Well, Hello and welcome to my Little World of Weirdness!
I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the official characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be! I *DO*, however, own Marcibay Hilligans and Hei-ying Reed!! I also own Mystrasa Kyree, and the dragon isn't mine, it's on loan from my good friend, the Blue Goo! And what the heck . . . I own the mansion as well! [Laughs] Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make! And I don't pretend to be able to write any sort of accents so please don't hate me!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
In This Tainted Soul . . .
By Dr Megalomania.
Part Sixteen: Broken
The storm was getting worse, and Clow had decided that leaving the mansion would be too dangerous for them. So now, Yue and Keroberos were locked in with Hei-ying. Hei-ying had been getting progressively worse; nearly everyday he started to cut Yue's hair even if the small boy's hair hadn't changed in length at all. He started to get even more neurotic and start to refuse to walk anywhere. He even refused to walk on the ground in Clow's study, and Keroberos suspected he even stopped walking in his own room as well. Hei-ying rarely spoke anymore; he answered Clow and Clow alone. Yue and Keroberos received glares whenever either spoke towards him. Keroberos refused to leave Yue's side, since the finger breaking incident, neither Keroberos or Hei-ying left Yue alone for very long.
Clow was aware of this, and it only served to confuse him more, it seemed like both were guarding Yue against the other. He sighed and turned away from the window. He wished he knew why none of his guardians trusted him enough to tell him the truth about what had happened. He knew Yue was scared, but of whom was he scared? Keroberos and Hei-ying were equally foul to each other at times, but he couldn't see either hurting Yue. Hei-ying had gotten over his initial discomfort at having Yue around, and Keroberos always acted like he adored Yue. Clow sank into his window seat. Who was tormenting his little moonbeam?
Hei-ying levitated along the corridor towards Yue's room, Keroberos had just left to go get something from downstairs. Yue was alone. "Hello little moonbeam . . ."
Yue looked up, Hei-ying was standing in his doorway. "Konnichiwa, Oniisan." He stood and bowed respectfully. Yue had learnt that by treating Hei-ying respectfully lessened the chances of Hei-ying losing his temper. "It's time to cut your hair." Hei-ying smiled, "Follow me."
Yue sighed, Hei-ying had been increasing his haircutting to every day, but this was the first time Hei-ying had asked to do it twice in one day. "Hai . . ." Yue slid off the bed and padded out of the door, maybe if he got it over and done with soon, Hei-ying would leave his hair alone for a few days.
"I hate you . . ." Yue murmured as he past, Hei-ying smiled as he twisted the sharp pair of scissors in his hands, he had decided that Yue looked too much like him, even though his hair fell to just below his waist. He stepped back before his door and indicated that Yue enter first. Hei-ying knew what he was going to do; he was going to make Yue look completely different from him.
"I know you do . . ."
Keroberos paused as he past Clow's study, he thought about going in and confessing all to Clow. Hei-ying is the tormentor you're looking for! But Keroberos knew if he told Clow now Hei-ying would kill Yue later, Yue would have to be the one that went to Clow first. Then Clow would be so furious that he'd kill Hei-ying without a second thought, Keroberos shook his head, //No, he wouldn't . . . You're the one that would kill him without a second thought. //
He had promised Hei-ying that he'd do something dire if Hei-ying harmed Yue; he hadn't said he would kill him. But Keroberos was sure that the both of them understood that Keroberos probably would kill him. Hei-ying had lessened his attacks since Clow had seen the broken finger. They were contained to mere bruises and small cuts with those dreadful scissors he had taken to carrying around with him all the time now.
Clow was unaware of Hei-ying's disturbed mind, Keroberos was sure of it. Perhaps it was because Clow had grown used to Hei-ying being not quite right, or perhaps it was because he didn't think Hei-ying would ever get that dangerous. Keroberos wondered briefly, why would Hei-ying turn like this? What had happened during the ten years between his and Hei-ying's creation that would turn Hei-ying into the corrupted monster he was now?
Keroberos sighed and continued to walk up the stairs, Clow had a lot of problems, and now, Hei-ying had them too.
"Oniisan, I hate you"
Pale feet dangled in the air.
"Tell me you love me and I'll let go of your hair . . ."
"I hate you!"
"Tut tut! More respect for your elders," another lock of hair fell to the ground.
"Oniisan! Let me go!" Yue struggled but the more he struggle the tighter the hand grew.
"Tell me . . ."
Snip, another lock of hair fell to the ground.
"No!"
Snip, snip, two more locks floated.
