*****9*****
Are you afraid of change?
Most people are. The idea of altering one's beloved routine is unnerving to say the least. After all, we are creatures of habit, always striving for some sense of equilibrium. Change is frightening, I suppose, because its essence revolves around the unknown, and humans have instinctive fears concerning that which they do not understand.
But, what do we actually understand in this life? We may say science has given us the power, the knowledge, to comprehend the basics of this earth, such as weather and life cycles. However, when we do not truly understand where all this life and atmosphere comes from, how can we possibly believe we understand it.
Truth never comes easy.
So, then what? We are supposed to live in a shell, safe from the horrors of change and new experiences all because we are doomed to never fully understand our own existence? Of course not. We are supposed to live, strive for answers, and accept change as it comes. Anything else would be foolish.
Why, then, do so many human beings continue to fear change? Why? It is a waste of time. Of course, most of our daily routines have a habit of killing time. I suppose - as with most things - there isn't a concrete answer. Fear is apart of life. And, perhaps, in some cases, fear is an appropriate response to change. It all depends on what is changing.
If your life was turned upside down, earning you powerful enemies who were once powerful friends, would this change frighten you? I certainly hope so.
Especially, if there is something to be afraid of...
*****
Darkness continues to blanket the sky, the city, and the very lives of the world tonight. The moon hides shamefully behind faithful clouds, with resentful stars refusing to shine. A smell of metallic rain overruns the senses as well, proving that it has not been a pleasant evening.
It is beyond evening, to be precise, quite late into the night. Nevertheless, a group of exhausted warriors for the light are gathered in the living room of the apartment above "Kitten's Cafe." All are still garbed in assassin - no - suitable gear, as the members of Weiss and Fleusternd discuss their recent failure.
"I can't believe this!" Youji exclaims, plopping himself down in an oversized armchair. "We didn't even phase them."
Omi, who is sitting across the room at the end of a long, burgundy couch, clenches his fists in mirrored exasperation. "We outnumbered them by more than double and they still beat us. Have they really grown that much stronger?"
"Hmph!" An unsurprisingly irate brunette grunts, slamming a fist back into the wall. "They aren't stronger. The only reason they beat us was because of the annoying little voice in the back of our heads telling us not to hurt them!"
Nori - positioned barely a foot from Ken as he says this - glares back at him with disapproval, but says nothing.
Hiromi, on the other hand, stands up from her perch on the arm of the couch, pointing an accusing finger in his direction. "I hope you're not trying to weasel the blame onto us, Siberian!" she warns. "You're the ones who agreed to help us. And if we have to go out of our way to save Aiko from those twisted psychos, you're going to have to realize killing them is out of the question. It would be a complete contradiction to what we're trying to do."
"Which is what, exactly?" Youji demands, bordering on sarcasm. "To kindly ask Schwartz if they'll turn in their guns and knives and only use their powers for good? Sounds great in words, and I know we agreed to try and turn a new leaf here, but just how the hell are we supposed to do this!?"
A heated silence whispers over the others - the rest of Weiss wondering much the same as Youji, while Fleusternd wonders how to answer him.
Finally, Amaya, who is sitting rather close to Omi on the couch, stands and makes her way over to the tall blonde. "You don't have to be such a meanie about this! We're trying our hardest, you know? What more do you want?!"
"You wanna know what I want?" comes Youji's dangerous reply. "How about for you to go -"
"Balinese, that's enough."
Silence again, as all eyes turn in surprise towards Ran, who has not spoken since they returned from Schwartz' hideout.
With slow, deliberate steps, he makes his way to the center of the small room, turning out to everyone. "It is true it was difficult for us to fight tonight, but I am not willing to give up just because we're having trouble adjusting. Even if it is impossible to help Fleusternd reach their goal, isn't it worth it just to try? And maybe...maybe we'll gain back a little of what we gave up..."
(He sounds like Aiko-chan...) Omi accounts respectfully. (I always hoped Weiss would end this way. Not by being punished ourselves the way the others believed, but through penitence...forgiveness...)
"Even though we were unable to save Korat tonight, we owe her our trust." Ran continues boldly. "I know this feels like walking on uneven ground, unsure of our footing, of our purpose, of...whether or not we will be able to do this at all. But I...we...must do this." He pauses, almost in disbelief himself at the words he has spoken so passionately. Then, with the tiniest traces of his almost forgotten smile, he adds. "Besides, I really wish you would all just shut up and stop bickering. We owe alot to Fleusternd, and despite our failure, we wouldn't have even known where to find Schwartz' headquarters if it hadn't been for them."
With that, Ran promptly returns to his spot near the landing, closing his eyes in fatigue as he slumps back against the wall.
(Weiss is most definitely full of surprises tonight.) Nori thinks with a mental smile, though her pale features do not betray this outwardly. (Hopefully our forces will be more organized next time. We have to form a stable plan that will unsure Aiko's recovery. I suppose I should - )
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Everyone freezes, looking awkwardly at one another as the pounding on the back entrance filters up the stairs, demanding attention. No one is quite sure how to react to this unexpected intrusion.
"Just ignore it." Hiromi suggests warily, eyeing the staircase leading down to the back door. "Probably just a nosy neighbor, or something."
"This late...?" comes a cautious inquiry from Nori, while her silver eyes flick suspiciously to the stairs as well.
Always one to leap before he looks, Ken pushes himself from the wall, walking swiftly to the landing. "I'll answer it. You guys just start cooking up ways to get Korat back." he states coolly, pausing at the top of the stairs to flex his claws. "It's not as if I'm unarmed, ne?"
The others watch with wavering anticipation as Ken disappears down the stairs, and a lingering quiet filters over the room once again as they are left with his simple suggestion pinned in their hearts.
(Cook up ways to get Korat back, he says.) Youji mumbles, digging himself more comfortably into the cushion of his chair. (Seven of us were just made fools of by three members of Schwartz. Seven against three!! God, this is impossible!)
"Ke...I mean...Siberian is right." a soft, feminine voice speaks hesitantly into the stillness. Amaya has spoken, sitting on the couch next to Omi once again, and wringing her hands absently in her lap. "We have to keep thinking. There must be something we can do. Maybe...maybe we could -"
"Ahhhhhh!"
Freeze. Again - so often this seems to happen - Weiss and Fleusternd are thrown into panicked silence, snapping their attention to the stairway. Ken's voice has just rang out in frightening alarm with a resonance that bounces off the walls.
"Siberian..." Nori whispers, barely audible as her face pales, just as the others are paling and stiffening in alert around her.
Being just beside the landing, Ran cautiously peers down the steps, concern and uncertainty forcing the corners of his mouth into a tight frown. "Ken!" he calls urgently. "Ken!!"
"I...I'm okay...I think..." replies Ken's breathless voice, as if he is recovering from some horrible nightmare. "You're never gonna believe who's at the door."
Quizzically, Ran looks back over the others in the living room, receiving expressions from all of them that mirror his own: deep confusion. Who could it be? Who could possibly cause such shock in the young brunette who has answered the door? Well, they are about to find out, for more than one pair of feet begins to echo up the staircase, proving that Ken is not returning to them alone.
Anxious faces wait expectantly as the footsteps grow louder, and as Ken finally comes into view, everyone gasps.
"Aiko!" Hiromi exclaims in an exuberant combination of joy and disbelief.
Held securely in Ken's arms - like some morbid picture of a husband carrying his new wife over the threshold - is an obviously weak and injured Rosuto Aiko, looking as if she couldn't possibly have made it home on her own.
"Kombanwa, minna. Sorry I'm so late." the red-head beams, smiling in spite of her unmistakable pain.
Everyone stares on in mute shock as Ken makes his way across the room, gently lying Aiko on the couch after Amaya and Omi instantaneously move out of the way. They all immediately begin to close in around her then, bubbling with questions, though none are sure how to begin.
At long last, Nori bends low beside the couch, grasping Aiko's hand firmly in her own. "You're hurt. How...how did you escape from them in this condition?"
"Not on her own, if that's what you're thinking." Ken answers in Aiko's place, crossing his arms as if he knows some incredible secret. "I still can't believe it."
Omi casts him a sideways glance, crinkling his nose in curiousity. "What do you mean...?"
All eyes slowly begin to return their attention to the landing. Barely visible above it they can make out the top of a brown-haired head peaking up the stairs, with scared, blue-grey eyes blinking at them fearfully.
"Dare...?" Omi breathes, but is prevented from finishing his question.
"Don't be afraid." Aiko's low-toned and voice calls to this hidden figure. "They are not your enemy if you are not theirs."
