Everything rushed around Eri, it was all wrong! She screamed as she felt the life being taken away from her lover, whom she hadn't connected with in a full day. He was dying! She ran into his room, but she was too late. He was dead.
"Shuu…" She murmured, and gasped. Her body was listening! She was in control! "No! Shuu! I love you!"
"Seiji's Demon, Eri, his Demon…defend yourself." Shuu's voice came into her head out of nowhere. But he was gone! She could hear him plainly. A demon to destroy? Ah, Shuu. She thought sadly. So, he was dead and gone. She fingered the necklace she wore, the small marble attached to the black cord.
"I won't let her get away with what she's done, Shuu Faun, I swear it." Eri opened the door to the house and sat at a counter. "Matsuri, whatever shall I do? I'm empty inside…"
Matsuri crooned softly and landed in front of her. She offered him a piece of cracker, which he snapped up. He cocked his head as if to say 'why sad as Matsuri here?'
Eri almost laughed. Matsuri could be very amusing. She picked at her nail polish, sighing unhappily.
The ghost form of Seiji watched the young woman with increasing sadness. "Please, Eri, you can't take this so hard…"
Touma put a hand on Seiji's shoulder, "She's afraid. The demon will be after her."
"It's all my fault." He looked at his best friend. "She's my demon." They didn't notice her leave, but they did notice the haunting violin music coming from another room. They followed the sound.
"Return…" Touma sighed. "It's her favorite. The only thing she can play." Abruptly, Eri stopped playing.
"Who's there?!" She put the violin down and got into fighting stance. "Who is it?" An angry look had entered her eyes, she was ready to fight. "Demon, come out and show yourself!"
"Stop, Eri!" Touma tried to shake her, but it was no use. He passed through her. "Eri!"
"Leave it be. Perhaps she can take care of herself." Seiji disappeared. Touma followed after glancing sadly at his beautiful friend.
***
"Hmmm…okay." The demon smiled. "Ronins are dead, no problem. Now I can take over the world, and make everybody sad!"
"You won't get away with this!" A solid Ryo sat tied to a chair.
"Oh, but I will. The only person who can possibly attempt to stop me is your little friend the housemaid." She cackled and came closer to Ryo. "I kept you alive, and for that you should be grateful."
"Perhaps my soul is alive in your dream world, but my body and real soul have fled! Eri will stop you!"
"Is that her name?"
"Oh, fuck!" Ryo cursed himself. He had done the one thing he was sworn not to! Tell her name to the demon!
"I take it that Eri is her name? Good to know." She considered him. "I kind of like you. I think maybe I'll keep you around to see her die!"
"You'll never kill her! She's invincible!"
"Nobody's invincible, Ryo. Not even me." The demon said soberly as she put down the parchment and walked away from him.
***
Eri tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She stood up and went into Shuu's old room, where she picked up his 'security blanket', an old teddy bear named Wrath. How it had gotten a name like that she had no clue. She held Wrath to her tightly, breathing in the absorbed scent of Shuu. A sweet smell, mixed in with a little CK 1. She looked around the room, sighing, and noticed a bound leather book. It looked like a journal. She picked it up, opening it carefully. It was dated. So it was his journal! She wondered if she should read it. Shaking her head, she began to read.
June 21-
Something fishy is going on. Seiji, Touma, and Shin are all dead, in that exact order. Shin came in and warned me that there was some sort of demon out to get us, and then he died. Right there in my arms…that's one experience I hope I'll never repeat. I loved him like a brother, but it was almost like he was more than that. He was my best friend, after all. He never cared that I was always hungry, or that I was the only one in the group with a real girlfriend. [Here, Eri noticed that there were teardrops staining the page] I don't know what to do without him.
Eri made me tell Ryo what happened, while she cleaned him up. And I remember Eri's face before she saw me. Eri's face…that's something I don't want to remember. I could hear her screaming in her head, screaming for the angels of mercy to kill her…her face, oh God, her face. The exquisite torture of seeing her face. It was a mask of pain, horror, and a desperate sadness that made me start crying all over again. When I told him, Ryo was just standing there, his features twisted in shock and sorrow. It was all I could do not to scream and break something. Instead, I hugged my friends and we cried.
Eri had been the first one to stop crying. She was maybe more upset than both of us, as she had lost her closest friend besides Touma. Her two best friends within 24 hours of each other. I wish I could cry for her, but my tears have run out. My poor angel…I heard her screaming in her dreams last night. For revenge, of course, what else? Nothing better happen to me. I have to stay here and protect her.
