Awakenings
Part 1: "Inside"
By: Loralei Fairhill
Rated: R (read: If you can't handle mature material, you shouldn't
be here.)
Genre: AR
"For some autumn comes early, stays late through life where October
follows September and November touches October and then instead of
December and Christ's birth, there is no Bethlehem Star, no
rejoicing, but September comes again and old October and so on down
the years, with no winter, spring or revivifying summer. For these
beings, fall is the ever normal season, the only weather, there be
no choice beyond. Where do they come from? The dust. Where do they
go? The grave. Does blood stir in their veins? No: the night wind.
What ticks in their head? The worm. What speaks from their mouth?
The toad. What sees from their eye? The snake. What hears with
their ear? The abyss between the stars. They sift the human storm
for souls, eat flesh of reason, fill tombs with sinners. They
frenzy forth. In gusts they beetle-scurry, creep, thread, filter,
motion, make all moons sullen, and surely cloud all clear-run
waters. The spider-web hears them, trembles--breaks. Such are the
autumn people. Beware of them."
~Pastor Newgate Phillips, excerpt from Ray Bradbury's _Something
Wicked This Way Comes_
Okay, this is probably going to sound completely strange, but I'm
adding this section to my author's notes because I feel that this
piece goes better with the music I listened to while writing it.
^_^ Suggested Music to listen to while reading:
When you read this first part, put on Jibrille (Angel Sanctuary
album). After that, one of the character themes (Alexial or Rociel)
and then the Sanctus (also Angel Sanctuary). And when the castle
scene comes up, change songs to Hana Yori Dango's Rui's theme.
After that, put Adamu Kadamu's theme from Angel Sanctuary on. Then
City-Hunter Nina (it's a lovely piano solo). Then comes Suzaku from
the Outlaw Star soundtrack. . . . After that, put on Vanessa-Mae's
Toccata and Fugue in D minor. The last song is Scarlet (v. II)! I
love Ayashi no Ceres *grins* and then . . . Continue on to part two
of this fic! --If you want this music, I'll be more than happy
to send it to you. Just ask! Thanks for reading, minna! ^_^
And remember: EMAIL IS GOOD!
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
A steady, trickling stream of water made its way lethargically
down the pointed stalactite and dripped large, mineral-filled tears
onto the cave's uneven floor. The sound of it permeated the room
and shattered the silence.
The chamber itself was riddled with crevices, some branching
off into other, smaller caves, some leading directly into the deep
chasm that yawned menacingly below the ground of the room. It had
been formed by the vagrant drops over thousands of years; their
throng bore through the stone in smooth strokes, each of their
number lending a helping hand to create the menace that was the
bottomless pit.
Of course, the cave's formation had no value. It was the evil
held captive within that would affect the outside world. For
centuries, the well hidden, remote area had disguised and protected
the inhabitant of the cave. But all things cannot last, and one
day a ray of light found itself caught in the room. It was enough
to start the chain reaction of the awakening; the shadows reeled
and fled to darker corners, frightened of the illuminating light.
And thus, the intricately carved mahogany box found itself exposed.
Light was its sworn enemy; how ironic that it would the one
to start the awakening. Even though the beam tried in vain to
expose the sleeper encased in the coffin, it was to no avail;
expertly sealed, it protected its occupant well from the errant
strand of murderous light. So the beam searched for a way out,
which it unfortunately never found. It thought to escape through
one of the rough-hewn, jagged holes in the floor and was swallowed
by the endless black void of the chasm.
How the creature of darkness the aged slats of wood contained
released itself from its unrusted metal bonds was unknown. Yet
somehow it found a way, and, as soon as the light was gone, the
lid of the box stirred. There came a great rustling noise that
drowned out the sound of dripping water, and the coffin bounced
a few times, stopped, then bounced again. As it hopped up and down,
the lid seemed to wriggle loose of its own volition and flew
across the room where it shattered against a stony wall, smashing
itself to pieces.
In the complete darkness, the being which had been held for
so long within stepped out. It tested its stiff limbs, unused to
the freedom it now possessed. Then it shifted shapes, taking on
the form of one of the animals that had often frequented the cave
in the past, but had been driven out when the creature was sealed
within. It stretched and extended its fingers, molding them to
wings, skin stretched taut over them. It shrank, and, in a sudden
burst of energy, flung itself into the air and traced the path of
the light beam to its freedom.
After many hours of searching, it came upon its last obstacle:
the possibility that there could be harmful, killing daylight outside
which would bring its new-found pleasure of no longer being a captive
in the cursed box to a swift end. There could be no turning back,
however. Once out of the box, it would not go back; the surge of
longing for what it once had would return with a vengeance if denied.
So it winged back, then flew forward into the great arc of night sky,
wheeling and turning in sudden joyous movements, finally free.
Wondrous happiness for one person, however, is ultimate despair
for another. The havoc caused by one evil creature would start
again that night as it began its descent into the forest, searching
all the while for a human settlement in which to make its home and
spread its message of darkness.
~^^~
"No, this isn't right! How could you, you little demon?" Tsukino
Usagi ranted as she tried in vain to wrench the tightly wrapped brown
parcel from the mouth of her cat, Luna. "Just give me the package and
I'll put a special treat in your food dish when I feed you next, okay?"
she cajoled.
The cat merely responded by pulling harder and ripping into the
rough paper a bit more with her pointed little teeth.
"You are absolutely impossible, Luna! I swear, sometimes you act
more like an annoying sibling than a cat. Please, just drop it . . .
I'll go out and buy you a new toy . . . or some catnip . . . or . . .
or . . . I don't know! I need the box. It . . . it . . ." she trailed
off. There was no earthly reason why she wanted the measly package so
badly, in truth. It was just getting on her nerves that a cat thought
she could lord over her mistress.
Said cat did not budge, obviously enjoying having the power for
once, her feline you-must-worship-me instincts loving the holiday.
Usagi was practically on her knees begging for a piece of cardboard.
The situation was laughable.
"What can I do to make you leave it?" she pleaded, her head
spinning.
Her final question prompted Luna to stalk out of the room, tail
high, nose in the air, parcel still in her mouth.
Usagi let out a frustrated sigh and turned to the rest of the
mail. She would have to wait until the damned cat decided it wasn't
really a plaything after all and left it alone to open it.
She sifted through the assortment of bills, annoying
advertisements and letters from friends, quite uninterested in her
task. That is to say, she didn't care until she came upon the
mysterious and suspiciously elegant invitation. Wrapped in a
star-printed length of ribbon to hold it shut and sprinkled with
small silver crescent moons and black bats, the rough envelope seemed
to command Usagi's attention from the first moment she laid eyes on
it. It was as though the letter held as much power over her as the
strange package. But she didn't even think for a moment that they
could be connected.
Gingerly, so as not to rip the beautiful midnight blue paper,
she eased the envelope open and drew forth a length of yellowed
parchment. In deep indigo writing that flowed sensuously
across the page in a familiar and distinctive script, she read
that she was invited to attend a masquerade ball given by the
new owner of Ibusu Shiro, inheritee of the title of Baron, in honor
of the historical holiday of his ancestors, Samhain**, the night
of the dead. She immediately recognized that Samhain was the ancient
name for All Hallow's Eve, or rather, in modern terms, Halloween.
But she could recall from the days when she discussed religious
points of view with her various friends that the one who was
Wiccan was very vehement in his separation of Samhain from
Halloween. He said that it wasn't about hiding the children from
the evil spirits by making them wear costumes as much as honoring
the deceased, and possibly, the undead. She could hear him making
a comment about how she was wrong in thinking that the Irish
invented the rituals it involved in the 5th century B.C.E.* and
that it was actually the ancient Celts who started it all with
their religion centering around the life-giving mother Goddess and
her consort God, also known as the Horned One. Branching off from
that, she seemed to hear him continue, there was a faction made
up of women, who worshipped the Goddess by night, and a faction
of men, who worshipped the God by day. And those two groups were
very close to what would later become the Druids.
She suddenly wondered why she had been listening so
attentively that day. Maybe she just had an unnatural interest
in the unexplainable, but she really did feel as though on
Samhain, the spirits came through the portal from the other realm
and visited the land of the living. She shuddered, glanced down,
and realized that there was more to the letter than just that.
It included a personal invitation from the Baron himself for
her to visit any time to acquaint herself with his new home, and
if it would please her, to write a story about it and publish it
in the paper she was currently working for. In addition, it stated
that the Baron was anxious to meet her, and wanted to know if she
had received his package along with the note, which contained a
charm she was to bring along to the party.
Usagi was stupefied. She had never given one thought to the
fact that there was a castle situated on the side of the hill
overlooking her town, much less known of anyone who lived there or
associated with them. It took her quite by surprise that this Baron
would want her there, in any event. She was a young woman, fresh
out of college and full of ideas, but bogged down by the fact that
although she was working for the paper, she was a mere errand and
copy girl. It was pitiful, really, that even with the best of
educations and the most creative ideas, one had to wait at least four
years (or so she had been told when she was hired) to even be
considered to write an article worth publishing.