Though still tentative, this appears to be enough to give the stranger incentive to move. Carefully, a young boy makes his way up the stairs and into the living room, revealing to everyone who he truly is.
(Schwartz...) Ran labels instinctively, and his hand twitches involuntarily for his katana.
Naoe Nagi has just entered enemy territory.
"You did it...?" Nori asks in amazement, looking down into Aiko's dimmed, violet eyes. "As their prisoner you were still able to convince one of them to join us, even with no one to help you?"
Aiko can only smile. "I had all the help I needed." she answers, and then suddenly remembers a helper she had almost forgotten. "Oh, yes. Did Nanami make it here alright?"
Nagi's eyes instantly brighten, though he remains quite a distance from the others.
"Nanami?" Ran asks with deep suspicion. "Who is Nanami?"
Dramatic Pause.
"Nagi-kun!!"
The question concerning Nanami's identity is short-lived, because the dear girl, with her turquoise hair a tousled mess as if she has just gotten out of bed, is bounding out of the hallway leading from the bedrooms. As she flies into the room, the lively girl glomps onto Nagi with such force, he is practically knocked to the floor.
(Impossible...) Youji thinks with wide, disbelieving eyes, watching closely as the young couple embraces. (She's...the little one from Schreient, but...how...?)
"Nagi-kun!" Toto cries again, hugging him vigorously. "I'm so happy you came. I knew you would. I knew you'd listen to Aiko-chan."
"Hai, Toto..." he breathes in reply, forgetting that anyone else even exists as he holds her close. "I am so sorry...so sorry I didn't listen to you before..."
Time hangs suspended - awkward - yet lovely in a moment of simple, innocent emotion. Truly, Weiss does not know what to make of this unexpected surprise. Sure, they knew what they were getting themselves into right from the start. Didn't they? But, witnessing a dream unfold is far different from merely imagining its fulfillment.
"I would like to be happy for you, Korat, happy for what you seem to have accomplished." Ran begins slowly, turning his back on the blissful chibis, and bending over Aiko with hushed words. "But...can we trust them?"
"This journey begins and ends with ideals such as that. With faith, hope, love...*and* trust, Abyssinian." she answers confidently, not bothering to lower her voice as he has. "I trust Nagi and Nanami equally as much as I trust you."
This answer is somewhat unsettling to the frigid red-head, but his gradually melting heart is beckoning for him to take a chance and believe in new beginnings - for everyone.
"Can someone please explain this to me?" Youji's frustrated voice rings out over the others, while he gingerly leans against an arm of the couch. "How exactly...I mean...when...where did she come from?"
With a glorious and slightly egocentric smirk, Amaya tosses back her raven hair, causing her curious lock of silver to stand out even more. "Duh, she's been here practically all day. How do you think we knew Aiko was taken?"
"You mean, this...girl...was there when Schwartz took Korat? And, she has been *here* ever since?" Omi prompts incredulouly. "Ken-kun was here most of the day, too, ne? So...you knew about this?" the young blonde demands, turning abruptly to his friend.
Ken looks back with a rather adorable "I-got-my-hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar" expression, staring at each of his teammates apologetically. "Well...kinda. It just didn't seem very important at the time, so I didn't say anything. I mean, she's not a threat anymore; didn't attack me or anything when she came bursting through the door earlier. In fact...she almost seemed happy to see me."
"Of course I was!" chimes in Toto brightly, breaking into the conversation, though her arms are still firmly attached to Nagi. "Aiko-chan told me all about her plan to get you guys together, and stop you from hurting people anymore. Both Schwartz *and* Weiss. I want Aiko-chan's dream to come true, because then Nagi-kun and I can be together. That's why I was happy to see you, oniisan, because I knew Aiko-chan's plan was working."
(Oniisan...?) Ken blinks, blushing slightly. His soccer kids call him by that title all the time, of course, but hearing it come out of Toto's pouty, little lips is quite a bit different.
Nori and Hiromi hang back on the sidelines, taking in the exchange of explanations with growing aggravation, both being much more concerned with the state of their injured leader.
At last, reaching patient's end, Nori stands briskly from kneeling beside the couch, hands on her hips as she interrupts the conversation with devastating finality. "Can't you stop chit-chatting for two seconds to process what is *really* important right now?!"
"No kidding!" Hiromi obediently pipes in. "You're all blabbing away while Aiko's lying here bleeding to death on the sofa!"
The friendly atmosphere in the room is mercilessly crushed. Everyone's eyes turn fearfully to Aiko in realization, noticing the beads of sweat on her forehead, the labor of her breathing, and the drooping of her eyelids as they struggle to remain open. No one had noticed just how much blood she was loosing - not to mention how much she must have lost on the way home.
"Aiko-chan, what did they do to you?!" Toto cries, at last releasing Nagi as she dives for the couch, dropping down beside it.
"It...it's nothing...just a scratch..." the red-head lies, speaking with obvious strain, and looking paler by the moment.
Ran is standing at the end of the couch - by the arm Aiko's head is resting against - and as he looks down at the gash in her leg, his violet eyes flash with obvious concern. "We have to treat that wound." he declares. "It looks terrible, far too deep to leave alone. Why didn't you say anything?"
Though the question is clearly addressed to Aiko, she only smiles weakly in response, flinching from a pinch of pain shooting up her leg.
"We can't take her to the hospital." Amaya puts in fretfully.
"Too many questions." Hiromi agrees.
For a moment, everyone looks to everyone else, each hoping someone, somehow, will come up with a solution.
Then, unexpectedly, Toto jumps up from her new-found spot on the floor, waving her hand about in the air as if awaiting a teacher to call on her. "I know! I know!" she cries. "Nagi can heal her!"
No one says a word, but all inadvertently glance over at the frail-looking, young boy still lingering quite a distance from the rest of the group.
"Me...?" his haunting, melancholy voice inquires, adorably timid and soft-spoken. "What can I do, Toto?"
"You can heal Aiko-chan like you healed me, Baka!"
(What...!?) Youji thinks wildly, his emerald eyes popping open in surprise, much like everyone else's. (She...she's still alive because of him...? How?)
"But...I don't know how I did that, Toto." Nagi disputes, looking pained - trapped. "It just...happened. I wouldn't know where to begin."
"But you do..." a breathless, low-toned voice breaks in above the rest. Aiko is attempting to sit up, beseeching Nagi with brilliantly smiling eyes, despite the effort needed to bring that smile to her lips. "You...have so much...power...inside of you...and you have seen for yourself.....what great things...you can do...if you use that power...for the sake of love...rather than hate..."
"But I -"
"Do not doubt yourself." she cuts in with surprising conviction. "Your love for Nanami is unequaled...and I know...it is impossible...to recreate what you felt...in that moment when you saved her...but if we work together...our combined powers might just be enough..."
This final statement baffles Nagi completely, and he stares back at her in overwhelmed surprise. "Combined powers? Then you...! That's why Crawford wants you! You are gifted like us!"
Aiko wills her mouth to form that difficult smile, nodding in confirmation. "Yes..." she replies gently. "I can...manipulate fire...a pyrokinetic...if you know the word...and...what better medium for healing is there...than that of the healing flame...?"
(That's right. I had almost forgotten.) Ran ponders, hovering above his red-haired twin from his spot at the end of the couch. (It seems so long ago when she told us about their powers. And though it has only been a day...less than a day...we haven't even seen a whisper of what they can do, other than that annoying sound trick. Strange...)
"To...together..." Nagi breathes, stepping closer to the couch with cautious footing, and kneeling down with his eyes focused nervously on Aiko's wound. "I...I think I can...if we do it together."
Gently, he takes hold of Aiko's hands, looking over into her paled face for a signal to begin. She nods, closing her eyes, and he does the same, both concentrating fiercely on the task at hand.
Their palms form against one another's, with delicate fingers lacing tightly together. Static almost instantly begins to build around them, as if a current is pulsing through their veins, connecting them to the core.
Watching anxiously, in varied degrees of uneasiness and awe, the others notice that Aiko's wound slowly begins to glow. Pulsing shades of color, like the flames from a burning candle, spark and grow brighter around it. Soon, the brilliance of the light emitted is so blinding, they are forced to turn away.
How simplex, the whole ordeal. A mere touching of hands and faith in soul and spirit, and poof - even crude mortals can be capable of anything.
Extraordinary.
As the light dims, everyone gradually turns their heads back to the couch, staring down in anticipation at the still, quiet figures still concentrating with such determination. Now, however, their work is complete, and Aiko and Nagi open their eyes, blinking exhaustedly, before joining the others in focusing their attention on the gash in Aiko's leg.