The entry ended. Eri felt tears well up as she hugged Wrath closer. "Damn…I didn't know he could write like that. I didn't even know he had a journal. I guess that goes to show how little I knew him." She looked at the date. June 21, three days ago. The night Shin had died, the night before Ryo, two nights before Shuu. Her tears stopped, and anger began to bubble. She wanted revenge, powerful revenge. Something that would make that demon realize that it could not mess with her life and get away with it.
***
The demon paced restlessly, back and forth. "Her name is Eri! Where have I heard that name before? Ryo, what's her last name!"
Ryo snickered. "Not telling." He smiled. The demon would not get any more information out of him.
She walked over and wrenched his head back. "I can kill you."
"I don't care. The thought of my death is more relief than fear anymore."
"Then I can keep you alive for as long as necessary."
"That's fine with me."
The demon almost screamed with frustration. "I will haunt your every nightmare! You will not sleep for fear of me!"
"I'm not afraid of you or anybody else! No, Demon, you frighten me not!" Ryo cried. "I'm not scared!"
"Sure you aren't…" She traced his profile with an icy cold finger. "But you will learn to be."
***
Eri fell asleep more peacefully holding onto Wrath. She hadn't gone through any more of Shuu's diary entries. But something troubled her, something troubled her dreams…
"So, you're Eri." The demon held up a short dagger. "You're the brat who can defeat me?"
"Demon." Eri's eyes widened. "This is nothing but your nightmare."
"Wrong. Your nightmare!"
"I will kill you in any way," Eri hissed "for what you have done to me."
"You can't. I'm invincible."
"So am I." Eri sweep-kicked the demon, who agilely jumped and swiped her head with her foot. Eri shook her head to clear the fuzziness and stood up. "Armour of Stars! Tao Fuki!"
"No!" The demon hissed. "You aren't one of them!"
"Am so." She stuck her tongue out. "I'm a Ronin Warrior, but you never bothered to figure it out!"
"Brat!" The demon screeched and lunged at her again. Eri dodged but was slightly cut by the blade, which was covered in a painful poison. "Meet your demise!"
The female warrior stumbled. "No…you can't defeat me, I'm a Ronin Warrior…"
"I just did." She smirked as she raised the dagger to plunge it through the younger girl. Eri rolled out of the way just in time. "Wench!"
"I am the Warrior of Liberty!" She jumped to her feet. "You will never take me alive!"
The demon scowled. "I am Satrina, behold your death, child!"
"You won't take me!" Eri twirled her staff and held it in front of her. "Shimmer Starlight!"
"No!" Satrina fell. The Ronin ran over to deliver the killing blow, an ecstatic grin taking up her face as she began her staff's quick descent. "Dark Spirits Defend!" The demon let off one last attack, and Eri wasn't prepared. She fell on her back, convulsing and twitching. Her armour disappeared, rendering her helpless, at the demon's mercy. The evil one made her way over and smiled maliciously. "Well well…"
"No…" Eri whispered, "You cannot defeat me…"
"NO!" Ryo screamed and struggled harder against his bonds. The demon struck the girl on the floor, leaving red scratches across her cheek. Blood welled up and began to trickle down.
"Ryo, don't bother. She's dead." Satrina laughed cruelly. "Poor baby Eri, last Ronin to fall."
"Eri, oh Eri, I'm sorry!" Ryo started to weep.
"Ryo?" His voice gave the last hope strength. "I thought you were dead."
"Only my body. Come on, get up! You have to defeat her!"
"I can't, forgive me…Ryo…" Eri fell silent. Satrina made a mark on her forehead, drawing more blood. Eri shuddered again, and lay deathly still.
The world spun away from Ryo. "ERI!" He burst from his bonds and destroyed the demon in a lash of fire that shot from his fingertips.
"NO!" She cried, disappearing. "So close! So close!"
The warrior of virtue ignored her as he cradled the head of the non-living warrior of liberty. "You were my last hope." He lifted her into his lap, and held her close to him. He noticed the film of poison was still around her arm where the dagger had struck. He took a breath to steady himself, then trailed his finger over it, making sure all of the poison was on it. Then, he licked it. He felt the powerful poison coursing through his veins, and he almost tasted the bile rising in his throat. He forced it back down, and took another breath. Letting out a violent shudder, he kissed Eri's cold lips and died, slumped over her.
***
So ends Victim of Demon Dreams. I hope you enjoyed it, and didn't find my writing too morbid and depressing. Don't even think about holding me responsible for therapy needed later on in life. It's a fiction story, and I've personally read sadder. Thanks for reading, it really means a lot to me. Those of you that reviewed, you are my best friends. Thank you.