"Hei-ying! LET HIM GOOO!" A deep growling voice roared. The large lion jumped on the dark haired boy's back. Keroberos sank his teeth into Hei-ying's back.
"Argh!" Hei-ying threw Yue to the hard wood floor. "Bastard!" The sharp scissors swirled in his hand to become a sharp dagger.
"Come here, stuffed animal!" Hei-ying yelled as Keroberos leapt off his back, "Let me cut your tail off for your arrogance!"
Keroberos ran forward quickly as the taller boy lunged toward him. The pointed scissors pierced the ground, as Keroberos ran around and hauled the tiny boy off the ground.
"Get on!" He commanded his younger brother, "Quickly!!"
As soon as Yue wrapped his tiny arms around his think golden neck, Keroberos bolted out of the room and ran down the corridor.
He paused at the corner and stared to see where Hei-ying was, Hei-ying's dark green eyes stared unblinkingly back. He stood in the doorway of his room. The tall, black clothed boy smirked and pulled his hand up; in it he held several locks of Yue's hair. Keroberos growled, Yue quietly sobbed to see his valued hair being held like some sort of trophy.
His green eyes still locked with Keroberos', he raised his other hand. It still held the glinting pair of silver scissors. Hei-ying's smirk disappeared as he pressed the blade against his throat.
The deathly pale face remained completely blank as he drew the blade across his throat slowly. His point made; he stepped back into the room, it's door silently closing.
//It was a message . . .//
And Keroberos understood it's meaning too perfectly, he prayed that Yue was too young to comprehend it as well.
Hei-ying was going to kill Yue soon . . . and he was going to do it when Keroberos wouldn't ever be able to stop him . . .
"It's all right, moonbeam . . . you can't notice it that much . . ." Keroberos tried to sooth the little boy who had recently become his little brother. He was so small, Keroberos could hardly imagine him as a . . . what was Clow wanted him to be? Keroberos shook his head and returned his attention back to Yue.
The tiny boy was sobbing on his bed, face firmly pressed into his pillow, "Yue . . ." Keroberos hopped (as best he could) onto the bed, "Listen to me . . . stay away from Hei-ying."
"I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!!" Yue started to kick. He didn't seem to notice Kero's serious tone. Yue was rarely seen anymore, as Hei-ying's bullying got infinitely worst and Yue was becoming too scared to go to Clow anymore; instead he hid in his false form. His false form, Yukito was a sweet five year old, with grey hair and amber eyes. Clow affectionately dubbed the false form Yukito, the 'snowy one'. The latest attack probably meant Yue would disappear again, so that Clow wouldn't notice the now very short fringe, Keroberos sighed, //now he wouldn't be able to tie it back like Clow's.// Yue adored Clow, and did everything he could to look like him. He even tried to smile all the time, keeping his eyes closed at the same time. Kero smiled at this as it had often resulted in many a bloody nose, when the tiny boy walked straight into a wall.
"Keroberos?"
The older lion shook his head and returned to the present, the small boy was now sitting up and hugging his knees. "Yes Yue?"
"Why doesn't he like me? What did I do?"
"I don't know . . ." Keroberos padded up closer, and nudged the boy to lie down, as Yue lay back, Keroberos lay with him, "All I know is that I want you to stay away from him . . ."
Neither noticed a dark figure in the doorway, pale hands encased in black leather gloves twirled the shiny pair of scissors over and over.
"Now . . ." Keroberos continued, "No matter what he says, no matter what he does, keep away from him . . . I don't think he's . . ."
Glinting dark jade eyes stared at them harder; the hands stilled, and then slipped the scissors into a pocket. The dark figure smiled a sinister sneer, as he turned and walked away silently, Keroberos' voice could still be heard clearly in the dark corridor.
". . . I don't think Hei-ying's . . ." Keroberos struggled to find a more careful word, he gave up and used the only term that could clearly describe Hei-ying's condition, "I don't think he is . . ."
The jaded eyes slid shut as the dark figure began to laugh quietly, as he paced further away slowly.
". . . *Sane* . . . anymore. . ."
The breakfast table was unbearably silent, as Hei-ying, Keroberos and Yue ate. Clow wasn't hungry so he settled instead for sipping some green tea. His mother had always found it to be very calming, and Clow could see why. The storm was still raging outside, and the three guardians had been locked up together for a week. Clow sighed, as he tried and failed to make eye contact with Yukito.