Gash? Wound? What wound...?
"It...it worked..." Nagi whispers in joyous disbelief. "We did it!"
Truly, all that remains as remnants from Aiko's unfortunate encounter with a certain Irish psychopath, are a few stains of deep crimson on her dress.
"I knew you could do it, Nagi-kun!" Toto shouts happily, hugging him from behind.
"As did I." adds Aiko confidently, with a voice much stronger than it had been only a few minutes before. "This night has turned out better than I could have dreamed. Though a little shaken, everyone has survived the day unharmed, and we have two new faces to brighten our tomorrow."
Sitting up and swinging her legs from the cushions, Aiko sits comfortably on the edge of the couch, looking over everyone while they continue staring back at her with a wide diversity of emotions.
Shock. Confusion. Joy. After all, everyday should be filled with equal amounts of each.
"I am sure we are all bursting with questions." Nori begins suddenly, before anyone else can say a word. "However, it is rather late, and we have been through quite enough for one night. I believe it is time you boys headed home, so we can all get some much needed rest."
The still dumb-struck members of Weiss are at first taken aback by this unexpected dismissal, but faces of indignation quickly fade into faces of relief and gratitude. Sleep sounds far too appealing.
"Well said, Somali." Aiko smiles, standing from the couch on very steady and healthy legs. "Nanami, I assume you have settled into the extra room at the end of the hall, ne? Why don't you and Nagi take this opportunity to talk, before it gets any later? When you are ready for bed, there is an extra mattress and a number of blankets in the hall closet. That is...*if* you need them."
These last words are spoken with a hint of playful humor, causing Nagi to blush deeply and sending Toto into a fit of melodic giggles.
"As for the rest of us, we should retire as well." the red-head continues, turning swiftly to Ran and the other members of Weiss - who have already begun moving towards the stairs. "We will call on you in the morning to work out our plan of...'attack'...and I suppose all of us will have to keep a watchful eye open for any retaliation from Schwartz, at least until we are ready to face them again."
This having been said, Toto is already dragging Nagi back to her room, allowing him only enough time to mumble out a stream of gratitude and praise as they disappear down the hall. Stifling their laughter, Nori, Hiromi, and Amaya all offer their own goodnights, slipping out of the room as well, and leaving the remaining ex-assassins to also take their leave as they file down the stairs to the back door.
Aiko stands alone in the living room, smiling with satisfaction as the boys make their way downstairs, but Ran - being the last to leave - pauses at the top of the landing, throwing his intriguing twin an eerily odd glance. His face holds no true expression, but his eyes clearly give away feelings of suspicion. He has not been able to shake those gnawing thoughts concerning Fleusternd's mysterious and mostly unseen powers, and he believes as he looks at Aiko now, that he knows why hers have remained hidden.
"Korat..." Ran begins, narrowing his gaze. "...it is rather curious that Schwartz was able to capture you so easily today. Tell me...why didn't you use your power on them?"
This question takes Aiko by dangerous surprise, and as she walks over to Ran beside the staircase - as if wanting to keep their conversation confined - she looks extremely disturbed by his sudden inquiry. "How...how did you know...?" she replies at first, very unsteady and unlike herself. Then, more composed. "I mean to say...it is true that I didn't use it, but...why do you ask?"
"I only...wondered...that's all." he answers with calm mystery, easily seeing through her.
Aiko nervously runs a hand through her tangled mess of blood-red hair, her words flowing out in unmistakable reluctance. "Well, the truth is...I didn't want to take the chance of hurting one of them. Yes...I couldn't allow myself to do anything like that."
"I see..." Ran speaks softly, leaning forward to bore his fierce eyes directly into Aiko's, not to frighten or intimidate, but to let her know that he knows something she is unwilling to reveal. "I thought perhaps...just maybe...you were afraid."
Pause. Even their breathing seems to stop a moment as they stare each other down so stubbornly, and Ran knows he has hit the nail on the head by the way Aiko's eyes widen at his words.
With a small, gentle, and understanding smile, he suddenly bows his head in a gesture of farewell. "Oyasuminasai, Korat. Until tomorrow." And with that, he slips down the stairs without another word, nor a single look back.
(Hmmm...I was wrong about him.) Aiko ponders with a sad, contented expression. (How marvelous.)
*****
(How...unbearable...I can't...take this...endless waiting...endless disappointment...)
Whistling maniacally, the wind whips past the branches of a tall tree outside "Kitten's Cafe." How cold the Spring night, how harsh and unforgiving, while the moon winks defiantly down upon the earth despite desperate clouds struggling to conceal it.
Farfarello has disobeyed orders again, as he sits ungracefully in those swaying branches high above the ground. Brad strictly explained that Schuldrich was to find out Nagi and Aiko's whereabouts, and that he alone would bring them back if they had not yet reached the others. Naturally, Farfie couldn't possibly accept such an invasion when it is *his* prey that has escaped. No. It has been far too long since his desires were fulfilled, and he is far beyond giving up such satisfaction - despite any consequences. After all, how often does an insane mind think things through logically?
(It's too late now...Schuldrich won't be able to bring them back...) the albino's frantic thoughts continue in troubled anxiety. (She is so close...just within my reach...hehe...I hope she is enjoying the token I left her...my promise...my mark claiming her as mine...)
While digging his nails along the tree bark, Farfarello's golden eye glows with an eerie light, and he would appear like an apparition to anyone who might look up, seeing him for the malicious bird that he is.
With that unforgettable eye trained on Aiko's bedroom window, he watches - waiting - and at last sees her figure emerge from the hallway, following her movements as she closes the door behind her. However, the sight of this unique, young woman deflates his hopes rather than encourages them, for she does not seem to be in any pain at all. Indeed, the beaming red-head is moving about the room in full strength, and in a sudden wave of fury, Farfarello realizes the wound he left so lovingly is no longer there.
(...no...) his mind whispers dangerously. (She dares defy me...dares radiate such light and warmth...healed as if I never touched her! I'll split her open from end to - )
Horror.
While his tawny eye grows wider in enraged terror, Farfarello goes rigid, noticing that Aiko is holding something in her hand that she could not possibly have possession of.
He had watched as she paced about the room, until at last sitting sluggishly at her desk. There is a picture placed just below the table lamp, but it is not *that* item which has caught his attention. Aiko has taken out another picture from the bottom drawer, and is now holding it up sorrowfully to the light, caressing her fingers over the smiling images.
It is a picture of a young nun surrounded by happy children, including a particular child with white hair, and the brightest smile of them all.
(How...that time when...I...it's impossible!!)
(Not quite.) A nasal, impatient voice intrudes upon Farfarello's thoughts. (What's impossible, is *you*. Brad will be scaling the walls when he finds out you snuck away again.)
The Irishman stiffens, tearing his gaze away from Aiko's window to search the ground frantically for signs of this bothersome individual who has invaded his mind. And then he spots him - Schuldrich - leaning against the trunk of the tree with a cigarette dangling lazily from his mouth as it glows brightly within the shadows. Unfortunately, nearly always being the one to follow orders, the sultry German will not be taking any playmates home tonight now that their troublesome treasure and unfortunate traitor have found sanctuary - at least as much sanctuary as they are going to get.
(We're going home, Farf.) Schu explains, almost with a bitter despondency in his mind's voice. (You better hope Bradley isn't in one of his moods tonight.)
*****
Oh dear, is Brad Crawford in one hell of a mood tonight!
"You let them get away!?!"
"Hey, it's not my fault they had a head start."
Within the walls of Schwartz' hideout, the atmosphere is thick with tension like a balloon blown taut enough to burst at the tiniest touch. Though Farfarello escaped into his room the moment the duo returned, Schuldrich has the unfortunate luck of having to report to Brad, and - obviously - the irate American isn't taking the news of failure very well.
"We had her in our clutches, the final key we had been waiting for, and not only does she elude us, but the accursed woman brainwashes Nagi into going with her!!"
Brad paces madly about the living room while he rants - a rather small space, homey in appearance, which is a great contrast to the surreal presence of their main room in between dimensions, with its constellations covering the would-be walls.
Adoring the sight of Brad's red-faced frustration, Schu can't help grinning at this lack of control coming from someone usually so put together. "Brainwashed isn't quite accurate, Bradley." he interrupts. "From my point of view, the kid looked mighty comfy where he was. Maybe you didn't have as much sway over him as you thought."
Wrong thing to say.