Well, I'll show them! she thought proudly, clenching her fists.
This will bring me to the top. Think! A story on the elusive
Baron . . . the whole world will want to know about it. He's
famous . . . and rich . . . and eligible. . . .
She blushed suddenly at her thoughts. She hadn't even met the
man, though she had spotted his face on countless magazine covers,
and here she was fantasizing about him! She berated herself
thoroughly, then thought better of it. What girl wouldn't dream of
being swept off her feet by a dashing member of the aristocracy in
an age of disillusionment concerning such affairs?
So it was decided; she would meet with him and accept the
invitation, along with all the baggage it carried. . . .
~^^~
The castle looked tall, dark, and imposing as Usagi watched in
come into view from the windshield of her car. Its looming form
grew rapidly closer, and she could feel her heart beat speed up
at the thought of visiting it. Its presence gave her chills and
made some unnamable emotion stir in her blood.
In her zeal to get the "story of the year," she realized, as
she pulled closer to the top of the steep incline and her destination,
that she hadn't told a living soul where she was heading. If the
Baron turned out to be some sort of creep, how would she get
away? In that castle, with that company, she might not be found
for days, if she was even missed. And she doubted that she would
be missed; she was the insignificant errand girl, right? Who
cared about her welfare?
Well, she knew that wasn't exactly true . . . she had
friends, and plenty of them. Just none she decided were trustworthy
enough not to scream out to the entire universe that she was the
lucky so-and-so that was going to meet the Baron face to face, and
with every luxury he wanted to provide.
She giggled to herself as she imagined him, tall, dark, and
imposing, like his castle, bending over her and sweeping her up
into a passionate embrace. She sighed dreamily, pretending to run
her fingers through his thick, silky ebony hair, even humming
with pleasure, and as a result, her concentration went off the
road for a moment. That moment was all her car needed to swerve
dangerously into the opposite lane, putting her life in jeopardy.
Of course, with her luck, she was unharmed. The truck that
had been coming down the road didn't pass by her until a few long
seconds after she had gotten her vehicle back into its proper
lane. Even so, her heart fluttered, and her head pounded. It was
not a good omen to be in such a situation right before meeting
a new person. . . . But never mind that. It was just "silly"
superstition, after all, and Usagi brushed it off as such.
She held the steering wheel steady and kept her thoughts on
the road for the remainder of the uneventful trip.
~^^~
Ibusu Shiro seemed even more imposing in person than it did
from far away and that wasn't leaving much room for anything else
to dominate the skyline. Its tall, sharp gables pierced the bleak
clouds above and swarmed with peaks and spires. The windows were
long and lean affairs, gracing the sides of the house with their
swirled presence, their glass smoky and hard to gaze through as
a result of their age.
An air of gloom, and possibly, Usagi mused, doom shrouded
the grounds, even reaching to the myriad of rose bushes whose
tangled growth grew maze-like along the sides of the entrance drive
way and up the path to the front door.
One foot in front of the other, she passed by the roses,
their blooms full and their fragrance intoxicating. She reached
the doorway without trouble, lifted the massive carved
door-knocker and dropped it. The sound that issued from it boomed
and echoed into the far reaches of the mansion.
Moments dragged on, but no one came to receive her at the
door. She stood impatiently, tapping her foot, shuffling her weight
back and forth, until her annoyance grew to the point where she
took the handle of the door in her hands and pulled. The heavy
oak panel fell open easily, almost as if there was someone on
the other side pushing it outwards to help her. Even so, it creaked
and groaned in protest.
Usagi wondered if it really was such a wonderful idea to
have come without telling anyone or bringing someone with her.
Yet just as she was beginning to second-guess herself, however, she
heard strong footsteps falling down the stairs and into the front
hallway. She squinted into the half-light of the room in front
of her and could barely make out the form of the Baron.
"Tsukino Usagi?" he called to her, his voice melodious and
gruff as her imaginings.
She smiled a bit at part of her dream being realized, then
quickly snapped out of it to respond with a soft, "Yes, I'm she."
He was all the way to the doorway by that point, and his
size seemed to dwarf the massive columns beyond. She looked up
at him, her wide blue eyes hopeful, and he smiled in return.
"I'm so glad you're here. Please come in, come in! I've
waited for so long to see you."
His presence is dazzling, she thought hazily, and heady like
good wine. . . . I wonder. "Waited for me?" she asked unsteadily.
"Why, yes. I thought you knew! That's why I moved here in the
first place. To get closer to you," he began. He took her arm
lightly and started to lead her down the long, dimly lit corridor.
Her eyes wandered along the vaulted ceiling, taking in the
grandeur and the silence of Ibusu Shiro. It was magnificent, and
wild, but strangely enough, it frightened her. She shivered
unknowingly, and the Baron slipped his arm around her shoulders.
"Is something wrong, my dear? Are you cold?" he whispered.
The sound of his voice ricocheted off of the walls and into the
gloom.
She shook her head. "Sorry," she replied.
"What do you have to be sorry about?" he asked, amused.
"Nothing." She looked at the marble floor passing lazily
under the tread of her shoes. Why do I feel so apprehensive? she
asked herself. The feeling of unease was growing on her the farther
into the castle she went.
"Then why did you shiver?" He stopped and turned to face her,
his eyes searching hers. "Please, I want there to be no secrets
between us. What's wrong, Usagi?"
Silver flecked irises regarded him intensely. "I said nothing.
I meant it." She shrugged his hand off her wrist; she was
uncomfortable with the amount of liberty he was taking with her.
The little vagrant patterns he had been tracing on her forearm
weren't unwelcome, but were disquieting because she had just
arrived and didn't know him very well.
"Am I bothering you? Perhaps . . . taking advantage of your
kindness? It was very kind of you to take my invitation to visit,
you know. I don't want you to feel ill at ease here, so let's get
to know each other shall we?" He flashed her a dazzling smile, then
snapped his fingers. The area around them seemed to illuminate
suddenly with flashes of torchlight that sprang up from fixtures
high up on the walls.
Her mouth parted in surprise, pink lips pouting roundly as she
took in the vast height of the ceiling, the elaborate decorations,
the seemingly endless floors stretching out into the still dark
hallways beyond that contained an oblivion.
He caught her rapturous look and smiled knowingly. "What shall
we start with first, I wonder? Oh, I know!" he said as he reached
for her hand, motioning her to follow to one corner of the room.
"My favorite part of all!"
She regarded him with a strange glance. "Your . . . huh? You
lost me somewhere back in the entrance over there. Perhaps I should
go back and collect myself before I get too jumbled?" she joked.
His responding smile was intoxicating. "That's something I
love about you, Usagi. Always making me laugh, always having fun."
He drew her body closer to his, and backed them against a large
velvet couch.
"H-how w-would you know about me? We-we've never met before."
Fear was knawing away at the edges of her consciousness once again,
and it was the Baron who caused it. His tingling breath sent shivers
up her spine, and the mere sound of his voice had her mentally
pleading for something she didn't understand. It was all very
confusing, but most of all, unsettling.
"You're very much my point of interest, as I believe I said
before," he replied simply. "Now shall we commence the question
and answer period? I think that's why you're here, after all, to
interview me for your paper." He caught an uncertain look in her
eyes and thought better of his words. "Or am I quite mistaken?"
"No . . . no. You're right. That's what I came here for.
That's what I . . ." she said slowly, forcing the words through
her uncooperative lips as she stared into his shimmering blue eyes,
losing herself in their depths and mystery.
"Well, then, I suppose we should start. First question
please."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, questions." She started digging through the
pockets of her peacoat for the small journalist's pad she usually
carried, along with the mini fold-up pen that fit inside of it.
Finding both items quickly, she extracted them and forced herself
to concentrate on his words rather than his persona. Grimacing,
she started jotting down a description of him, then proceeded
with her sheet of pre-made questions.
~^^~
Some hours later, exhausted but happy, Usagi flipped her
notebook closed and stored it with its special pen in her coat.
She smiled tiredly at the Baron, who seemed undaunted by the hours
that had flown by, and was as vigorous as ever. She yawned,
covering her mouth with her hand politely and excused herself for
her rudeness.
"There's no need to excuse yourself, Usagi," he said, "I can
see that this little interview has been slightly tiring for you.
Perhaps you should take your leave?" he suggested kindly.
" . . . There's no rush," she replied, yawning again. She
made a sour face. "That is, unless you'd like me to go--"
"No, of course not! I was merely thinking of your welfare.
If you wish you may stay for dinner. I don't have any company
coming tonight, except for you, that is if you decide to join
me."
"Oh, well, really . . . I couldn't impose on you like that,"
she said nervously. Her stomach was doing the unusual flip-flops
again as she looked into his earnest face. She glanced around her
at the splendor of the room one more time, and decided quickly
that one way to get over her strange infatuation would be to get
to know the man better. And perhaps, find some odd fault that
could help her leave him completely behind.