"Shuu…" She murmured, and gasped. Her body was listening! She was in control! "No! Shuu! I love you!"
"Seiji's Demon, Eri, his Demon…defend yourself." Shuu's voice came into her head out of nowhere. But he was gone! She could hear him plainly. A demon to destroy? Ah, Shuu. She thought sadly. So, he was dead and gone. She fingered the necklace she wore, the small marble attached to the black cord.
"I won't let her get away with what she's done, Shuu Faun, I swear it." Eri opened the door to the house and sat at a counter. "Matsuri, whatever shall I do? I'm empty inside…"
Matsuri crooned softly and landed in front of her. She offered him a piece of cracker, which he snapped up. He cocked his head as if to say 'why sad as Matsuri here?'
Eri almost laughed. Matsuri could be very amusing. She picked at her nail polish, sighing unhappily.
The ghost form of Seiji watched the young woman with increasing sadness. "Please, Eri, you can't take this so hard…"
Touma put a hand on Seiji's shoulder, "She's afraid. The demon will be after her."
"It's all my fault." He looked at his best friend. "She's my demon." They didn't notice her leave, but they did notice the haunting violin music coming from another room. They followed the sound.
"Return…" Touma sighed. "It's her favorite. The only thing she can play." Abruptly, Eri stopped playing.
"Who's there?!" She put the violin down and got into fighting stance. "Who is it?" An angry look had entered her eyes, she was ready to fight. "Demon, come out and show yourself!"
"Stop, Eri!" Touma tried to shake her, but it was no use. He passed through her. "Eri!"
"Leave it be. Perhaps she can take care of herself." Seiji disappeared. Touma followed after glancing sadly at his beautiful friend.
***
"Hmmm…okay." The demon smiled. "Ronins are dead, no problem. Now I can take over the world, and make everybody sad!"
"You won't get away with this!" A solid Ryo sat tied to a chair.
"Oh, but I will. The only person who can possibly attempt to stop me is your little friend the housemaid." She cackled and came closer to Ryo. "I kept you alive, and for that you should be grateful."
"Perhaps my soul is alive in your dream world, but my body and real soul have fled! Eri will stop you!"
"Is that her name?"
"Oh, fuck!" Ryo cursed himself. He had done the one thing he was sworn not to! Tell her name to the demon!
"I take it that Eri is her name? Good to know." She considered him. "I kind of like you. I think maybe I'll keep you around to see her die!"
"You'll never kill her! She's invincible!"
"Nobody's invincible, Ryo. Not even me." The demon said soberly as she put down the parchment and walked away from him.
***
Eri tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She stood up and went into Shuu's old room, where she picked up his 'security blanket', an old teddy bear named Wrath. How it had gotten a name like that she had no clue. She held Wrath to her tightly, breathing in the absorbed scent of Shuu. A sweet smell, mixed in with a little CK 1. She looked around the room, sighing, and noticed a bound leather book. It looked like a journal. She picked it up, opening it carefully. It was dated. So it was his journal! She wondered if she should read it. Shaking her head, she began to read.
June 21-
Something fishy is going on. Seiji, Touma, and Shin are all dead, in that exact order. Shin came in and warned me that there was some sort of demon out to get us, and then he died. Right there in my arms…that's one experience I hope I'll never repeat. I loved him like a brother, but it was almost like he was more than that. He was my best friend, after all. He never cared that I was always hungry, or that I was the only one in the group with a real girlfriend. [Here, Eri noticed that there were teardrops staining the page] I don't know what to do without him.
Eri made me tell Ryo what happened, while she cleaned him up. And I remember Eri's face before she saw me. Eri's face…that's something I don't want to remember. I could hear her screaming in her head, screaming for the angels of mercy to kill her…her face, oh God, her face. The exquisite torture of seeing her face. It was a mask of pain, horror, and a desperate sadness that made me start crying all over again. When I told him, Ryo was just standing there, his features twisted in shock and sorrow. It was all I could do not to scream and break something. Instead, I hugged my friends and we cried.
Eri had been the first one to stop crying. She was maybe more upset than both of us, as she had lost her closest friend besides Touma. Her two best friends within 24 hours of each other. I wish I could cry for her, but my tears have run out. My poor angel…I heard her screaming in her dreams last night. For revenge, of course, what else? Nothing better happen to me. I have to stay here and protect her.
