~~
"Damn brat, get back here with that!"
Several gunshots echoed across the streets of December, though the only thing that actually hit the target was a hail of plaster and shattered glass as the guilty boy decked behind a wall into the ruined remains of an ancient complex. Somewhere on the streets a dog began barking and a door slammed, but the criminals that had been tormenting the residential district as of late had escaped again, this time dragging half of a slaughtered thomas after them.
Lithe figures in the moonlight, swinging the carcass between them- one much taller than he had been two years before, the other still small, wispy like a wraith in the inky blackness. Midnight was an ally as were the five sparkling moons, the twin suns the banner of those who would kill them. But here in the night they would fight, win, and eat, in the darkness they found confidence and success-
Legato lit a match between his fingers and threw it on a massive wad of sticky garbage before him, the greasy paper and plastic lighting up with minimal coaxing. The two children began slicing and dicing, stripping their kill into thin chunks and spearing those with metallic rods, holding them over the sickly red-gray smoke of their meager light-
"Lega-brother, they 'spected us t'night," Andante's almond eyes were thoughtful and reasoning, despite her young age. Like her sibling, the bratty girl tended to think on a level above that of most other humans- though her appearance did not display such strength. "We need a new area t' hunt in."
'Hunting,' as they called it, entailed anything from petty theft to arson.
"We will get by," Legato said, his voice expressionless as he worked his bloody knife through muscle tissue and bone. He had known their attack was expected before he planned it- the whispers told him that much, and likewise he had known they would be successful. The whispers were more and more frequent these days, giving advice or insults, but always something. Always there.
He turned slightly, feeling a brushing sensation against the his cheek, eyes narrowing. Andante, as tuned as she was to her sibling's movements, turned as well, though not quite in time to catch the sight her brother did.
Tall, straight back, curving hips, cropped hair and pale, ice eyes- Legato sprang up, sensing that whatever had touched his mind was on the run, escaping him- and though the whispers spoke out vehemently against the action, the boy scrambled to his feet and charged after it, through the dusty, sandy outskirts of the city.
The moon flashing across shattered windows, a scrap of tattered fabric tangled in ruins- this was the land of the dying, where only the damned carved a living for themselves. Legato knew the streets and rooftops like the back of his hands, he was familier with shortcuts, places where unsuspecting visitors would rest- he knew the slums and underworld almost better than he knew himself.
Almost.
Whatever it was that had contacted him so quietly remained a few breaths ahead of him, a few paces beyond his reach- "Stop!" the boy whispered as he flung himself around a curve, stumbling at last and rolling off the sidewalk into the sandy gutter trash that lined the road. Legato cried out in pain as his back slammed into a jagged edge of a broken bottle, shards of glass mutilating his flesh as he rolled and writhed in agony-
There was someone before him, someone silent and calm with a gaze teeming with patient and endless knowledge. Legato pushed his way out of the bloody, polluted sand and stared upwards, his neck craned to see the face before him-
He gasped.
The man 'reached' for Legato, his willpower stronger than anything the boy had ever encountered- it was cold and yet hot, dry and yet dripping with unstoppable force, it was gentle as wool and yet stronger than iron, it was everything. The shaking boy stumbled upwards, drawn almost against his will until he was closer to the man-
Thin lips were upturned with slight, secret amusement, they eyes narrow despite the calm expresion on the being's visage. The face itself was long with subtle curves and a tiny beauty mark at the corner of his right eye. The whole appearance smokey blonde-silver hair that almost matched the moons above- all cool, silver and sweet, like a fairy out of an ancient children's tale. "Fight with me."
Something struck Legato across the face before the child could even blink, and he staggered backwards, slipping down into the sand once more. The white figure had raised his hand and was studying the boy before him as if he was a gem, searching for flaws and scratches, for any defect that would destroy the piece. Preparing to carve away the fault once it had been discovered, using any means necessary... "Use your power."
Legato could barely comprehend the words, so great was his astonishment. This being had hit him, Legato Bluesummers! He, the invincible child who threw grown men to their knees when he wished it, who had never been touched or shot or caught- he had been struck dumb by a golden-white monster of mercy in the night. Fight him? Now?
The boy threw up his hands and the power he was so obsessed with surged through his body-
-will burning, he slammed his own intentions into the man, taking him over, controlling him, destroying the thoughts and emotions and heart of the human trash-
Nothing happened.
Legato's jaw clenched, and the boy pressed harder- mentally, it was like slamming head-first into a stone wall. The white-clad man had an aura around him, glittering, faultless, which nothing could penetrate- he should have collapsed by now! "More." The man ordered, his arms crossed across his chest.
This was a test.
Paling to an even smokier shade of moonlit gray, the boy obeyed. Another ounce of his soul, another moment of tense silence, in which nothing could touch either of the two, and then-
The man raised one palm.