"I insist," he pressed on gallantly. "Just follow me," he
started, getting up gracefully from the couch and tracing a path
down one of the torch-lit and flickering hallways. "This way. . . ."
His voice began to fade down the dim passageway, and still
Usagi remained seated on the sofa, frozen in mid-movement. It seemed
as though she was afraid to follow, and yet, frightened of being
alone. So she sat, again contemplating the outcome of her decisions,
staring off into space and seeing nothing but a black beyond.
"Right, Usagi," she told herself softly, "you know you want
to go with him. Why in G-d's name are you hanging around here?
He's already there by now, and you'll miss dinner . . . stop being
an idiotic wimp!"
"Are you done berating yourself?" a deep, masculine voice
asked from behind her. She jumped up quickly and spun herself
around, chest heaving in surprise and fear. Her eyes met those of
the Baron, tamed rabbit against wild wolf, and she lost herself
completely.
"I was just . . . um . . . I mean . . . that is to say--"
"Usagi, it's all right. You can trust me. What would I do with
you, anyway, if I could catch you? Keep you in a cage?" His laugh was
short and unfamiliar and cold. He leaned in across the brocaded
piece of furniture. "You're infinitely more interesting to me this
way." He slowly slipped his finger down her jaw-line, tracing her
jugular vein and then followed the slope of her collar bone to her
partially exposed shoulder.
She shivered in response, but she couldn't tell whether it was
out of fear or pleasure. "I was only thinking. Nothing more. I won't
doubt you again," she whispered softly, her words floating to him
like sweet madrigal choirs, perfectly in tune, singing under a lady's
window in the moonlight.
"Good. Now this time, take my hand and we'll go together." He
reached out and she took the proffered hand, noticing immediately
how warm and smooth it was, and how hers fit so perfectly into its
grasp.
Smiling softly, he led her down the winding, writhing hallways
to the room where dinner awaited them.
Oh, but this is the start of something much more . . . he
thought, satisfied with his progress. And she is almost mine. . . .
~^^~
Now the average person would probably feel out of place at
the table of a Baron. Most certainly anyone in his or her right mind
would; but somehow Usagi found herself in another mindset as she sat
down to a lavish dinner with her host. The dishes and food made
fantastic disappearing and reappearing tricks as the elaborate courses
flew by, and Usagi lost track of the time. Or rather, she lost her
sense of time all together, something that she truly couldn't be
blamed for. Her host was the Baron after all. . . .
"You know, I still have no idea what your real name is!" Usagi
exclaimed, her speech a bit slurred after her third glass of wine
(she never could tolerate alcohol very well). She giggled
flirtatiously and said, "All this time I've been calling you
'Baron-this' or 'Baron-that.' Do you have a real name, one that I'm
permitted to know, of course?"
He smiled, pearly white teeth showing, almost on the verge of
a grin. "Yes, yes, I have a real name. It's-- well, I've never
really told anyone before. But I suppose you being who you
are . . . well, that makes it all right. My real name is Endymion."
"Oh, I get it! Your name is like the shepherd in the story of
Endymion and Selene the moon goddess!" She returned his smile, only
hers was lit more like a thousand watt bulb. She brushed her hair
back from where it had fallen into her face and over her eyes, and
slowly brought her partially full glass to her mouth for another sip
of wine.
His happy mood waned a little at her reference to Selene. "Well,
I suppose you could say that. I wouldn't. But if you wish-- never
mind."
"Never mind what?" She leaned forward in her chair, over the
table and closer to him.
"Forget I even mentioned anything. It's of no importance," he
said in an almost inaudible voice, trying his best to sound
nonchalant. As much as I want her to, she can't replace . . . no, not
ever . . . he thought solemnly. I'll use her and leave her like the
others. She's like the others; what does she know about us? Nothing.
Ignorant and naïve and hopeless. This will be simple. After dinner,
after wine, after a little seduction, how could she resist? And then
I'll take what I need from her and leave the rest behind. . . .
"You're just trying to get me interested. I see through your
little scheme. I'm not as dumb or as drunk as you may think," she
argued, although her movements betrayed her state of sobriety. Or
rather, lack her thereof.
"No, no, you misunderstand, Usagi. I really am trying to change
the subject," he said, rubbing his head lightly with his hand as if
he had a headache. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh," she managed to squeak and slumped back into her chair
again.
An uneasy silence settled over the two diners. Usagi began to
toy with the dessert in front of her, drawing strange shapes with the
whipped cream in the raspberry sauce splashed liberally over her cake.
Likewise, the Baron was playing with his food. He couldn't quite seem
to come to terms with the fact that Usagi had hit on his weakness so
quickly, nor could he seem to accept the fact that she might be
different than the others he had-- well, the others that admired him
and found that their lives were much worse off afterwards because of
that fact.
"En-Endymion? I'm allowed to call you that, right?" she looked
up from her fork-created cream sculpture. Her eyes softened at his
slightly hunched form twiddling and twisting his spoon in his
poached pear.
"Yes," he muttered. "I thought I already gave you permission
to."
"I . . . well, I just wasn't sure. Did I hurt your feelings
or something? I mean . . . you're so quiet. A-and I'd feel just awful
if I ruined this night for us because of my tactlessness!"
He glanced up at her and saw pleading eyes, tarnished-gray irises
begging so plaintively, brow furrowed in worry. He sighed. Perhaps
it really wouldn't be as easy to kill her spirit as it had been for
him to do so to the others. Hers was so pure, and he admired it
because of that indomitable purity. "Th-this is wrong," he rasped out.
"Usagi, I want you to leave. I want you to leave this house right now,"
he said, his voice tight with some unnamable pain.
"What? You want me to go? I've done something so horrible to--
oh, but I didn't mean to. I mean, I-- G-d, w-what is it?" Her face
began to contort, promising a torrent of tears.
"Usagi," he started, a bit too harshly because the first
crystalline evidence of her wounded feelings slipped down her smooth
cheek, "I-I . . . this has nothing to do with what you said. I want
you to leave because it's quite late, and you should be getting home
anyway," he lied quickly. "I'd worry if you were late to work, or some
such nonsense, tomorrow on my account."
"All right," she replied in a defeated voice. "I'll leave. I
am sorry, though." She tried to smile, but only succeeded in
whimpering and betraying her torn emotions.
"Show her to the door," he said into the clear air.
"As you wish," a voice answered, complying with his demand.
"But how . . . I can't see him--her--it--" She was cut off by the
miraculous appearance of a woman out of thin air. Clothed in an
elaborate kimono complete with obi and twist-knotted black hair,
the woman's wavering, almost transparent form beckoned her to follow
down the hallways to the exit. Usagi turned away from Endymion to
go, but the sound of his gruff voice from behind halted her steps for
a moment.
"Make no mistake, your leaving has nothing to do with whatever
sentiments I hold in regard to the legend of the moon goddess and her
shepherd love. I trust that you will still be attending the masquerade
I am throwing regardless of my incredibly rude behavior?" He sounded
so hopeful. There was no way she could refuse.
"Yes," she mumbled back, then tumble-jogged down the corridor
after the woman's retreating form.
~^^~
Usagi slammed the flimsy door after herself, tossing her keys
to the eggshell-white-plush-carpeted ground. They plummeted a few feet and
made a dull thud upon impact. She sighed, blowing the free-falling
strands of flaxen hair from in front of her eyes.
"Now if that wasn't an out of the ordinary experience, I don't
know what would be!" she exclaimed wearily, pulling off her tennis
sneakers and trudging to her room, where she flopped unceremoniously onto
the mattress and shut her eyes firmly.
She was just drifting off to sleep when a small, furry body
pounced on her abdomen and started pawing at her clothes.
"Luna, leave me alone," she whined, "I'm so tired!"
She cracked one eyelid and peeked out. The infernal cat sat on her
stomach with what appeared to be a smirk on its face.
"For G-d's sake, cat! I'm a woman who's trying to take a nap. If
you're entitled to them, so am I. Now, out!" she ordered, pointing her
finger towards the open door.
To Usagi's complete surprise, her cat shook its head, then started
to attempt to drag her out of the room.
"What the hell do you want from me now?" she wailed. She received
no response (but then, she wasn't really expecting one).
Said feline mewed plaintively and tugged on her sleeve in a manner
that led Usagi to believe she wanted her to follow. So, in the grand
tradition of the intelligent pet/less-so human relationship, much like
that of Lassie and Timmy, she watched her animal stalk out of the room
and then hurried after.
Without rushing, Luna paced down the corridor, sniffing the air
ever so often and turning back quite a few times to make sure that
her mistress was still treading in her paw-steps. Finally, she came to
a halt in front of the guest bedroom door. She clawed at it a bit
frantically, then, as Usagi opened it, dashed madly in and under the
bed. Shaking her head, the blond-haired woman turned to go, un-amused
by her the black cat's hi-jinks, when she was scratched on the leg.
Somehow, Luna appeared to be glaring at her. She dropped the brown
paper package she had stolen earlier in the week onto the cream-colored
carpet, then sniffed royally and model-walked into the closet.