The entry ended. Eri felt tears well up as she hugged Wrath closer. "Damn…I didn't know he could write like that. I didn't even know he had a journal. I guess that goes to show how little I knew him." She looked at the date. June 21, three days ago. The night Shin had died, the night before Ryo, two nights before Shuu. Her tears stopped, and anger began to bubble. She wanted revenge, powerful revenge. Something that would make that demon realize that it could not mess with her life and get away with it.
***
The demon paced restlessly, back and forth. "Her name is Eri! Where have I heard that name before? Ryo, what's her last name!"
Ryo snickered. "Not telling." He smiled. The demon would not get any more information out of him.
She walked over and wrenched his head back. "I can kill you."
"I don't care. The thought of my death is more relief than fear anymore."
"Then I can keep you alive for as long as necessary."
"That's fine with me."
The demon almost screamed with frustration. "I will haunt your every nightmare! You will not sleep for fear of me!"
"I'm not afraid of you or anybody else! No, Demon, you frighten me not!" Ryo cried. "I'm not scared!"
"Sure you aren't…" She traced his profile with an icy cold finger. "But you will learn to be."
***
Eri fell asleep more peacefully holding onto Wrath. She hadn't gone through any more of Shuu's diary entries. But something troubled her, something troubled her dreams…
"So, you're Eri." The demon held up a short dagger. "You're the brat who can defeat me?"
"Demon." Eri's eyes widened. "This is nothing but your nightmare."
"Wrong. Your nightmare!"
"I will kill you in any way," Eri hissed "for what you have done to me."
"You can't. I'm invincible."
"So am I." Eri sweep-kicked the demon, who agilely jumped and swiped her head with her foot. Eri shook her head to clear the fuzziness and stood up. "Armour of Stars! Tao Fuki!"
"No!" The demon hissed. "You aren't one of them!"
"Am so." She stuck her tongue out. "I'm a Ronin Warrior, but you never bothered to figure it out!"
"Brat!" The demon screeched and lunged at her again. Eri dodged but was slightly cut by the blade, which was covered in a painful poison. "Meet your demise!"
The female warrior stumbled. "No…you can't defeat me, I'm a Ronin Warrior…"
"I just did." She smirked as she raised the dagger to plunge it through the younger girl. Eri rolled out of the way just in time. "Wench!"
"I am the Warrior of Liberty!" She jumped to her feet. "You will never take me alive!"
The demon scowled. "I am Satrina, behold your death, child!"
"You won't take me!" Eri twirled her staff and held it in front of her. "Shimmer Starlight!"
"No!" Satrina fell. The Ronin ran over to deliver the killing blow, an ecstatic grin taking up her face as she began her staff's quick descent. "Dark Spirits Defend!" The demon let off one last attack, and Eri wasn't prepared. She fell on her back, convulsing and twitching. Her armour disappeared, rendering her helpless, at the demon's mercy. The evil one made her way over and smiled maliciously. "Well well…"
"No…" Eri whispered, "You cannot defeat me…"
"NO!" Ryo screamed and struggled harder against his bonds. The demon struck the girl on the floor, leaving red scratches across her cheek. Blood welled up and began to trickle down.
"Ryo, don't bother. She's dead." Satrina laughed cruelly. "Poor baby Eri, last Ronin to fall."
"Eri, oh Eri, I'm sorry!" Ryo started to weep.
"Ryo?" His voice gave the last hope strength. "I thought you were dead."
"Only my body. Come on, get up! You have to defeat her!"
"I can't, forgive me…Ryo…" Eri fell silent. Satrina made a mark on her forehead, drawing more blood. Eri shuddered again, and lay deathly still.
The world spun away from Ryo. "ERI!" He burst from his bonds and destroyed the demon in a lash of fire that shot from his fingertips.
"NO!" She cried, disappearing. "So close! So close!"
The warrior of virtue ignored her as he cradled the head of the non-living warrior of liberty. "You were my last hope." He lifted her into his lap, and held her close to him. He noticed the film of poison was still around her arm where the dagger had struck. He took a breath to steady himself, then trailed his finger over it, making sure all of the poison was on it. Then, he licked it. He felt the powerful poison coursing through his veins, and he almost tasted the bile rising in his throat. He forced it back down, and took another breath. Letting out a violent shudder, he kissed Eri's cold lips and died, slumped over her.
***
So ends Victim of Demon Dreams. I hope you enjoyed it, and didn't find my writing too morbid and depressing. Don't even think about holding me responsible for therapy needed later on in life. It's a fiction story, and I've personally read sadder. Thanks for reading, it really means a lot to me. Those of you that reviewed, you are my best friends. Thank you.