"Quiet!!" Brad shouts, snarling as if to show the venom on his teeth, and coming to a dead stop in his pacing. "We are not to talk of *him* again. He made his choice. Naoe Nagi is now just as expendable as the rest of the human race. Understood?"
Schuldrich looks at Brad from beneath playfully drooping eyelids, showing a devastating half-smile. "Your wish is my command, oh fearless leader." he replies, dripping with sarcasm, and taking a mocking bow. "Anything else before I'm *allowed* to go to bed?"
"Yes." answers Brad's stern voice, eyeing Schuldrich darkly, though attempting to keep himself from being affected by this show of disrespect. "Farfarello needs to be punished for disobeying my orders. Take care of it."
On this final bidding, the dark-haired American turns away, headed to his own bedroom for a night of much desired rest. Schuldrich, on the other hand, has quickly lost his smirk, left standing frozen in the middle of the living room.
There is nothing he hates more than the task he has once again been handed.
(Punishment...) he thinks bitterly, flicking a stray strand of orange hair away from his face. (Damn you, Brad. Are you so high and mighty you can't even do the dirty work yourself, or is this just my reward for loosing the little brat? Heh. I guess us sinners can't ever catch a break...)
*****
Sinners *won't* ever catch break. Not until they repent for those nasty little sins of theirs, anyway. Which is exactly how it should be. It isn't always, of course, but it is when it needs to be.
Farfarello is sitting alone on his desecrated bed, amongst the torn pieces of stuffing and shreds of fabric. No one had bothered to worry about the destroyed piece of furniture, considering its possessor could care less if he had a cushy place to sleep. At the moment, being curled up on the last spot his victim had been before slipping through his fingers is the only place this disturbed, young man wishes to be.
There is a creek that sounds from behind suddenly, signaling that someone has entered his prison. However, he doesn't look up, nor move in the slightest, because he knows all too well who it is and what they have in mind.
"Gott hat verlassenen mich." Farfarello states dead-toned in German, staring blindly forward as he pulls his knees closer into his body.
Now standing just inside the room, Schuldrich starts, his jade eyes looking disturbed by this unexpected declaration, and it takes him a little longer than usual to decide how he should respond. After all, he has come on an unseemly errand, and one must keep a sense of humor about such things, ne?
"I thought it was the other way around." Schuldrich replies at last, forcing his usual smirk to play across his devilish face.
Farfarello gives no answer, remaining stone-still on the slashed mattress. In the space of an instant, Schuldrich's smile flickers, and his disgust for what he must do is clearly apparent. Nevertheless, he is no fool. He knows how dangerous it would be to disobey his darling Bradley, and Schuldrich has always lived for Schuldrich. No one else.
Why change now?
Slowly, the German makes his way closer to the bed, and the jingling of buckles from the straitjacket behind his back is easy to make out in the silence of such an enclosed room.
His ears perked by this, Farfarello's head tilts up, though he keeps his back to the unwelcome intruder. "He's sent you to punish me, hasn't he?" the albino speaks plainly, without emotion, already knowing the answer to his question.
"Sorry, Farf. You know the rules." answers Schuldrich's nasal voice, with as much levity as he can muster. "Brad is - and always will be - judge, jury, and -"
"*You* are executioner." Farfarello finishes.
Unsettled by that truth, the uncomfortable red-head clears his throat awkwardly. "Yeah, well...what can I say? Let's just do each other a favor here and get this over with. It'll be a hell of a lot easier if you cooperate this time."
Upon hearing these words, Farfarello turns at an agonizingly slow pace to face the man behind him, showing absolutely no expression - which is always more unsettling than his deranged glares.
The two hold suspended out of time as they watch each other, seeming to wait for the other to make the first move. Already deeply uneased about the whole situation, Schuldrich attempts to break this horrible pressure by throwing his companion an almost believable smile as he walks up to the bed.
"Come on, Farfie. This should be no sweat for you, right?" he begins, bringing the straitjacket out from behind his back, since his intentions are already clear. "It's not like you've never been through this before. Besides, the whole thing will be over before you know it. By morning, Brad won't even remember why he wanted to punish you in the first place. So...why don't you just let me put this thing on you? Deal with the whole institutionalized gig for tonight, and then everyone will be happy. Okay?"
Instantly, Farfarello's golden eye sparks with a terrifying light, and he jerks away from Schuldrich, clinging to the corner of the bed. "...happy...?" he whispers. "You actually...believe...we can know happiness...anymore...hehehe...the only happiness I feel...is in revenge against those who speak their vile lies and promises...as *He* lies and promises..."
"Stop it." Schuldrich cuts in, his smile completely lost, and the difficulty of his duty clearly weighing him down. "Hold yourself together for me, alright? Just let me -"
"NO!" the frantic Irishman explodes, after Schu had taken only the smallest step closer. "I will not be locked away again...not with so much time lost. And she was so close, I...I can't lose her...I can't...I won't let you keep me from her...you...you...STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"
With an inhuman leap, Farfarello flies off the bed just as Schuldrich lunges forward to grab him, causing the red-head to hit the torn mattress hard. Recovering himself quickly, however, Schu springs back up, amazed that anyone could escape *his* speed, but realizing just how handy psychotic adrenaline can be.
Farfarello is darting about the room haphazardly in attempts to keep out of his teammate's reach, inching closer and closer to the open door. Unfortunately for the rampaging albino, Schuldrich is blocking the entrance and advancing on him far too swiftly.
Eyeing each other in utter distrust, they face off, Schuldrich holding the straitjacket open in front of him to conceal Farfarello upon capture, and Farfie in an alert position, desperate for a way to avoid such an outcome.
At wits end, Schuldrich finally surges forward, too fast for Farfarello to counter, and unbelievably forces his momentary adversary's arms into the jacket, fastening it so clumsily he has to wrap his arms tightly around Farfarello to keep him from struggling free.
By the end of their entanglement, both men are collapsed on the floor and out of breath, with Schuldrich holding Farfarello from behind, firmly and close - as if afraid to let him go.
Breathing heavily, Schuldrich starts to speak, his mouth painfully close to Farfarello's ear. "...you always...have to be such a pain...don't you...?" he whispers, with no humor in his words at all. "...this didn't have to be so hard...if you had just given in...I mean...you know this is nothing compared to what you'd be put through...if you were still in that asylum we found you in..."
"It doesn't matter..." replies Farfarello's low, noxious voice. "...there is this hunger in me...you understand...you feel it, too...the need to destroy others...to make them feel our pain...and...I had the way to relieve this gnawing ache inside my chest...pounding in my head...only to have it ripped away..."
(God...are we really these sad, helpless creatures...?) Schu wonders bitterly, pulling Farfarello closer against him. (Is this all we are...?)
"You're right, Farf...I do understand..." he breathes, hating the unfamiliar - yet so familiar - lurching in the pit of his stomach. "...I know what you're feeling...but it's ok...you'll get your chance again...I promise...and you know you can trust me...after all...we're friends, right?"
Deadly, unearthly pause.
"...friends?" Farfarello whispers back, beginning to shake uncontrollably like a pot ready to boil over the top. "...wh...why...would I want you...as a friend!?"
At this timely outburst, Schuldrich finally realizes just how dangerous his position truly is. Farfarello's maddened thoughts surge through him like burning ice, clouding his vision in their ferocity, and he is unexpectedly flung back. Sliding across the cold, metal floor, he sits stunned long enough to see Farfarello bursts up onto his feet, thrashing around the room while still in the confinement of his straitjacket. Thrown off guard, the panicked red-head makes a dash for the door, somehow reaching it unscathed, and after diving through it, he forces the heavy contraption shut behind him.
Out of breath once more, Schuldrich topples against the wall, slidding to the floor, and slowly brings a trembling hand up to his face to wipe the sweat from his forehead. The echos of pounds and crashes as Farfarello throws himself against the sides of his room do little to reassure him.
(Shit...that was too close...) the red-head curses, forcing himself to his feet. Then, out of habit and responsibility, he securely locks the cell with those unsteady hands, and gradually makes his way down the hallway to his own room, in order to free himself from the anxiety of tonight's madness - at least in some form. (Too many thoughts I shouldn't have...thoughts Farfie shouldn't have...just like Nagi started to have before -)
Abruptly, Schuldrich stops in his tracks, stunned at his own realization. And then, mischievously, a wide grin begins to spread across his face, and the German continues to move down the hall as if he hadn't lost a step.
With a mad glint in his jade eyes, he lets out a haunting laugh while walking onward - a loud, deceptive laugh, full of false promises of a tomorrow that may never come.