After her mouth had ceased its fish-like opening and closing from
shock, Usagi bent down to examine the returned stolen item. The box
seemed to hold something very fragile, so she went very carefully
about tearing the wrapping off and lifting the lid.
She couldn't see the contents due to an outrageous amount of
blood-colored tissue paper, so she brushed it aside gingerly. She
suddenly gasped. He had sent her a masque. She shook her head back
and forth in disbelief.
He wants me to come that badly! she mused. But he sent me
away . . . so perhaps I shouldn't bother with party. . . . She
sighed heavily and was about to put the present somewhere safe,
somewhere it wouldn't be in plain view and remind her of how she
had hurt him.
Just then, however, the phone rang with a bone-jarring
screech, and she rushed to pick it up. Hands shaking from her
encounter with the gorgeous gift, she attempted to gather her
thoughts into some semblance of order.
"Hello?" she said into the receiver, her voice almost
cracking on the questioning note.
"Is Usagi there, please?" a vaguely familiar voice rasped.
"This is she."
"Oh. . . . Usagi, this is the Ba-- I mean Endymion.
I was just calling to-- well, to make amends. I believe I've
upset you with my abrupt actions and I want to assure you that
nothing has changed between us because of my rude behavior. Unless
you'd prefer that things change . . ." he ended, the unsure tone
of his voice pleading with her to forgive and forget.
"Don't worry about it. It was more my fault than yours
anyhow. I was so completely tactless." She sighed heavily. "I have
to go now, though, but I'll see you at your party, right?"
"To be sure!" he almost squealed with joy. That is to say,
if the Baron were to almost squeal with joy, it would sound like
his voice did at that moment. "Swear you'll wear the masque I
sent to you?"
"Yup. Make sure you look for me in it! Talk to you later,"
she half-whispered.
"Until we meet again, Usagi."
Her end of the phone-line went dead as he replaced the
receiver on its bed.
"I can't believe I'm actually going," she mused quietly.
Jumping up onto the bed with typical feline grace, Luna
regarded her stunned mistress. If cats could smile, she would be
smiling quite knowingly at that moment. Things were falling into
place exactly as she had planned.
~^^~
"I-I don't think I can do this to her, Toiki," he muttered
as he fiddled with his armor for the millionth time that night.
"We've been over this before, Endy. You gain her trust, then
seduce her. While she sleeps, you steal her soul. It's not hard
to do, really, and you've done it so many times before . . . one
might think that you've become attached to the little thing," came
a voice from thin air.
"I hate talking to you in that state. Come out where I can
see you," he whined.
"Fine, fine." Suddenly, a woman with her waist-length black
hair swishing around her slim body appeared in what looked to be
only a transparent dressing gown. "Are you pleased now, my lord
and master?" she remarked sarcastically.
"Yes," he replied in a small voice. He continued to give
himself the once-over in a long mirror free-standing before him
in the middle of the room.
She sighed as if exasperated with a small child. "Just do
your best. Hopefully, she'll catch on and return your 'feelings,'
so we won't have to worry too much. Remember, you're not taking
her life-force for pleasure! It's merely business-- and it's also
the only way for you to stay alive long enough to find Selene's
reincarnation. So quit grousing and get down there!" Toiki
practically screamed. She wanted to throttle that nuisance of a
half-immortal. He never seemed to get it right. First he fell in
love with an unreachable goddess and was doomed to search for her
in an eternity of evil existence. After surviving for years on
others' time, he suddenly up and decided that what he was doing was
wrong and wanted to play hero with another girl. He verged on
forgetting completely about Selene. Toiki was inclined to wonder
why. But that could wait. She had better things to think about,
however, like how to find her own love that had been condemned to
be separated from her for a quarter-eternity.
"Toiki?" he asked. "I . . . I'm . . . uh . . . going down
now. I'll see you after the festivities are over." With that, he
winked and, cape fluttering dashingly in his wake, he descended
the grand sunrise-red-marble staircase.
Good-luck, brother, she thought hopelessly. You'll need it.
Okay, folks, this is it! The author's notes! *grins* My apologies
to those who have been waiting for what seems like forever for
me to finish my other stories. Minna, I don't know when that's going
to happen. This has been my pet project for months now. All I can say
is that you should all expect some great things coming from me this
summer because I'm staying home! No more traveling or excuses, scout's
honor. ^_^ That said, read the rest of the notes from the text (if you
so choose) and continue to the bottom for a special message.
And for those of you who are wondering, "Just what was she thinking
when she rated this 'R,'" well, you'll find out soon. ^_~ This plot
is intended for more mature audiences, a fact that I hope is
obvious. Or at least it will be by the next chapter. (That's the
only hint minna gets! ^^;)
*B.C.E. -- It means Before the Common Era, the term I always use to
describe what the rest of the world calls B.C., or Before Christ.
I'm not Christian, and I think it's a bit more politically
correct to use my faith's way of saying it because it's pretty nondenominational. Sorry if anyone got confused (or was offended)!
**If anyone wants to email me (Loralei1300@aol.com) for more
information about just what in the heck I'm talking about, feel free!
I swear, I could just keep rambling on about the stupid little
facts I know concerning the holiday! ^^; Plus, I can give you the
addies of some sites that can help, and in addition, some books to
read if you're interested. Otherwise, just disregard this lil blurb
and continue in the line of thinking that I'm COMPLETELY bonkers!
--; (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear you snickering. *hangs head* I'll just
curl up in the corner until you finish reading. . . .)
SPECIAL MESSAGE: I happen to be quite enamored with this plot at
the moment and will go wherever it decides to lead me: whether
that be to a horribly sad ending or a happy one. I shall make
absolutely no promises of a sequel if this ends in depression,
nor should anyone expect me to write one if I don't want to.
That said, expect the next part out sometime in between June
and August. Thanks for reading, minna! *big smile*
EMAIL MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! I want-- no I NEED to know what you think
of this. I'll even get down on my hands and knees to beg you: just
email me! Even if you thought the plot was dull and the writing boring.
I like criticism as well as compliments because they'll help me grow
as a writer. No flame policy as always, however, because they won't
help, just upset. That said, here's the address if you've forgotten
already (but I'm sure you haven't! *wink wink nudge nudge*):
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
~~~~~~~~~~~@Loralei Fairhill
chapter completed 4/30/01
--It's thirteen pages long! Lucky! Oh, how lucky
are the thirteen pages! --;;;;;;
Coming soon (yeah, summer writing time!). . . .
These are some poetic previews by various writers.
They're just to confuse you a bit so you decide you
want to read the stories. ^^; If nothing else, I hope
you like what I've chosen as clues to the next part of
the plotline! Erm-- enjoy? ^_~
Preview 1: "Awakenings" (Part 2: Beyond)
There, a spiraling
maëlstrom
of laughter
(stained crimson as
the bloodred sunset
dying in the west)
and all about stream
the costumes (blacker
than bottomless cave-lakes)
sluggish in a
strange, infinite waltz--
--confusion descends,
overcoming tempest-emotions,
(jagged, twisting lightning-swift)--
--open palm extends,
plaintively requesting
lover's touch
(to shirk or respond?)--
--lethe oblivion claims
the remaining memories,
only fleeting images
of rose petals, silken-cream
against two writhing bodies
crushing them weightily
to the coverlet--
--knowledge dawns
at first light:
only one body entwined
in the sweat-soaked sheets,
ignorant of the life
beginning within her
(destined to cease both
mother and daughter's existence).
~~~~@Loralei Fairhill
Preview 2: "Meadowlark Part 4: Allegro"
"Symphony in White"
Blossoms on the pear--
and a woman in the moonlight
reads a letter there.
(Nashi-no hana
tsuki-ni fumi-yomu
onna ari)
~~~~@Buson
"Waiting"
Night; and once again,
while I wait for you, cold wind
turns into rain.
(Kimi matsu yo
mata kogarashi-no
ami ni naru)
~~~~@Shiki
Preview 3: "Arashi Shizukana [Silent Storm]"
"Blind Angel"
Of life and its ceasing to be, with changes of sea wind
Dawn tide on the cliffs
Sundown poem beating
On the headlands of night.
As the shining wave breaks on the current, sunlight breaks into
pieces.
A cloud goes by in the image of a blind angel.
The moon embalms dead darkness. A blind snake at the
threshold.
Until the blue of prayer is kindled in the canopy of desire
Like the stillness of lakes in the heatwaves before dusk.
Rest, sea, in the twilight gathering between day and night--
Elegy of the shore fluttering requiem for illusions.
Heart's scaffold in its loneliness. Inconsolable song,
Whistling of the border wind.
Like the ocean floor
Midnight collects anguish of many daggers
Unsheathed from the soul's bitterness in the blaze of noon.
On a bed of quicksand night thickens,
Stripped bare of dreams, and conspiring.
~~~~@David Rokeah
-translated from Hebrew by Robert Mezey and Shula Starkman
~^^~ _Awakenings_ (c) Loralei Fairhill 1/19/01
Part 1: "Inside"
By: Loralei Fairhill
Rated: R (read: If you can't handle mature material, you shouldn't
be here.)