It shocked his body, as if he had swallowed a burning torch- the pain collected in his chest and throbbed delightfully, twisting with each passing second, mauling his will and brutalizing his tiny pride. Legato fell to his knees, expression formed into something that was half longing for the touch to continue and half terror at what that would mean- the being before him smiled, almost kindly, as he wrapped his own will around the boy. It was fire, it was everything, it was the touch of a lover and the blade of a sword--
-soft, like feathers, hot like fire, endless like the blue skies of Gunsmoke-
-gold touched black, and Legato's energy was negated to nothing-
"I see…Young, yet."
-gone-
Legato opened his mouth to beg the being to stay and touch him again, yet nothing met his attempt but the sour tang of blood. It was sickly and crimson, dribbling down his chin in a slow, careless river- it was everywhere, painting his tunic, tasting his fingernails, dying the sand below…
~~
"Lega-brother! Lega-brother!"
Andante reached out and shook her sibling where he lay- when no response was earned, she stepped back, fear sparkling in her slanted eyes. She had felt power from this source, some of it Legato's, some of it strange and unexplainable, terrifying in it's fathomless depths- "Lega-brother! Geddup!"
Head lolling, Legato's eyes were blank and held nothing but murky, dead silence. His sister shifted nervously before reaching out and slinging him over one shoulder. She was strong despite her size, and Legato was achingly thin against her back-
"Girl."
Jumping, the curly-haired child skittered sideways, tripping over her own feet and falling into the sand. Legato hit the ground with a soft thump-
"Do you need help?"
Andante's eyes were wide as the man before her knelt, nearing her height. Quietly she tried to force him away with her mind, the way Legato always did, but something about him made it impossible to do so. His dark hair fell into his eyes as he regarded her from his position, and Andante found herself trembling with fear. "Come with me and I can help you."
Come with him? A stranger?
"I'll even carry your brother."
"No."
Legato hated being touched. Humanity was filthy and disgusting, something to be toed with the tip of your shoe, like an unpleasant mess or a rotting kill. Legato wore long sleeves, a coat, gloves- anything to keep his flesh from touching that of others.
"My dear, he's sick."
"Don't touch him."
"You can carry him if you like..."
"Yes."
Black hair whipped through the cool night's breeze as Andante carried her brother after the long-haired man.
Things were never the same.
"Damn brat, get back here with that!"
Several gunshots echoed across the streets of December, though the only thing that actually hit the target was a hail of plaster and shattered glass as the guilty boy decked behind a wall into the ruined remains of an ancient complex. Somewhere on the streets a dog began barking and a door slammed, but the criminals that had been tormenting the residential district as of late had escaped again, this time dragging half of a slaughtered thomas after them.
Lithe figures in the moonlight, swinging the carcass between them- one much taller than he had been two years before, the other still small, wispy like a wraith in the inky blackness. Midnight was an ally as were the five sparkling moons, the twin suns the banner of those who would kill them. But here in the night they would fight, win, and eat, in the darkness they found confidence and success-
Legato lit a match between his fingers and threw it on a massive wad of sticky garbage before him, the greasy paper and plastic lighting up with minimal coaxing. The two children began slicing and dicing, stripping their kill into thin chunks and spearing those with metallic rods, holding them over the sickly red-gray smoke of their meager light-
"Lega-brother, they 'spected us t'night," Andante's almond eyes were thoughtful and reasoning, despite her young age. Like her sibling, the bratty girl tended to think on a level above that of most other humans- though her appearance did not display such strength. "We need a new area t' hunt in."
'Hunting,' as they called it, entailed anything from petty theft to arson.
"We will get by," Legato said, his voice expressionless as he worked his bloody knife through muscle tissue and bone. He had known their attack was expected before he planned it- the whispers told him that much, and likewise he had known they would be successful. The whispers were more and more frequent these days, giving advice or insults, but always something. Always there.
He turned slightly, feeling a brushing sensation against the his cheek, eyes narrowing. Andante, as tuned as she was to her sibling's movements, turned as well, though not quite in time to catch the sight her brother did.
Tall, straight back, curving hips, cropped hair and pale, ice eyes- Legato sprang up, sensing that whatever had touched his mind was on the run, escaping him- and though the whispers spoke out vehemently against the action, the boy scrambled to his feet and charged after it, through the dusty, sandy outskirts of the city.
The moon flashing across shattered windows, a scrap of tattered fabric tangled in ruins- this was the land of the dying, where only the damned carved a living for themselves. Legato knew the streets and rooftops like the back of his hands, he was familier with shortcuts, places where unsuspecting visitors would rest- he knew the slums and underworld almost better than he knew himself.
Almost.