*****A/N*****
First of all, the little German phrase Farfie uses when Schu walks in means: "God has forsaken me." At least, as close as I can translate. Otherwise, I just love 'punishment'. The relationship between Farf and Schu has always meant something special to me, and I want people to see it. Please keep R&Ring, because I am really proud of this. Love ya!
Are you afraid of change?
Most people are. The idea of altering one's beloved routine is unnerving to say the least. After all, we are creatures of habit, always striving for some sense of equilibrium. Change is frightening, I suppose, because its essence revolves around the unknown, and humans have instinctive fears concerning that which they do not understand.
But, what do we actually understand in this life? We may say science has given us the power, the knowledge, to comprehend the basics of this earth, such as weather and life cycles. However, when we do not truly understand where all this life and atmosphere comes from, how can we possibly believe we understand it.
Truth never comes easy.
So, then what? We are supposed to live in a shell, safe from the horrors of change and new experiences all because we are doomed to never fully understand our own existence? Of course not. We are supposed to live, strive for answers, and accept change as it comes. Anything else would be foolish.
Why, then, do so many human beings continue to fear change? Why? It is a waste of time. Of course, most of our daily routines have a habit of killing time. I suppose - as with most things - there isn't a concrete answer. Fear is apart of life. And, perhaps, in some cases, fear is an appropriate response to change. It all depends on what is changing.
If your life was turned upside down, earning you powerful enemies who were once powerful friends, would this change frighten you? I certainly hope so.
Especially, if there is something to be afraid of...
*****
Darkness continues to blanket the sky, the city, and the very lives of the world tonight. The moon hides shamefully behind faithful clouds, with resentful stars refusing to shine. A smell of metallic rain overruns the senses as well, proving that it has not been a pleasant evening.
It is beyond evening, to be precise, quite late into the night. Nevertheless, a group of exhausted warriors for the light are gathered in the living room of the apartment above "Kitten's Cafe." All are still garbed in assassin - no - suitable gear, as the members of Weiss and Fleusternd discuss their recent failure.
"I can't believe this!" Youji exclaims, plopping himself down in an oversized armchair. "We didn't even phase them."
Omi, who is sitting across the room at the end of a long, burgundy couch, clenches his fists in mirrored exasperation. "We outnumbered them by more than double and they still beat us. Have they really grown that much stronger?"
"Hmph!" An unsurprisingly irate brunette grunts, slamming a fist back into the wall. "They aren't stronger. The only reason they beat us was because of the annoying little voice in the back of our heads telling us not to hurt them!"
Nori - positioned barely a foot from Ken as he says this - glares back at him with disapproval, but says nothing.
Hiromi, on the other hand, stands up from her perch on the arm of the couch, pointing an accusing finger in his direction. "I hope you're not trying to weasel the blame onto us, Siberian!" she warns. "You're the ones who agreed to help us. And if we have to go out of our way to save Aiko from those twisted psychos, you're going to have to realize killing them is out of the question. It would be a complete contradiction to what we're trying to do."
"Which is what, exactly?" Youji demands, bordering on sarcasm. "To kindly ask Schwartz if they'll turn in their guns and knives and only use their powers for good? Sounds great in words, and I know we agreed to try and turn a new leaf here, but just how the hell are we supposed to do this!?"
A heated silence whispers over the others - the rest of Weiss wondering much the same as Youji, while Fleusternd wonders how to answer him.
Finally, Amaya, who is sitting rather close to Omi on the couch, stands and makes her way over to the tall blonde. "You don't have to be such a meanie about this! We're trying our hardest, you know? What more do you want?!"
"You wanna know what I want?" comes Youji's dangerous reply. "How about for you to go -"
"Balinese, that's enough."
Silence again, as all eyes turn in surprise towards Ran, who has not spoken since they returned from Schwartz' hideout.
With slow, deliberate steps, he makes his way to the center of the small room, turning out to everyone. "It is true it was difficult for us to fight tonight, but I am not willing to give up just because we're having trouble adjusting. Even if it is impossible to help Fleusternd reach their goal, isn't it worth it just to try? And maybe...maybe we'll gain back a little of what we gave up..."
(He sounds like Aiko-chan...) Omi accounts respectfully. (I always hoped Weiss would end this way. Not by being punished ourselves the way the others believed, but through penitence...forgiveness...)
"Even though we were unable to save Korat tonight, we owe her our trust." Ran continues boldly. "I know this feels like walking on uneven ground, unsure of our footing, of our purpose, of...whether or not we will be able to do this at all. But I...we...must do this." He pauses, almost in disbelief himself at the words he has spoken so passionately. Then, with the tiniest traces of his almost forgotten smile, he adds. "Besides, I really wish you would all just shut up and stop bickering. We owe alot to Fleusternd, and despite our failure, we wouldn't have even known where to find Schwartz' headquarters if it hadn't been for them."
With that, Ran promptly returns to his spot near the landing, closing his eyes in fatigue as he slumps back against the wall.
(Weiss is most definitely full of surprises tonight.) Nori thinks with a mental smile, though her pale features do not betray this outwardly. (Hopefully our forces will be more organized next time. We have to form a stable plan that will unsure Aiko's recovery. I suppose I should - )
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Everyone freezes, looking awkwardly at one another as the pounding on the back entrance filters up the stairs, demanding attention. No one is quite sure how to react to this unexpected intrusion.
"Just ignore it." Hiromi suggests warily, eyeing the staircase leading down to the back door. "Probably just a nosy neighbor, or something."
"This late...?" comes a cautious inquiry from Nori, while her silver eyes flick suspiciously to the stairs as well.
Always one to leap before he looks, Ken pushes himself from the wall, walking swiftly to the landing. "I'll answer it. You guys just start cooking up ways to get Korat back." he states coolly, pausing at the top of the stairs to flex his claws. "It's not as if I'm unarmed, ne?"
The others watch with wavering anticipation as Ken disappears down the stairs, and a lingering quiet filters over the room once again as they are left with his simple suggestion pinned in their hearts.
(Cook up ways to get Korat back, he says.) Youji mumbles, digging himself more comfortably into the cushion of his chair. (Seven of us were just made fools of by three members of Schwartz. Seven against three!! God, this is impossible!)
"Ke...I mean...Siberian is right." a soft, feminine voice speaks hesitantly into the stillness. Amaya has spoken, sitting on the couch next to Omi once again, and wringing her hands absently in her lap. "We have to keep thinking. There must be something we can do. Maybe...maybe we could -"
"Ahhhhhh!"
Freeze. Again - so often this seems to happen - Weiss and Fleusternd are thrown into panicked silence, snapping their attention to the stairway. Ken's voice has just rang out in frightening alarm with a resonance that bounces off the walls.
"Siberian..." Nori whispers, barely audible as her face pales, just as the others are paling and stiffening in alert around her.
Being just beside the landing, Ran cautiously peers down the steps, concern and uncertainty forcing the corners of his mouth into a tight frown. "Ken!" he calls urgently. "Ken!!"
"I...I'm okay...I think..." replies Ken's breathless voice, as if he is recovering from some horrible nightmare. "You're never gonna believe who's at the door."
Quizzically, Ran looks back over the others in the living room, receiving expressions from all of them that mirror his own: deep confusion. Who could it be? Who could possibly cause such shock in the young brunette who has answered the door? Well, they are about to find out, for more than one pair of feet begins to echo up the staircase, proving that Ken is not returning to them alone.
Anxious faces wait expectantly as the footsteps grow louder, and as Ken finally comes into view, everyone gasps.
"Aiko!" Hiromi exclaims in an exuberant combination of joy and disbelief.
Held securely in Ken's arms - like some morbid picture of a husband carrying his new wife over the threshold - is an obviously weak and injured Rosuto Aiko, looking as if she couldn't possibly have made it home on her own.
"Kombanwa, minna. Sorry I'm so late." the red-head beams, smiling in spite of her unmistakable pain.
Everyone stares on in mute shock as Ken makes his way across the room, gently lying Aiko on the couch after Amaya and Omi instantaneously move out of the way. They all immediately begin to close in around her then, bubbling with questions, though none are sure how to begin.
At long last, Nori bends low beside the couch, grasping Aiko's hand firmly in her own. "You're hurt. How...how did you escape from them in this condition?"
"Not on her own, if that's what you're thinking." Ken answers in Aiko's place, crossing his arms as if he knows some incredible secret. "I still can't believe it."
Omi casts him a sideways glance, crinkling his nose in curiousity. "What do you mean...?"