Genre: AR
"For some autumn comes early, stays late through life where October
follows September and November touches October and then instead of
December and Christ's birth, there is no Bethlehem Star, no
rejoicing, but September comes again and old October and so on down
the years, with no winter, spring or revivifying summer. For these
beings, fall is the ever normal season, the only weather, there be
no choice beyond. Where do they come from? The dust. Where do they
go? The grave. Does blood stir in their veins? No: the night wind.
What ticks in their head? The worm. What speaks from their mouth?
The toad. What sees from their eye? The snake. What hears with
their ear? The abyss between the stars. They sift the human storm
for souls, eat flesh of reason, fill tombs with sinners. They
frenzy forth. In gusts they beetle-scurry, creep, thread, filter,
motion, make all moons sullen, and surely cloud all clear-run
waters. The spider-web hears them, trembles--breaks. Such are the
autumn people. Beware of them."
~Pastor Newgate Phillips, excerpt from Ray Bradbury's _Something
Wicked This Way Comes_
Okay, this is probably going to sound completely strange, but I'm
adding this section to my author's notes because I feel that this
piece goes better with the music I listened to while writing it.
^_^ Suggested Music to listen to while reading:
When you read this first part, put on Jibrille (Angel Sanctuary
album). After that, one of the character themes (Alexial or Rociel)
and then the Sanctus (also Angel Sanctuary). And when the castle
scene comes up, change songs to Hana Yori Dango's Rui's theme.
After that, put Adamu Kadamu's theme from Angel Sanctuary on. Then
City-Hunter Nina (it's a lovely piano solo). Then comes Suzaku from
the Outlaw Star soundtrack. . . . After that, put on Vanessa-Mae's
Toccata and Fugue in D minor. The last song is Scarlet (v. II)! I
love Ayashi no Ceres *grins* and then . . . Continue on to part two
of this fic! --If you want this music, I'll be more than happy
to send it to you. Just ask! Thanks for reading, minna! ^_^
And remember: EMAIL IS GOOD!
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
A steady, trickling stream of water made its way lethargically
down the pointed stalactite and dripped large, mineral-filled tears
onto the cave's uneven floor. The sound of it permeated the room
and shattered the silence.
The chamber itself was riddled with crevices, some branching
off into other, smaller caves, some leading directly into the deep
chasm that yawned menacingly below the ground of the room. It had
been formed by the vagrant drops over thousands of years; their
throng bore through the stone in smooth strokes, each of their
number lending a helping hand to create the menace that was the
bottomless pit.
Of course, the cave's formation had no value. It was the evil
held captive within that would affect the outside world. For
centuries, the well hidden, remote area had disguised and protected
the inhabitant of the cave. But all things cannot last, and one
day a ray of light found itself caught in the room. It was enough
to start the chain reaction of the awakening; the shadows reeled
and fled to darker corners, frightened of the illuminating light.
And thus, the intricately carved mahogany box found itself exposed.
Light was its sworn enemy; how ironic that it would the one
to start the awakening. Even though the beam tried in vain to
expose the sleeper encased in the coffin, it was to no avail;
expertly sealed, it protected its occupant well from the errant
strand of murderous light. So the beam searched for a way out,
which it unfortunately never found. It thought to escape through
one of the rough-hewn, jagged holes in the floor and was swallowed
by the endless black void of the chasm.
How the creature of darkness the aged slats of wood contained
released itself from its unrusted metal bonds was unknown. Yet
somehow it found a way, and, as soon as the light was gone, the
lid of the box stirred. There came a great rustling noise that
drowned out the sound of dripping water, and the coffin bounced
a few times, stopped, then bounced again. As it hopped up and down,
the lid seemed to wriggle loose of its own volition and flew
across the room where it shattered against a stony wall, smashing
itself to pieces.
In the complete darkness, the being which had been held for
so long within stepped out. It tested its stiff limbs, unused to
the freedom it now possessed. Then it shifted shapes, taking on
the form of one of the animals that had often frequented the cave
in the past, but had been driven out when the creature was sealed
within. It stretched and extended its fingers, molding them to
wings, skin stretched taut over them. It shrank, and, in a sudden
burst of energy, flung itself into the air and traced the path of
the light beam to its freedom.
After many hours of searching, it came upon its last obstacle:
the possibility that there could be harmful, killing daylight outside
which would bring its new-found pleasure of no longer being a captive
in the cursed box to a swift end. There could be no turning back,
however. Once out of the box, it would not go back; the surge of
longing for what it once had would return with a vengeance if denied.
So it winged back, then flew forward into the great arc of night sky,
wheeling and turning in sudden joyous movements, finally free.
Wondrous happiness for one person, however, is ultimate despair
for another. The havoc caused by one evil creature would start
again that night as it began its descent into the forest, searching
all the while for a human settlement in which to make its home and
spread its message of darkness.
~^^~
"No, this isn't right! How could you, you little demon?" Tsukino
Usagi ranted as she tried in vain to wrench the tightly wrapped brown
parcel from the mouth of her cat, Luna. "Just give me the package and
I'll put a special treat in your food dish when I feed you next, okay?"
she cajoled.
The cat merely responded by pulling harder and ripping into the
rough paper a bit more with her pointed little teeth.
"You are absolutely impossible, Luna! I swear, sometimes you act
more like an annoying sibling than a cat. Please, just drop it . . .
I'll go out and buy you a new toy . . . or some catnip . . . or . . .
or . . . I don't know! I need the box. It . . . it . . ." she trailed
off. There was no earthly reason why she wanted the measly package so
badly, in truth. It was just getting on her nerves that a cat thought
she could lord over her mistress.
Said cat did not budge, obviously enjoying having the power for
once, her feline you-must-worship-me instincts loving the holiday.
Usagi was practically on her knees begging for a piece of cardboard.
The situation was laughable.
"What can I do to make you leave it?" she pleaded, her head
spinning.
Her final question prompted Luna to stalk out of the room, tail
high, nose in the air, parcel still in her mouth.
Usagi let out a frustrated sigh and turned to the rest of the
mail. She would have to wait until the damned cat decided it wasn't
really a plaything after all and left it alone to open it.
She sifted through the assortment of bills, annoying
advertisements and letters from friends, quite uninterested in her
task. That is to say, she didn't care until she came upon the
mysterious and suspiciously elegant invitation. Wrapped in a
star-printed length of ribbon to hold it shut and sprinkled with
small silver crescent moons and black bats, the rough envelope seemed
to command Usagi's attention from the first moment she laid eyes on
it. It was as though the letter held as much power over her as the
strange package. But she didn't even think for a moment that they
could be connected.
Gingerly, so as not to rip the beautiful midnight blue paper,
she eased the envelope open and drew forth a length of yellowed
parchment. In deep indigo writing that flowed sensuously
across the page in a familiar and distinctive script, she read
that she was invited to attend a masquerade ball given by the
new owner of Ibusu Shiro, inheritee of the title of Baron, in honor
of the historical holiday of his ancestors, Samhain**, the night
of the dead. She immediately recognized that Samhain was the ancient
name for All Hallow's Eve, or rather, in modern terms, Halloween.
But she could recall from the days when she discussed religious
points of view with her various friends that the one who was
Wiccan was very vehement in his separation of Samhain from
Halloween. He said that it wasn't about hiding the children from
the evil spirits by making them wear costumes as much as honoring
the deceased, and possibly, the undead. She could hear him making
a comment about how she was wrong in thinking that the Irish
invented the rituals it involved in the 5th century B.C.E.* and
that it was actually the ancient Celts who started it all with
their religion centering around the life-giving mother Goddess and
her consort God, also known as the Horned One. Branching off from
that, she seemed to hear him continue, there was a faction made
up of women, who worshipped the Goddess by night, and a faction
of men, who worshipped the God by day. And those two groups were
very close to what would later become the Druids.
She suddenly wondered why she had been listening so
attentively that day. Maybe she just had an unnatural interest
in the unexplainable, but she really did feel as though on
Samhain, the spirits came through the portal from the other realm
and visited the land of the living. She shuddered, glanced down,
and realized that there was more to the letter than just that.
It included a personal invitation from the Baron himself for
her to visit any time to acquaint herself with his new home, and
if it would please her, to write a story about it and publish it
in the paper she was currently working for. In addition, it stated
that the Baron was anxious to meet her, and wanted to know if she
had received his package along with the note, which contained a
charm she was to bring along to the party.
Usagi was stupefied. She had never given one thought to the
fact that there was a castle situated on the side of the hill
overlooking her town, much less known of anyone who lived there or
associated with them. It took her quite by surprise that this Baron
would want her there, in any event. She was a young woman, fresh
out of college and full of ideas, but bogged down by the fact that
although she was working for the paper, she was a mere errand and
copy girl. It was pitiful, really, that even with the best of
educations and the most creative ideas, one had to wait at least four
years (or so she had been told when she was hired) to even be
considered to write an article worth publishing.
