the innocence of that childhood had long gone. Chid wished so badly that he could've been there for her all those years she went through all the pain and despair alone. He wished he could've been more supportive, and been more of a true friend. He wished he had her powers, these powers of wishing that she hated.
"Don't blame yourself, Chid…" She said gently. He was surprised to find the swing now empty, and her gaze holding his own. He could see the internal struggle in her. She was trying to figure out how to best help him, but with her own limited experiences, she wasn't sure how to approach him. She had initially appeared an enigma to him, but for some reason, she was like an open book to him. The emotions were there. You just had to know how to look for it through the years of defense that had built up to protect herself from the pain of feeling. To his own surprise, he felt a sort of pride in being one of the people who could understand her.
"I … it's taught me how to survive as best as I can." She added, before turning away from him.
He reached out and grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him. "Usa-chan, you… you shut everyone out. You shut your parents out, and you wouldn't let them see the pain you felt. You didn't want to feel. You didn't want to make another mistake with bad wishes again. You were a child. You couldn't have known what would've happened. You weren't warned for God's sake. And for that, you carried that burden for the rest of your life. You were surviving but you never truly lived."
She winced slightly, the pressure on her delicate skin causing discomfort. His eyes widened suddenly as if realising what he just did. "Gomen nasai, Usa-chan. I…" He loosened his hold and instead, began rubbing his thumb along her inner wrist, sending sensation spiraling through her. She stared at him with those blue eyes that never failed to display her every emotion and touch his very soul. Confusion, awareness, and an unmistakable attraction flared between once again. Unable to help himself, he closed the distance between them, never once taking his eyes off her face, the face that had enchanted him as a child and continued doing so as an adult. With his other hand, he softly brushed her cheek that had turned slightly rosy. The blush captivated him, as she stared at him with a wonderment in her expression. He brought the hand that he had been holding, and placed it behind his neck. Trailing his hand to her chin and with gentle pressure, he tilted her face upwards as a soft breath escaped her lips. She closed her eyes, anticipating the moment when his lips would touch hers, and everything would be all right again. He leaned forward, and the initial contact was electric. She jerked back slightly, and almost as if he foresaw her actions, he wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her closer. It's her first kiss… be gentle Chid. Don't frighten her away. He held himself still, allowing her to get used to the sensation, and to his surprise, mere moments later, her lips began to move beneath his, wanting more. And he gave her more. He gave her his heart and his soul in the kiss as he deepened it, and to his immense joy, she gave hers right back.
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All right, I wasn't planning on writing here, but I had to. Gomen for the whole deity thing… I know I like writing them into fics a lot but I'm really fascinated by them. But the good news is that you're going to have fun determining WHO they are. Tell you what… I'll have a contest of sorts. If you can either email me or leave it in your review as to who you think they are, and you guess it correctly, I'll email you the last chapter in advance (i.e. next week BEFORE I post it). *grins* Anyway, bai bai!