All eyes slowly begin to return their attention to the landing. Barely visible above it they can make out the top of a brown-haired head peaking up the stairs, with scared, blue-grey eyes blinking at them fearfully.
"Dare...?" Omi breathes, but is prevented from finishing his question.
"Don't be afraid." Aiko's low-toned and voice calls to this hidden figure. "They are not your enemy if you are not theirs."
Though still tentative, this appears to be enough to give the stranger incentive to move. Carefully, a young boy makes his way up the stairs and into the living room, revealing to everyone who he truly is.
(Schwartz...) Ran labels instinctively, and his hand twitches involuntarily for his katana.
Naoe Nagi has just entered enemy territory.
"You did it...?" Nori asks in amazement, looking down into Aiko's dimmed, violet eyes. "As their prisoner you were still able to convince one of them to join us, even with no one to help you?"
Aiko can only smile. "I had all the help I needed." she answers, and then suddenly remembers a helper she had almost forgotten. "Oh, yes. Did Nanami make it here alright?"
Nagi's eyes instantly brighten, though he remains quite a distance from the others.
"Nanami?" Ran asks with deep suspicion. "Who is Nanami?"
Dramatic Pause.
"Nagi-kun!!"
The question concerning Nanami's identity is short-lived, because the dear girl, with her turquoise hair a tousled mess as if she has just gotten out of bed, is bounding out of the hallway leading from the bedrooms. As she flies into the room, the lively girl glomps onto Nagi with such force, he is practically knocked to the floor.
(Impossible...) Youji thinks with wide, disbelieving eyes, watching closely as the young couple embraces. (She's...the little one from Schreient, but...how...?)
"Nagi-kun!" Toto cries again, hugging him vigorously. "I'm so happy you came. I knew you would. I knew you'd listen to Aiko-chan."
"Hai, Toto..." he breathes in reply, forgetting that anyone else even exists as he holds her close. "I am so sorry...so sorry I didn't listen to you before..."
Time hangs suspended - awkward - yet lovely in a moment of simple, innocent emotion. Truly, Weiss does not know what to make of this unexpected surprise. Sure, they knew what they were getting themselves into right from the start. Didn't they? But, witnessing a dream unfold is far different from merely imagining its fulfillment.
"I would like to be happy for you, Korat, happy for what you seem to have accomplished." Ran begins slowly, turning his back on the blissful chibis, and bending over Aiko with hushed words. "But...can we trust them?"
"This journey begins and ends with ideals such as that. With faith, hope, love...*and* trust, Abyssinian." she answers confidently, not bothering to lower her voice as he has. "I trust Nagi and Nanami equally as much as I trust you."
This answer is somewhat unsettling to the frigid red-head, but his gradually melting heart is beckoning for him to take a chance and believe in new beginnings - for everyone.
"Can someone please explain this to me?" Youji's frustrated voice rings out over the others, while he gingerly leans against an arm of the couch. "How exactly...I mean...when...where did she come from?"
With a glorious and slightly egocentric smirk, Amaya tosses back her raven hair, causing her curious lock of silver to stand out even more. "Duh, she's been here practically all day. How do you think we knew Aiko was taken?"
"You mean, this...girl...was there when Schwartz took Korat? And, she has been *here* ever since?" Omi prompts incredulouly. "Ken-kun was here most of the day, too, ne? So...you knew about this?" the young blonde demands, turning abruptly to his friend.
Ken looks back with a rather adorable "I-got-my-hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar" expression, staring at each of his teammates apologetically. "Well...kinda. It just didn't seem very important at the time, so I didn't say anything. I mean, she's not a threat anymore; didn't attack me or anything when she came bursting through the door earlier. In fact...she almost seemed happy to see me."
"Of course I was!" chimes in Toto brightly, breaking into the conversation, though her arms are still firmly attached to Nagi. "Aiko-chan told me all about her plan to get you guys together, and stop you from hurting people anymore. Both Schwartz *and* Weiss. I want Aiko-chan's dream to come true, because then Nagi-kun and I can be together. That's why I was happy to see you, oniisan, because I knew Aiko-chan's plan was working."
(Oniisan...?) Ken blinks, blushing slightly. His soccer kids call him by that title all the time, of course, but hearing it come out of Toto's pouty, little lips is quite a bit different.
Nori and Hiromi hang back on the sidelines, taking in the exchange of explanations with growing aggravation, both being much more concerned with the state of their injured leader.
At last, reaching patient's end, Nori stands briskly from kneeling beside the couch, hands on her hips as she interrupts the conversation with devastating finality. "Can't you stop chit-chatting for two seconds to process what is *really* important right now?!"
"No kidding!" Hiromi obediently pipes in. "You're all blabbing away while Aiko's lying here bleeding to death on the sofa!"
The friendly atmosphere in the room is mercilessly crushed. Everyone's eyes turn fearfully to Aiko in realization, noticing the beads of sweat on her forehead, the labor of her breathing, and the drooping of her eyelids as they struggle to remain open. No one had noticed just how much blood she was loosing - not to mention how much she must have lost on the way home.
"Aiko-chan, what did they do to you?!" Toto cries, at last releasing Nagi as she dives for the couch, dropping down beside it.
"It...it's nothing...just a scratch..." the red-head lies, speaking with obvious strain, and looking paler by the moment.
Ran is standing at the end of the couch - by the arm Aiko's head is resting against - and as he looks down at the gash in her leg, his violet eyes flash with obvious concern. "We have to treat that wound." he declares. "It looks terrible, far too deep to leave alone. Why didn't you say anything?"
Though the question is clearly addressed to Aiko, she only smiles weakly in response, flinching from a pinch of pain shooting up her leg.
"We can't take her to the hospital." Amaya puts in fretfully.
"Too many questions." Hiromi agrees.
For a moment, everyone looks to everyone else, each hoping someone, somehow, will come up with a solution.
Then, unexpectedly, Toto jumps up from her new-found spot on the floor, waving her hand about in the air as if awaiting a teacher to call on her. "I know! I know!" she cries. "Nagi can heal her!"
No one says a word, but all inadvertently glance over at the frail-looking, young boy still lingering quite a distance from the rest of the group.
"Me...?" his haunting, melancholy voice inquires, adorably timid and soft-spoken. "What can I do, Toto?"
"You can heal Aiko-chan like you healed me, Baka!"
(What...!?) Youji thinks wildly, his emerald eyes popping open in surprise, much like everyone else's. (She...she's still alive because of him...? How?)
"But...I don't know how I did that, Toto." Nagi disputes, looking pained - trapped. "It just...happened. I wouldn't know where to begin."
"But you do..." a breathless, low-toned voice breaks in above the rest. Aiko is attempting to sit up, beseeching Nagi with brilliantly smiling eyes, despite the effort needed to bring that smile to her lips. "You...have so much...power...inside of you...and you have seen for yourself.....what great things...you can do...if you use that power...for the sake of love...rather than hate..."
"But I -"
"Do not doubt yourself." she cuts in with surprising conviction. "Your love for Nanami is unequaled...and I know...it is impossible...to recreate what you felt...in that moment when you saved her...but if we work together...our combined powers might just be enough..."
This final statement baffles Nagi completely, and he stares back at her in overwhelmed surprise. "Combined powers? Then you...! That's why Crawford wants you! You are gifted like us!"
Aiko wills her mouth to form that difficult smile, nodding in confirmation. "Yes..." she replies gently. "I can...manipulate fire...a pyrokinetic...if you know the word...and...what better medium for healing is there...than that of the healing flame...?"
(That's right. I had almost forgotten.) Ran ponders, hovering above his red-haired twin from his spot at the end of the couch. (It seems so long ago when she told us about their powers. And though it has only been a day...less than a day...we haven't even seen a whisper of what they can do, other than that annoying sound trick. Strange...)
"To...together..." Nagi breathes, stepping closer to the couch with cautious footing, and kneeling down with his eyes focused nervously on Aiko's wound. "I...I think I can...if we do it together."
Gently, he takes hold of Aiko's hands, looking over into her paled face for a signal to begin. She nods, closing her eyes, and he does the same, both concentrating fiercely on the task at hand.
Their palms form against one another's, with delicate fingers lacing tightly together. Static almost instantly begins to build around them, as if a current is pulsing through their veins, connecting them to the core.
Watching anxiously, in varied degrees of uneasiness and awe, the others notice that Aiko's wound slowly begins to glow. Pulsing shades of color, like the flames from a burning candle, spark and grow brighter around it. Soon, the brilliance of the light emitted is so blinding, they are forced to turn away.