Well, I'll show them! she thought proudly, clenching her fists.
This will bring me to the top. Think! A story on the elusive
Baron . . . the whole world will want to know about it. He's
famous . . . and rich . . . and eligible. . . .
She blushed suddenly at her thoughts. She hadn't even met the
man, though she had spotted his face on countless magazine covers,
and here she was fantasizing about him! She berated herself
thoroughly, then thought better of it. What girl wouldn't dream of
being swept off her feet by a dashing member of the aristocracy in
an age of disillusionment concerning such affairs?
So it was decided; she would meet with him and accept the
invitation, along with all the baggage it carried. . . .
~^^~
The castle looked tall, dark, and imposing as Usagi watched in
come into view from the windshield of her car. Its looming form
grew rapidly closer, and she could feel her heart beat speed up
at the thought of visiting it. Its presence gave her chills and
made some unnamable emotion stir in her blood.
In her zeal to get the "story of the year," she realized, as
she pulled closer to the top of the steep incline and her destination,
that she hadn't told a living soul where she was heading. If the
Baron turned out to be some sort of creep, how would she get
away? In that castle, with that company, she might not be found
for days, if she was even missed. And she doubted that she would
be missed; she was the insignificant errand girl, right? Who
cared about her welfare?
Well, she knew that wasn't exactly true . . . she had
friends, and plenty of them. Just none she decided were trustworthy
enough not to scream out to the entire universe that she was the
lucky so-and-so that was going to meet the Baron face to face, and
with every luxury he wanted to provide.
She giggled to herself as she imagined him, tall, dark, and
imposing, like his castle, bending over her and sweeping her up
into a passionate embrace. She sighed dreamily, pretending to run
her fingers through his thick, silky ebony hair, even humming
with pleasure, and as a result, her concentration went off the
road for a moment. That moment was all her car needed to swerve
dangerously into the opposite lane, putting her life in jeopardy.
Of course, with her luck, she was unharmed. The truck that
had been coming down the road didn't pass by her until a few long
seconds after she had gotten her vehicle back into its proper
lane. Even so, her heart fluttered, and her head pounded. It was
not a good omen to be in such a situation right before meeting
a new person. . . . But never mind that. It was just "silly"
superstition, after all, and Usagi brushed it off as such.
She held the steering wheel steady and kept her thoughts on
the road for the remainder of the uneventful trip.
~^^~
Ibusu Shiro seemed even more imposing in person than it did
from far away and that wasn't leaving much room for anything else
to dominate the skyline. Its tall, sharp gables pierced the bleak
clouds above and swarmed with peaks and spires. The windows were
long and lean affairs, gracing the sides of the house with their
swirled presence, their glass smoky and hard to gaze through as
a result of their age.
An air of gloom, and possibly, Usagi mused, doom shrouded
the grounds, even reaching to the myriad of rose bushes whose
tangled growth grew maze-like along the sides of the entrance drive
way and up the path to the front door.
One foot in front of the other, she passed by the roses,
their blooms full and their fragrance intoxicating. She reached
the doorway without trouble, lifted the massive carved
door-knocker and dropped it. The sound that issued from it boomed
and echoed into the far reaches of the mansion.
Moments dragged on, but no one came to receive her at the
door. She stood impatiently, tapping her foot, shuffling her weight
back and forth, until her annoyance grew to the point where she
took the handle of the door in her hands and pulled. The heavy
oak panel fell open easily, almost as if there was someone on
the other side pushing it outwards to help her. Even so, it creaked
and groaned in protest.
Usagi wondered if it really was such a wonderful idea to
have come without telling anyone or bringing someone with her.
Yet just as she was beginning to second-guess herself, however, she
heard strong footsteps falling down the stairs and into the front
hallway. She squinted into the half-light of the room in front
of her and could barely make out the form of the Baron.
"Tsukino Usagi?" he called to her, his voice melodious and
gruff as her imaginings.
She smiled a bit at part of her dream being realized, then
quickly snapped out of it to respond with a soft, "Yes, I'm she."
He was all the way to the doorway by that point, and his
size seemed to dwarf the massive columns beyond. She looked up
at him, her wide blue eyes hopeful, and he smiled in return.
"I'm so glad you're here. Please come in, come in! I've
waited for so long to see you."
His presence is dazzling, she thought hazily, and heady like
good wine. . . . I wonder. "Waited for me?" she asked unsteadily.
"Why, yes. I thought you knew! That's why I moved here in the
first place. To get closer to you," he began. He took her arm
lightly and started to lead her down the long, dimly lit corridor.
Her eyes wandered along the vaulted ceiling, taking in the
grandeur and the silence of Ibusu Shiro. It was magnificent, and
wild, but strangely enough, it frightened her. She shivered
unknowingly, and the Baron slipped his arm around her shoulders.
"Is something wrong, my dear? Are you cold?" he whispered.
The sound of his voice ricocheted off of the walls and into the
gloom.
She shook her head. "Sorry," she replied.
"What do you have to be sorry about?" he asked, amused.
"Nothing." She looked at the marble floor passing lazily
under the tread of her shoes. Why do I feel so apprehensive? she
asked herself. The feeling of unease was growing on her the farther
into the castle she went.
"Then why did you shiver?" He stopped and turned to face her,
his eyes searching hers. "Please, I want there to be no secrets
between us. What's wrong, Usagi?"
Silver flecked irises regarded him intensely. "I said nothing.
I meant it." She shrugged his hand off her wrist; she was
uncomfortable with the amount of liberty he was taking with her.
The little vagrant patterns he had been tracing on her forearm
weren't unwelcome, but were disquieting because she had just
arrived and didn't know him very well.
"Am I bothering you? Perhaps . . . taking advantage of your
kindness? It was very kind of you to take my invitation to visit,
you know. I don't want you to feel ill at ease here, so let's get
to know each other shall we?" He flashed her a dazzling smile, then
snapped his fingers. The area around them seemed to illuminate
suddenly with flashes of torchlight that sprang up from fixtures
high up on the walls.
Her mouth parted in surprise, pink lips pouting roundly as she
took in the vast height of the ceiling, the elaborate decorations,
the seemingly endless floors stretching out into the still dark
hallways beyond that contained an oblivion.
He caught her rapturous look and smiled knowingly. "What shall
we start with first, I wonder? Oh, I know!" he said as he reached
for her hand, motioning her to follow to one corner of the room.
"My favorite part of all!"
She regarded him with a strange glance. "Your . . . huh? You
lost me somewhere back in the entrance over there. Perhaps I should
go back and collect myself before I get too jumbled?" she joked.
His responding smile was intoxicating. "That's something I
love about you, Usagi. Always making me laugh, always having fun."
He drew her body closer to his, and backed them against a large
velvet couch.
"H-how w-would you know about me? We-we've never met before."
Fear was knawing away at the edges of her consciousness once again,
and it was the Baron who caused it. His tingling breath sent shivers
up her spine, and the mere sound of his voice had her mentally
pleading for something she didn't understand. It was all very
confusing, but most of all, unsettling.
"You're very much my point of interest, as I believe I said
before," he replied simply. "Now shall we commence the question
and answer period? I think that's why you're here, after all, to
interview me for your paper." He caught an uncertain look in her
eyes and thought better of his words. "Or am I quite mistaken?"
"No . . . no. You're right. That's what I came here for.
That's what I . . ." she said slowly, forcing the words through
her uncooperative lips as she stared into his shimmering blue eyes,
losing herself in their depths and mystery.
"Well, then, I suppose we should start. First question
please."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, questions." She started digging through the
pockets of her peacoat for the small journalist's pad she usually
carried, along with the mini fold-up pen that fit inside of it.
Finding both items quickly, she extracted them and forced herself
to concentrate on his words rather than his persona. Grimacing,
she started jotting down a description of him, then proceeded
with her sheet of pre-made questions.
~^^~
Some hours later, exhausted but happy, Usagi flipped her
notebook closed and stored it with its special pen in her coat.
She smiled tiredly at the Baron, who seemed undaunted by the hours
that had flown by, and was as vigorous as ever. She yawned,
covering her mouth with her hand politely and excused herself for
her rudeness.
"There's no need to excuse yourself, Usagi," he said, "I can
see that this little interview has been slightly tiring for you.
Perhaps you should take your leave?" he suggested kindly.
" . . . There's no rush," she replied, yawning again. She
made a sour face. "That is, unless you'd like me to go--"
"No, of course not! I was merely thinking of your welfare.
If you wish you may stay for dinner. I don't have any company
coming tonight, except for you, that is if you decide to join
me."
"Oh, well, really . . . I couldn't impose on you like that,"
she said nervously. Her stomach was doing the unusual flip-flops
again as she looked into his earnest face. She glanced around her
at the splendor of the room one more time, and decided quickly
that one way to get over her strange infatuation would be to get
to know the man better. And perhaps, find some odd fault that
could help her leave him completely behind.