Yue had disappeared, one entire week and not so much as a peep from Yue. Keroberos wasn't much better; the lion rarely used his false form. He looked like he was in a permanent state of readiness. Hei-ying was the only one that would meet Clow's gaze and Clow wasn't so sure that this was a good thing. Hei-ying's little traits were starting to get out of hand, and nearly every night he would slip into Clow's bedroom. The visits themselves didn't last for very long, but it was the fact Hei-ying would do nothing but stare, that was starting to disturb Clow. Hei-ying was still . . . obsessed with Clow, and his obedience spell was becoming twisted and distorted. There were aspects of it that Hei-ying took too seriously.
The house was silent again, and Clow had taken to his study to escape it. Escape Hei-ying's unblinking stares, Keroberos' vigilant growls and Yukito. The small false form had been intended to look happy, and it was disturbing to see the small amber eyes hold such grief. Yukito looked like he was grieving, and Clow didn't know why.
As Hei-ying stood and started to clear away the breakfast plates, Clow made his decision. "Yukito?" Yukito looked up slightly, not quite meeting Clow's eyes; he nodded to indicate he had heard. Clow pursed his lips together and stood, "I would like to talk to you in my study please."
Yukito stood, as did Keroberos. There was a quick glow of light and Keroberos' false form appeared, he landed softly on Yukito shoulder, and whispered something into his ear. Yukito's face displayed a quick flash of surprise before nodding sadly.
Clow noted this; he had started to watch Hei-ying and Keroberos' motions towards Yukito whenever he was around. Perhaps Keroberos was whispering a threat into his small ear, or maybe a warning to keep the malicious triad out of Clow's attentions. Clow's eyes narrowed, he had had enough, he wanted to know and Yukito was going to tell him.
"Please close the door . . ." Clow took off his robes' outer coat and slung it over the back of his desk's chair. Yukito nodded again, and quietly pulled the large wood door shut. Clow sighed and moved forward. He knelt before his moon guardian's false form. He raised a hand to Yukito's cheek, "Please my snowy one . . . tell me . . . what's wrong?"
Yukito held his gaze for a few seconds before shuffling backward; he lifted his chin out of Clow's grasp and remained silent. Clow sighed, "Then I apologise for having to do this to you . . . there is something wrong, and you are trying to hide it from me . . . Yue . . ." Yukito's eyes widened, and then creased with anguish.
"Please don't." Yukito pleaded, "Don't do this . . ."
"I need to know what is wrong . . . why are you hiding from me?"
"I'm not . . . I just thought . . ."
"What?"
". . .That you'd like to see more of the snow rabbit." Yue was lying again, Clow drew a deep breath; it hurt to see that even here, in the place of his creation, Yue would find fear.
"That isn't the truth, my snowy one . . . I give you one more chance to tell me or I will find out by myself."
Yukito bit his lip, he could just tell Clow the truth, but then Hei-ying would do bad things to him again. Not to mention that Clow would get angry because Yue was incapable of taking his punishments properly. "That is the truth . . ." he murmured.
Clow closed his eyes and swallowed. He stood and nodded, "Very well . . ." he turned and walked over to his window seat. "Yue." He ordered softly, "Return to your true form."
There was a bright blue glow and Clow turned to see the transformation take place. Now he would find out what new horror Yue's tormentor had bestowed on him. As Yue's large wings peeled back slowly, Clow realised what Yue was hiding.
The weeping angel had a fringe, short and uneven, that partially covered one eye. Yue now had a similar fringe, although one half completely covered his right eye. Yue raised his head miserably, Clow knew now, his hair, the hair Clow had care for every night since his creation, the beautiful gift that Yue adored was torn and haphazardly cut into a hideous fringe. Yue swallowed as his mind scrambled to come up with yet another lie to explain away his new hairstyle. "I . . . I . . . didn't want to look so much like I used to so I . . ."
Clow step forward and dropped to his knees, he wasn't listening to Yue's bumbling attempt to get his brother off the hook. He briefly examined the hair, much of the cut parts were too straight to have been done by claws. He stood and brushed past Yue and stormed out of the door.
"Clow's going to realise it was you, Hei-ying." Keroberos floated in the doorway as Hei-ying silently washed the dishes, he hadn't said much since Keroberos had rescued Yue from his grasp. Keroberos was convinced now, Hei-ying had truly lost it, he didn't even look worried that Clow was obviously going to realise that Yue's new haircut had been the product of Hei-ying's favourite scissors, rather than Keroberos' clumsy claws.
"Who would he believe? That brat or me, his most perfect creation?" Hei-ying spat.