Whatever it was that had contacted him so quietly remained a few breaths ahead of him, a few paces beyond his reach- "Stop!" the boy whispered as he flung himself around a curve, stumbling at last and rolling off the sidewalk into the sandy gutter trash that lined the road. Legato cried out in pain as his back slammed into a jagged edge of a broken bottle, shards of glass mutilating his flesh as he rolled and writhed in agony-
There was someone before him, someone silent and calm with a gaze teeming with patient and endless knowledge. Legato pushed his way out of the bloody, polluted sand and stared upwards, his neck craned to see the face before him-
He gasped.
The man 'reached' for Legato, his willpower stronger than anything the boy had ever encountered- it was cold and yet hot, dry and yet dripping with unstoppable force, it was gentle as wool and yet stronger than iron, it was everything. The shaking boy stumbled upwards, drawn almost against his will until he was closer to the man-
Thin lips were upturned with slight, secret amusement, they eyes narrow despite the calm expresion on the being's visage. The face itself was long with subtle curves and a tiny beauty mark at the corner of his right eye. The whole appearance smokey blonde-silver hair that almost matched the moons above- all cool, silver and sweet, like a fairy out of an ancient children's tale. "Fight with me."
Something struck Legato across the face before the child could even blink, and he staggered backwards, slipping down into the sand once more. The white figure had raised his hand and was studying the boy before him as if he was a gem, searching for flaws and scratches, for any defect that would destroy the piece. Preparing to carve away the fault once it had been discovered, using any means necessary... "Use your power."
Legato could barely comprehend the words, so great was his astonishment. This being had hit him, Legato Bluesummers! He, the invincible child who threw grown men to their knees when he wished it, who had never been touched or shot or caught- he had been struck dumb by a golden-white monster of mercy in the night. Fight him? Now?
The boy threw up his hands and the power he was so obsessed with surged through his body-
-will burning, he slammed his own intentions into the man, taking him over, controlling him, destroying the thoughts and emotions and heart of the human trash-
Nothing happened.
Legato's jaw clenched, and the boy pressed harder- mentally, it was like slamming head-first into a stone wall. The white-clad man had an aura around him, glittering, faultless, which nothing could penetrate- he should have collapsed by now! "More." The man ordered, his arms crossed across his chest.
This was a test.
Paling to an even smokier shade of moonlit gray, the boy obeyed. Another ounce of his soul, another moment of tense silence, in which nothing could touch either of the two, and then-
The man raised one palm.
It shocked his body, as if he had swallowed a burning torch- the pain collected in his chest and throbbed delightfully, twisting with each passing second, mauling his will and brutalizing his tiny pride. Legato fell to his knees, expression formed into something that was half longing for the touch to continue and half terror at what that would mean- the being before him smiled, almost kindly, as he wrapped his own will around the boy. It was fire, it was everything, it was the touch of a lover and the blade of a sword--
-soft, like feathers, hot like fire, endless like the blue skies of Gunsmoke-
-gold touched black, and Legato's energy was negated to nothing-
"I see…Young, yet."
-gone-
Legato opened his mouth to beg the being to stay and touch him again, yet nothing met his attempt but the sour tang of blood. It was sickly and crimson, dribbling down his chin in a slow, careless river- it was everywhere, painting his tunic, tasting his fingernails, dying the sand below…
~~
"Lega-brother! Lega-brother!"
Andante reached out and shook her sibling where he lay- when no response was earned, she stepped back, fear sparkling in her slanted eyes. She had felt power from this source, some of it Legato's, some of it strange and unexplainable, terrifying in it's fathomless depths- "Lega-brother! Geddup!"
Head lolling, Legato's eyes were blank and held nothing but murky, dead silence. His sister shifted nervously before reaching out and slinging him over one shoulder. She was strong despite her size, and Legato was achingly thin against her back-
"Girl."
Jumping, the curly-haired child skittered sideways, tripping over her own feet and falling into the sand. Legato hit the ground with a soft thump-
"Do you need help?"
Andante's eyes were wide as the man before her knelt, nearing her height. Quietly she tried to force him away with her mind, the way Legato always did, but something about him made it impossible to do so. His dark hair fell into his eyes as he regarded her from his position, and Andante found herself trembling with fear. "Come with me and I can help you."
Come with him? A stranger?
"I'll even carry your brother."
"No."
Legato hated being touched. Humanity was filthy and disgusting, something to be toed with the tip of your shoe, like an unpleasant mess or a rotting kill. Legato wore long sleeves, a coat, gloves- anything to keep his flesh from touching that of others.
"My dear, he's sick."
"Don't touch him."
"You can carry him if you like..."
"Yes."
Black hair whipped through the cool night's breeze as Andante carried her brother after the long-haired man.
Things were never the same.