"I insist," he pressed on gallantly. "Just follow me," he
started, getting up gracefully from the couch and tracing a path
down one of the torch-lit and flickering hallways. "This way. . . ."
His voice began to fade down the dim passageway, and still
Usagi remained seated on the sofa, frozen in mid-movement. It seemed
as though she was afraid to follow, and yet, frightened of being
alone. So she sat, again contemplating the outcome of her decisions,
staring off into space and seeing nothing but a black beyond.
"Right, Usagi," she told herself softly, "you know you want
to go with him. Why in G-d's name are you hanging around here?
He's already there by now, and you'll miss dinner . . . stop being
an idiotic wimp!"
"Are you done berating yourself?" a deep, masculine voice
asked from behind her. She jumped up quickly and spun herself
around, chest heaving in surprise and fear. Her eyes met those of
the Baron, tamed rabbit against wild wolf, and she lost herself
completely.
"I was just . . . um . . . I mean . . . that is to say--"
"Usagi, it's all right. You can trust me. What would I do with
you, anyway, if I could catch you? Keep you in a cage?" His laugh was
short and unfamiliar and cold. He leaned in across the brocaded
piece of furniture. "You're infinitely more interesting to me this
way." He slowly slipped his finger down her jaw-line, tracing her
jugular vein and then followed the slope of her collar bone to her
partially exposed shoulder.
She shivered in response, but she couldn't tell whether it was
out of fear or pleasure. "I was only thinking. Nothing more. I won't
doubt you again," she whispered softly, her words floating to him
like sweet madrigal choirs, perfectly in tune, singing under a lady's
window in the moonlight.
"Good. Now this time, take my hand and we'll go together." He
reached out and she took the proffered hand, noticing immediately
how warm and smooth it was, and how hers fit so perfectly into its
grasp.
Smiling softly, he led her down the winding, writhing hallways
to the room where dinner awaited them.
Oh, but this is the start of something much more . . . he
thought, satisfied with his progress. And she is almost mine. . . .
~^^~
Now the average person would probably feel out of place at
the table of a Baron. Most certainly anyone in his or her right mind
would; but somehow Usagi found herself in another mindset as she sat
down to a lavish dinner with her host. The dishes and food made
fantastic disappearing and reappearing tricks as the elaborate courses
flew by, and Usagi lost track of the time. Or rather, she lost her
sense of time all together, something that she truly couldn't be
blamed for. Her host was the Baron after all. . . .
"You know, I still have no idea what your real name is!" Usagi
exclaimed, her speech a bit slurred after her third glass of wine
(she never could tolerate alcohol very well). She giggled
flirtatiously and said, "All this time I've been calling you
'Baron-this' or 'Baron-that.' Do you have a real name, one that I'm
permitted to know, of course?"
He smiled, pearly white teeth showing, almost on the verge of
a grin. "Yes, yes, I have a real name. It's-- well, I've never
really told anyone before. But I suppose you being who you
are . . . well, that makes it all right. My real name is Endymion."
"Oh, I get it! Your name is like the shepherd in the story of
Endymion and Selene the moon goddess!" She returned his smile, only
hers was lit more like a thousand watt bulb. She brushed her hair
back from where it had fallen into her face and over her eyes, and
slowly brought her partially full glass to her mouth for another sip
of wine.
His happy mood waned a little at her reference to Selene. "Well,
I suppose you could say that. I wouldn't. But if you wish-- never
mind."
"Never mind what?" She leaned forward in her chair, over the
table and closer to him.
"Forget I even mentioned anything. It's of no importance," he
said in an almost inaudible voice, trying his best to sound
nonchalant. As much as I want her to, she can't replace . . . no, not
ever . . . he thought solemnly. I'll use her and leave her like the
others. She's like the others; what does she know about us? Nothing.
Ignorant and naïve and hopeless. This will be simple. After dinner,
after wine, after a little seduction, how could she resist? And then
I'll take what I need from her and leave the rest behind. . . .
"You're just trying to get me interested. I see through your
little scheme. I'm not as dumb or as drunk as you may think," she
argued, although her movements betrayed her state of sobriety. Or
rather, lack her thereof.
"No, no, you misunderstand, Usagi. I really am trying to change
the subject," he said, rubbing his head lightly with his hand as if
he had a headache. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Oh," she managed to squeak and slumped back into her chair
again.
An uneasy silence settled over the two diners. Usagi began to
toy with the dessert in front of her, drawing strange shapes with the
whipped cream in the raspberry sauce splashed liberally over her cake.
Likewise, the Baron was playing with his food. He couldn't quite seem
to come to terms with the fact that Usagi had hit on his weakness so
quickly, nor could he seem to accept the fact that she might be
different than the others he had-- well, the others that admired him
and found that their lives were much worse off afterwards because of
that fact.
"En-Endymion? I'm allowed to call you that, right?" she looked
up from her fork-created cream sculpture. Her eyes softened at his
slightly hunched form twiddling and twisting his spoon in his
poached pear.
"Yes," he muttered. "I thought I already gave you permission
to."
"I . . . well, I just wasn't sure. Did I hurt your feelings
or something? I mean . . . you're so quiet. A-and I'd feel just awful
if I ruined this night for us because of my tactlessness!"
He glanced up at her and saw pleading eyes, tarnished-gray irises
begging so plaintively, brow furrowed in worry. He sighed. Perhaps
it really wouldn't be as easy to kill her spirit as it had been for
him to do so to the others. Hers was so pure, and he admired it
because of that indomitable purity. "Th-this is wrong," he rasped out.
"Usagi, I want you to leave. I want you to leave this house right now,"
he said, his voice tight with some unnamable pain.
"What? You want me to go? I've done something so horrible to--
oh, but I didn't mean to. I mean, I-- G-d, w-what is it?" Her face
began to contort, promising a torrent of tears.
"Usagi," he started, a bit too harshly because the first
crystalline evidence of her wounded feelings slipped down her smooth
cheek, "I-I . . . this has nothing to do with what you said. I want
you to leave because it's quite late, and you should be getting home
anyway," he lied quickly. "I'd worry if you were late to work, or some
such nonsense, tomorrow on my account."
"All right," she replied in a defeated voice. "I'll leave. I
am sorry, though." She tried to smile, but only succeeded in
whimpering and betraying her torn emotions.
"Show her to the door," he said into the clear air.
"As you wish," a voice answered, complying with his demand.
"But how . . . I can't see him--her--it--" She was cut off by the
miraculous appearance of a woman out of thin air. Clothed in an
elaborate kimono complete with obi and twist-knotted black hair,
the woman's wavering, almost transparent form beckoned her to follow
down the hallways to the exit. Usagi turned away from Endymion to
go, but the sound of his gruff voice from behind halted her steps for
a moment.
"Make no mistake, your leaving has nothing to do with whatever
sentiments I hold in regard to the legend of the moon goddess and her
shepherd love. I trust that you will still be attending the masquerade
I am throwing regardless of my incredibly rude behavior?" He sounded
so hopeful. There was no way she could refuse.
"Yes," she mumbled back, then tumble-jogged down the corridor
after the woman's retreating form.
~^^~
Usagi slammed the flimsy door after herself, tossing her keys
to the eggshell-white-plush-carpeted ground. They plummeted a few feet and
made a dull thud upon impact. She sighed, blowing the free-falling
strands of flaxen hair from in front of her eyes.
"Now if that wasn't an out of the ordinary experience, I don't
know what would be!" she exclaimed wearily, pulling off her tennis
sneakers and trudging to her room, where she flopped unceremoniously onto
the mattress and shut her eyes firmly.
She was just drifting off to sleep when a small, furry body
pounced on her abdomen and started pawing at her clothes.
"Luna, leave me alone," she whined, "I'm so tired!"
She cracked one eyelid and peeked out. The infernal cat sat on her
stomach with what appeared to be a smirk on its face.
"For G-d's sake, cat! I'm a woman who's trying to take a nap. If
you're entitled to them, so am I. Now, out!" she ordered, pointing her
finger towards the open door.
To Usagi's complete surprise, her cat shook its head, then started
to attempt to drag her out of the room.
"What the hell do you want from me now?" she wailed. She received
no response (but then, she wasn't really expecting one).
Said feline mewed plaintively and tugged on her sleeve in a manner
that led Usagi to believe she wanted her to follow. So, in the grand
tradition of the intelligent pet/less-so human relationship, much like
that of Lassie and Timmy, she watched her animal stalk out of the room
and then hurried after.
Without rushing, Luna paced down the corridor, sniffing the air
ever so often and turning back quite a few times to make sure that
her mistress was still treading in her paw-steps. Finally, she came to
a halt in front of the guest bedroom door. She clawed at it a bit
frantically, then, as Usagi opened it, dashed madly in and under the
bed. Shaking her head, the blond-haired woman turned to go, un-amused
by her the black cat's hi-jinks, when she was scratched on the leg.
Somehow, Luna appeared to be glaring at her. She dropped the brown
paper package she had stolen earlier in the week onto the cream-colored
carpet, then sniffed royally and model-walked into the closet.