"In this case . . . Yue." Hei-ying spun as Clow stood in the doorway of the kitchen, he turned slightly to face Keroberos, "Please go to my study and comfort the little moonbeam . . . inform him that I will fix his hair later."
"Yes Clow." Keroberos didn't show his glee, either Yue had given in as Keroberos had suggested before Clow called him to his study, or Clow had ordered Yue to return. Either way, Clow would finally realise the truth about Hei-ying and do something about him.
He fluttered to the entrance hall, and changed to his true form, he flew up the stairs quickly; Yue's suffering would soon be over. He smiled, the ever happy, ever smiling Yue would return and then they would be able to play again. Making as much noise as they wanted in the hallways, without the ever present fear of Hei-ying suddenly throwing a fit of rage.
"Why did you do this?"
Clow remained in the doorway as he watched Hei-ying continue to wash the plates. Hei-ying didn't answer, stacking the plates they had used carefully, " . . .Or don't you have an answer?"
Hei-ying threw a sidelong glance at him, Clow laughed mirthlessly, "Of course you have an answer, you always have an answer."
Hei-ying still declined to answer, as he picked up a drying clothe and began to dry each plate slowly and carefully. Clow stepped forward, "Why did you do this to Yue?"
That was what did it; Hei-ying's face screwed up in uncontained rage and smashed a plate hard against the edge of the counter. "It's always about Yue, Yue, *Yue* isn't it?" Hei-ying hissed, "I am your first creation, you took *me* as your first lover but now I am *nothing* to you compared to your precious little moonbeam?!"
Clow started to shake with anger as well, "I thought you understood . . . what occurred between us was a mistake! An atrocious mistake, and I'm sorry that I ever *touched* you!"
Hei-ying's eyes widened, "What happened between us was meant to be! You said the visions made you do it!"
Clow tried to keep his voice below a yell, "I did say that, but that was because I was angry at the visions . . . they had shown me a time when I would be in love with either you or Yue . . . but that time would be during a storm, a horrific storm, and that one of you would come to me . . . the night I first . . ."
"The night you first took me for your lover was clear of . . ." Hei-ying began to sink to the floor; Clow had disregarded the advice of the visions, and in his fury, had taken Hei-ying. Hei-ying pressed his hand against his forehead, pain beginning to set in. His broken soul, his broken mind, and now his broken heart twisted devastatingly. "You *ignored* the visions and took me out of revenge . . . not love . . . you've . . . never loved me . . ."
"No . . ." Clow dropped to his knees near Hei-ying and tried to wrap his arms around his black haired angel, "I have loved you and despite your behaviour against Yue . . . I still love you . . . but I realise now, which of you I am meant to be with . . . the angel from my vision had a short fringe . . . Yue now has that fringe . . ."
Hei-ying's head snapped towards Clow, he pushed his master away in disgust; he had helped Clow find his true love? And that true love was Yue?!
"NO!"
Hei-ying stood and ran to the drying board, he pulled a knife from the drying rack and hacked at his hair.
"Hei-ying!" Clow jumped to his feet, thinking Hei-ying was going to kill himself.
The knife soon clattered to the floor, and Hei-ying turned. "Now Clow . . ." he said emotionlessly, "Which of us is the angel from your vision . . .?"
Clow's mouth hung open with horror, Hei-ying had given himself the same haircut as the angel from the vision.
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And Now It's Time For LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!
Anne Robison: who needs to pay a visit to the loony bin? Who's sanity has shipped with the Titanitic? Please place your votes now.
Big Voice Over Guy: Keroberos has proven to be the strongest link in this round by saving Yue from an untimely death. . . but for how long can he be Yue's protector? Hei-ying and Clow have tied for the weakest link, Hei-ying being insane and all and Clow for just being stupid enough to tell Hei-ying about loving Yue . . . but will the votes reflect the facts?
Anne: your time is up. Please cast your votes.
Clow: DrM.
Kero: DrM
Yue: DrM
Hei-ying: Yue AND DrM
DrM: hey!
Clow: Hei-ying's insane!
Hei-ying: I'm insane?!
Kero: he's insane!
Yue: MY FREAKING HAIR?! WHAT IS YOUR OBSESSION WITH EXPLAINING MY FRINGE?!?!?!
DrM: your hair intrigues me. . . anyway. . . Hei-ying's the one you want!! [Turns to readers] I'm really excited, cause the next chapters are actually the first few chapters I wrote for this, and I consider them to be some of my favourite scenes!!! I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing 'em!! As always please R&R, it means a lot to me to know that you have at least some emotional reaction to what you have read. Please? Thank you!!