How simplex, the whole ordeal. A mere touching of hands and faith in soul and spirit, and poof - even crude mortals can be capable of anything.
Extraordinary.
As the light dims, everyone gradually turns their heads back to the couch, staring down in anticipation at the still, quiet figures still concentrating with such determination. Now, however, their work is complete, and Aiko and Nagi open their eyes, blinking exhaustedly, before joining the others in focusing their attention on the gash in Aiko's leg.
Gash? Wound? What wound...?
"It...it worked..." Nagi whispers in joyous disbelief. "We did it!"
Truly, all that remains as remnants from Aiko's unfortunate encounter with a certain Irish psychopath, are a few stains of deep crimson on her dress.
"I knew you could do it, Nagi-kun!" Toto shouts happily, hugging him from behind.
"As did I." adds Aiko confidently, with a voice much stronger than it had been only a few minutes before. "This night has turned out better than I could have dreamed. Though a little shaken, everyone has survived the day unharmed, and we have two new faces to brighten our tomorrow."
Sitting up and swinging her legs from the cushions, Aiko sits comfortably on the edge of the couch, looking over everyone while they continue staring back at her with a wide diversity of emotions.
Shock. Confusion. Joy. After all, everyday should be filled with equal amounts of each.
"I am sure we are all bursting with questions." Nori begins suddenly, before anyone else can say a word. "However, it is rather late, and we have been through quite enough for one night. I believe it is time you boys headed home, so we can all get some much needed rest."
The still dumb-struck members of Weiss are at first taken aback by this unexpected dismissal, but faces of indignation quickly fade into faces of relief and gratitude. Sleep sounds far too appealing.
"Well said, Somali." Aiko smiles, standing from the couch on very steady and healthy legs. "Nanami, I assume you have settled into the extra room at the end of the hall, ne? Why don't you and Nagi take this opportunity to talk, before it gets any later? When you are ready for bed, there is an extra mattress and a number of blankets in the hall closet. That is...*if* you need them."
These last words are spoken with a hint of playful humor, causing Nagi to blush deeply and sending Toto into a fit of melodic giggles.
"As for the rest of us, we should retire as well." the red-head continues, turning swiftly to Ran and the other members of Weiss - who have already begun moving towards the stairs. "We will call on you in the morning to work out our plan of...'attack'...and I suppose all of us will have to keep a watchful eye open for any retaliation from Schwartz, at least until we are ready to face them again."
This having been said, Toto is already dragging Nagi back to her room, allowing him only enough time to mumble out a stream of gratitude and praise as they disappear down the hall. Stifling their laughter, Nori, Hiromi, and Amaya all offer their own goodnights, slipping out of the room as well, and leaving the remaining ex-assassins to also take their leave as they file down the stairs to the back door.
Aiko stands alone in the living room, smiling with satisfaction as the boys make their way downstairs, but Ran - being the last to leave - pauses at the top of the landing, throwing his intriguing twin an eerily odd glance. His face holds no true expression, but his eyes clearly give away feelings of suspicion. He has not been able to shake those gnawing thoughts concerning Fleusternd's mysterious and mostly unseen powers, and he believes as he looks at Aiko now, that he knows why hers have remained hidden.
"Korat..." Ran begins, narrowing his gaze. "...it is rather curious that Schwartz was able to capture you so easily today. Tell me...why didn't you use your power on them?"
This question takes Aiko by dangerous surprise, and as she walks over to Ran beside the staircase - as if wanting to keep their conversation confined - she looks extremely disturbed by his sudden inquiry. "How...how did you know...?" she replies at first, very unsteady and unlike herself. Then, more composed. "I mean to say...it is true that I didn't use it, but...why do you ask?"
"I only...wondered...that's all." he answers with calm mystery, easily seeing through her.
Aiko nervously runs a hand through her tangled mess of blood-red hair, her words flowing out in unmistakable reluctance. "Well, the truth is...I didn't want to take the chance of hurting one of them. Yes...I couldn't allow myself to do anything like that."
"I see..." Ran speaks softly, leaning forward to bore his fierce eyes directly into Aiko's, not to frighten or intimidate, but to let her know that he knows something she is unwilling to reveal. "I thought perhaps...just maybe...you were afraid."
Pause. Even their breathing seems to stop a moment as they stare each other down so stubbornly, and Ran knows he has hit the nail on the head by the way Aiko's eyes widen at his words.
With a small, gentle, and understanding smile, he suddenly bows his head in a gesture of farewell. "Oyasuminasai, Korat. Until tomorrow." And with that, he slips down the stairs without another word, nor a single look back.
(Hmmm...I was wrong about him.) Aiko ponders with a sad, contented expression. (How marvelous.)
*****
(How...unbearable...I can't...take this...endless waiting...endless disappointment...)
Whistling maniacally, the wind whips past the branches of a tall tree outside "Kitten's Cafe." How cold the Spring night, how harsh and unforgiving, while the moon winks defiantly down upon the earth despite desperate clouds struggling to conceal it.
Farfarello has disobeyed orders again, as he sits ungracefully in those swaying branches high above the ground. Brad strictly explained that Schuldrich was to find out Nagi and Aiko's whereabouts, and that he alone would bring them back if they had not yet reached the others. Naturally, Farfie couldn't possibly accept such an invasion when it is *his* prey that has escaped. No. It has been far too long since his desires were fulfilled, and he is far beyond giving up such satisfaction - despite any consequences. After all, how often does an insane mind think things through logically?
(It's too late now...Schuldrich won't be able to bring them back...) the albino's frantic thoughts continue in troubled anxiety. (She is so close...just within my reach...hehe...I hope she is enjoying the token I left her...my promise...my mark claiming her as mine...)
While digging his nails along the tree bark, Farfarello's golden eye glows with an eerie light, and he would appear like an apparition to anyone who might look up, seeing him for the malicious bird that he is.
With that unforgettable eye trained on Aiko's bedroom window, he watches - waiting - and at last sees her figure emerge from the hallway, following her movements as she closes the door behind her. However, the sight of this unique, young woman deflates his hopes rather than encourages them, for she does not seem to be in any pain at all. Indeed, the beaming red-head is moving about the room in full strength, and in a sudden wave of fury, Farfarello realizes the wound he left so lovingly is no longer there.
(...no...) his mind whispers dangerously. (She dares defy me...dares radiate such light and warmth...healed as if I never touched her! I'll split her open from end to - )
Horror.
While his tawny eye grows wider in enraged terror, Farfarello goes rigid, noticing that Aiko is holding something in her hand that she could not possibly have possession of.
He had watched as she paced about the room, until at last sitting sluggishly at her desk. There is a picture placed just below the table lamp, but it is not *that* item which has caught his attention. Aiko has taken out another picture from the bottom drawer, and is now holding it up sorrowfully to the light, caressing her fingers over the smiling images.
It is a picture of a young nun surrounded by happy children, including a particular child with white hair, and the brightest smile of them all.
(How...that time when...I...it's impossible!!)
(Not quite.) A nasal, impatient voice intrudes upon Farfarello's thoughts. (What's impossible, is *you*. Brad will be scaling the walls when he finds out you snuck away again.)
The Irishman stiffens, tearing his gaze away from Aiko's window to search the ground frantically for signs of this bothersome individual who has invaded his mind. And then he spots him - Schuldrich - leaning against the trunk of the tree with a cigarette dangling lazily from his mouth as it glows brightly within the shadows. Unfortunately, nearly always being the one to follow orders, the sultry German will not be taking any playmates home tonight now that their troublesome treasure and unfortunate traitor have found sanctuary - at least as much sanctuary as they are going to get.
(We're going home, Farf.) Schu explains, almost with a bitter despondency in his mind's voice. (You better hope Bradley isn't in one of his moods tonight.)
*****
Oh dear, is Brad Crawford in one hell of a mood tonight!
"You let them get away!?!"
"Hey, it's not my fault they had a head start."
Within the walls of Schwartz' hideout, the atmosphere is thick with tension like a balloon blown taut enough to burst at the tiniest touch. Though Farfarello escaped into his room the moment the duo returned, Schuldrich has the unfortunate luck of having to report to Brad, and - obviously - the irate American isn't taking the news of failure very well.
"We had her in our clutches, the final key we had been waiting for, and not only does she elude us, but the accursed woman brainwashes Nagi into going with her!!"
Brad paces madly about the living room while he rants - a rather small space, homey in appearance, which is a great contrast to the surreal presence of their main room in between dimensions, with its constellations covering the would-be walls.