After her mouth had ceased its fish-like opening and closing from
shock, Usagi bent down to examine the returned stolen item. The box
seemed to hold something very fragile, so she went very carefully
about tearing the wrapping off and lifting the lid.
She couldn't see the contents due to an outrageous amount of
blood-colored tissue paper, so she brushed it aside gingerly. She
suddenly gasped. He had sent her a masque. She shook her head back
and forth in disbelief.
He wants me to come that badly! she mused. But he sent me
away . . . so perhaps I shouldn't bother with party. . . . She
sighed heavily and was about to put the present somewhere safe,
somewhere it wouldn't be in plain view and remind her of how she
had hurt him.
Just then, however, the phone rang with a bone-jarring
screech, and she rushed to pick it up. Hands shaking from her
encounter with the gorgeous gift, she attempted to gather her
thoughts into some semblance of order.
"Hello?" she said into the receiver, her voice almost
cracking on the questioning note.
"Is Usagi there, please?" a vaguely familiar voice rasped.
"This is she."
"Oh. . . . Usagi, this is the Ba-- I mean Endymion.
I was just calling to-- well, to make amends. I believe I've
upset you with my abrupt actions and I want to assure you that
nothing has changed between us because of my rude behavior. Unless
you'd prefer that things change . . ." he ended, the unsure tone
of his voice pleading with her to forgive and forget.
"Don't worry about it. It was more my fault than yours
anyhow. I was so completely tactless." She sighed heavily. "I have
to go now, though, but I'll see you at your party, right?"
"To be sure!" he almost squealed with joy. That is to say,
if the Baron were to almost squeal with joy, it would sound like
his voice did at that moment. "Swear you'll wear the masque I
sent to you?"
"Yup. Make sure you look for me in it! Talk to you later,"
she half-whispered.
"Until we meet again, Usagi."
Her end of the phone-line went dead as he replaced the
receiver on its bed.
"I can't believe I'm actually going," she mused quietly.
Jumping up onto the bed with typical feline grace, Luna
regarded her stunned mistress. If cats could smile, she would be
smiling quite knowingly at that moment. Things were falling into
place exactly as she had planned.
~^^~
"I-I don't think I can do this to her, Toiki," he muttered
as he fiddled with his armor for the millionth time that night.
"We've been over this before, Endy. You gain her trust, then
seduce her. While she sleeps, you steal her soul. It's not hard
to do, really, and you've done it so many times before . . . one
might think that you've become attached to the little thing," came
a voice from thin air.
"I hate talking to you in that state. Come out where I can
see you," he whined.
"Fine, fine." Suddenly, a woman with her waist-length black
hair swishing around her slim body appeared in what looked to be
only a transparent dressing gown. "Are you pleased now, my lord
and master?" she remarked sarcastically.
"Yes," he replied in a small voice. He continued to give
himself the once-over in a long mirror free-standing before him
in the middle of the room.
She sighed as if exasperated with a small child. "Just do
your best. Hopefully, she'll catch on and return your 'feelings,'
so we won't have to worry too much. Remember, you're not taking
her life-force for pleasure! It's merely business-- and it's also
the only way for you to stay alive long enough to find Selene's
reincarnation. So quit grousing and get down there!" Toiki
practically screamed. She wanted to throttle that nuisance of a
half-immortal. He never seemed to get it right. First he fell in
love with an unreachable goddess and was doomed to search for her
in an eternity of evil existence. After surviving for years on
others' time, he suddenly up and decided that what he was doing was
wrong and wanted to play hero with another girl. He verged on
forgetting completely about Selene. Toiki was inclined to wonder
why. But that could wait. She had better things to think about,
however, like how to find her own love that had been condemned to
be separated from her for a quarter-eternity.
"Toiki?" he asked. "I . . . I'm . . . uh . . . going down
now. I'll see you after the festivities are over." With that, he
winked and, cape fluttering dashingly in his wake, he descended
the grand sunrise-red-marble staircase.
Good-luck, brother, she thought hopelessly. You'll need it.
Okay, folks, this is it! The author's notes! *grins* My apologies
to those who have been waiting for what seems like forever for
me to finish my other stories. Minna, I don't know when that's going
to happen. This has been my pet project for months now. All I can say
is that you should all expect some great things coming from me this
summer because I'm staying home! No more traveling or excuses, scout's
honor. ^_^ That said, read the rest of the notes from the text (if you
so choose) and continue to the bottom for a special message.
And for those of you who are wondering, "Just what was she thinking
when she rated this 'R,'" well, you'll find out soon. ^_~ This plot
is intended for more mature audiences, a fact that I hope is
obvious. Or at least it will be by the next chapter. (That's the
only hint minna gets! ^^;)
*B.C.E. -- It means Before the Common Era, the term I always use to
describe what the rest of the world calls B.C., or Before Christ.
I'm not Christian, and I think it's a bit more politically
correct to use my faith's way of saying it because it's pretty nondenominational. Sorry if anyone got confused (or was offended)!
**If anyone wants to email me (Loralei1300@aol.com) for more
information about just what in the heck I'm talking about, feel free!
I swear, I could just keep rambling on about the stupid little
facts I know concerning the holiday! ^^; Plus, I can give you the
addies of some sites that can help, and in addition, some books to
read if you're interested. Otherwise, just disregard this lil blurb
and continue in the line of thinking that I'm COMPLETELY bonkers!
--; (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear you snickering. *hangs head* I'll just
curl up in the corner until you finish reading. . . .)
SPECIAL MESSAGE: I happen to be quite enamored with this plot at
the moment and will go wherever it decides to lead me: whether
that be to a horribly sad ending or a happy one. I shall make
absolutely no promises of a sequel if this ends in depression,
nor should anyone expect me to write one if I don't want to.
That said, expect the next part out sometime in between June
and August. Thanks for reading, minna! *big smile*
EMAIL MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! I want-- no I NEED to know what you think
of this. I'll even get down on my hands and knees to beg you: just
email me! Even if you thought the plot was dull and the writing boring.
I like criticism as well as compliments because they'll help me grow
as a writer. No flame policy as always, however, because they won't
help, just upset. That said, here's the address if you've forgotten
already (but I'm sure you haven't! *wink wink nudge nudge*):
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
Loralei1300@aol.com
~~~~~~~~~~~@Loralei Fairhill
chapter completed 4/30/01
--It's thirteen pages long! Lucky! Oh, how lucky
are the thirteen pages! --;;;;;;
Coming soon (yeah, summer writing time!). . . .
These are some poetic previews by various writers.
They're just to confuse you a bit so you decide you
want to read the stories. ^^; If nothing else, I hope
you like what I've chosen as clues to the next part of
the plotline! Erm-- enjoy? ^_~
Preview 1: "Awakenings" (Part 2: Beyond)
There, a spiraling
maëlstrom
of laughter
(stained crimson as
the bloodred sunset
dying in the west)
and all about stream
the costumes (blacker
than bottomless cave-lakes)
sluggish in a
strange, infinite waltz--
--confusion descends,
overcoming tempest-emotions,
(jagged, twisting lightning-swift)--
--open palm extends,
plaintively requesting
lover's touch
(to shirk or respond?)--
--lethe oblivion claims
the remaining memories,
only fleeting images
of rose petals, silken-cream
against two writhing bodies
crushing them weightily
to the coverlet--
--knowledge dawns
at first light:
only one body entwined
in the sweat-soaked sheets,
ignorant of the life
beginning within her
(destined to cease both
mother and daughter's existence).
~~~~@Loralei Fairhill
Preview 2: "Meadowlark Part 4: Allegro"
"Symphony in White"
Blossoms on the pear--
and a woman in the moonlight
reads a letter there.
(Nashi-no hana
tsuki-ni fumi-yomu
onna ari)
~~~~@Buson
"Waiting"
Night; and once again,
while I wait for you, cold wind
turns into rain.
(Kimi matsu yo
mata kogarashi-no
ami ni naru)
~~~~@Shiki
Preview 3: "Arashi Shizukana [Silent Storm]"
"Blind Angel"
Of life and its ceasing to be, with changes of sea wind
Dawn tide on the cliffs
Sundown poem beating
On the headlands of night.
As the shining wave breaks on the current, sunlight breaks into
pieces.
A cloud goes by in the image of a blind angel.
The moon embalms dead darkness. A blind snake at the
threshold.
Until the blue of prayer is kindled in the canopy of desire
Like the stillness of lakes in the heatwaves before dusk.
Rest, sea, in the twilight gathering between day and night--
Elegy of the shore fluttering requiem for illusions.
Heart's scaffold in its loneliness. Inconsolable song,
Whistling of the border wind.
Like the ocean floor
Midnight collects anguish of many daggers
Unsheathed from the soul's bitterness in the blaze of noon.
On a bed of quicksand night thickens,
Stripped bare of dreams, and conspiring.
~~~~@David Rokeah
-translated from Hebrew by Robert Mezey and Shula Starkman
~^^~ _Awakenings_ (c) Loralei Fairhill 1/19/01