Adoring the sight of Brad's red-faced frustration, Schu can't help grinning at this lack of control coming from someone usually so put together. "Brainwashed isn't quite accurate, Bradley." he interrupts. "From my point of view, the kid looked mighty comfy where he was. Maybe you didn't have as much sway over him as you thought."
Wrong thing to say.
"Quiet!!" Brad shouts, snarling as if to show the venom on his teeth, and coming to a dead stop in his pacing. "We are not to talk of *him* again. He made his choice. Naoe Nagi is now just as expendable as the rest of the human race. Understood?"
Schuldrich looks at Brad from beneath playfully drooping eyelids, showing a devastating half-smile. "Your wish is my command, oh fearless leader." he replies, dripping with sarcasm, and taking a mocking bow. "Anything else before I'm *allowed* to go to bed?"
"Yes." answers Brad's stern voice, eyeing Schuldrich darkly, though attempting to keep himself from being affected by this show of disrespect. "Farfarello needs to be punished for disobeying my orders. Take care of it."
On this final bidding, the dark-haired American turns away, headed to his own bedroom for a night of much desired rest. Schuldrich, on the other hand, has quickly lost his smirk, left standing frozen in the middle of the living room.
There is nothing he hates more than the task he has once again been handed.
(Punishment...) he thinks bitterly, flicking a stray strand of orange hair away from his face. (Damn you, Brad. Are you so high and mighty you can't even do the dirty work yourself, or is this just my reward for loosing the little brat? Heh. I guess us sinners can't ever catch a break...)
*****
Sinners *won't* ever catch break. Not until they repent for those nasty little sins of theirs, anyway. Which is exactly how it should be. It isn't always, of course, but it is when it needs to be.
Farfarello is sitting alone on his desecrated bed, amongst the torn pieces of stuffing and shreds of fabric. No one had bothered to worry about the destroyed piece of furniture, considering its possessor could care less if he had a cushy place to sleep. At the moment, being curled up on the last spot his victim had been before slipping through his fingers is the only place this disturbed, young man wishes to be.
There is a creek that sounds from behind suddenly, signaling that someone has entered his prison. However, he doesn't look up, nor move in the slightest, because he knows all too well who it is and what they have in mind.
"Gott hat verlassenen mich." Farfarello states dead-toned in German, staring blindly forward as he pulls his knees closer into his body.
Now standing just inside the room, Schuldrich starts, his jade eyes looking disturbed by this unexpected declaration, and it takes him a little longer than usual to decide how he should respond. After all, he has come on an unseemly errand, and one must keep a sense of humor about such things, ne?
"I thought it was the other way around." Schuldrich replies at last, forcing his usual smirk to play across his devilish face.
Farfarello gives no answer, remaining stone-still on the slashed mattress. In the space of an instant, Schuldrich's smile flickers, and his disgust for what he must do is clearly apparent. Nevertheless, he is no fool. He knows how dangerous it would be to disobey his darling Bradley, and Schuldrich has always lived for Schuldrich. No one else.
Why change now?
Slowly, the German makes his way closer to the bed, and the jingling of buckles from the straitjacket behind his back is easy to make out in the silence of such an enclosed room.
His ears perked by this, Farfarello's head tilts up, though he keeps his back to the unwelcome intruder. "He's sent you to punish me, hasn't he?" the albino speaks plainly, without emotion, already knowing the answer to his question.
"Sorry, Farf. You know the rules." answers Schuldrich's nasal voice, with as much levity as he can muster. "Brad is - and always will be - judge, jury, and -"
"*You* are executioner." Farfarello finishes.
Unsettled by that truth, the uncomfortable red-head clears his throat awkwardly. "Yeah, well...what can I say? Let's just do each other a favor here and get this over with. It'll be a hell of a lot easier if you cooperate this time."
Upon hearing these words, Farfarello turns at an agonizingly slow pace to face the man behind him, showing absolutely no expression - which is always more unsettling than his deranged glares.
The two hold suspended out of time as they watch each other, seeming to wait for the other to make the first move. Already deeply uneased about the whole situation, Schuldrich attempts to break this horrible pressure by throwing his companion an almost believable smile as he walks up to the bed.
"Come on, Farfie. This should be no sweat for you, right?" he begins, bringing the straitjacket out from behind his back, since his intentions are already clear. "It's not like you've never been through this before. Besides, the whole thing will be over before you know it. By morning, Brad won't even remember why he wanted to punish you in the first place. So...why don't you just let me put this thing on you? Deal with the whole institutionalized gig for tonight, and then everyone will be happy. Okay?"
Instantly, Farfarello's golden eye sparks with a terrifying light, and he jerks away from Schuldrich, clinging to the corner of the bed. "...happy...?" he whispers. "You actually...believe...we can know happiness...anymore...hehehe...the only happiness I feel...is in revenge against those who speak their vile lies and promises...as *He* lies and promises..."
"Stop it." Schuldrich cuts in, his smile completely lost, and the difficulty of his duty clearly weighing him down. "Hold yourself together for me, alright? Just let me -"
"NO!" the frantic Irishman explodes, after Schu had taken only the smallest step closer. "I will not be locked away again...not with so much time lost. And she was so close, I...I can't lose her...I can't...I won't let you keep me from her...you...you...STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"
With an inhuman leap, Farfarello flies off the bed just as Schuldrich lunges forward to grab him, causing the red-head to hit the torn mattress hard. Recovering himself quickly, however, Schu springs back up, amazed that anyone could escape *his* speed, but realizing just how handy psychotic adrenaline can be.
Farfarello is darting about the room haphazardly in attempts to keep out of his teammate's reach, inching closer and closer to the open door. Unfortunately for the rampaging albino, Schuldrich is blocking the entrance and advancing on him far too swiftly.
Eyeing each other in utter distrust, they face off, Schuldrich holding the straitjacket open in front of him to conceal Farfarello upon capture, and Farfie in an alert position, desperate for a way to avoid such an outcome.
At wits end, Schuldrich finally surges forward, too fast for Farfarello to counter, and unbelievably forces his momentary adversary's arms into the jacket, fastening it so clumsily he has to wrap his arms tightly around Farfarello to keep him from struggling free.
By the end of their entanglement, both men are collapsed on the floor and out of breath, with Schuldrich holding Farfarello from behind, firmly and close - as if afraid to let him go.
Breathing heavily, Schuldrich starts to speak, his mouth painfully close to Farfarello's ear. "...you always...have to be such a pain...don't you...?" he whispers, with no humor in his words at all. "...this didn't have to be so hard...if you had just given in...I mean...you know this is nothing compared to what you'd be put through...if you were still in that asylum we found you in..."
"It doesn't matter..." replies Farfarello's low, noxious voice. "...there is this hunger in me...you understand...you feel it, too...the need to destroy others...to make them feel our pain...and...I had the way to relieve this gnawing ache inside my chest...pounding in my head...only to have it ripped away..."
(God...are we really these sad, helpless creatures...?) Schu wonders bitterly, pulling Farfarello closer against him. (Is this all we are...?)
"You're right, Farf...I do understand..." he breathes, hating the unfamiliar - yet so familiar - lurching in the pit of his stomach. "...I know what you're feeling...but it's ok...you'll get your chance again...I promise...and you know you can trust me...after all...we're friends, right?"
Deadly, unearthly pause.
"...friends?" Farfarello whispers back, beginning to shake uncontrollably like a pot ready to boil over the top. "...wh...why...would I want you...as a friend!?"
At this timely outburst, Schuldrich finally realizes just how dangerous his position truly is. Farfarello's maddened thoughts surge through him like burning ice, clouding his vision in their ferocity, and he is unexpectedly flung back. Sliding across the cold, metal floor, he sits stunned long enough to see Farfarello bursts up onto his feet, thrashing around the room while still in the confinement of his straitjacket. Thrown off guard, the panicked red-head makes a dash for the door, somehow reaching it unscathed, and after diving through it, he forces the heavy contraption shut behind him.
Out of breath once more, Schuldrich topples against the wall, slidding to the floor, and slowly brings a trembling hand up to his face to wipe the sweat from his forehead. The echos of pounds and crashes as Farfarello throws himself against the sides of his room do little to reassure him.
(Shit...that was too close...) the red-head curses, forcing himself to his feet. Then, out of habit and responsibility, he securely locks the cell with those unsteady hands, and gradually makes his way down the hallway to his own room, in order to free himself from the anxiety of tonight's madness - at least in some form. (Too many thoughts I shouldn't have...thoughts Farfie shouldn't have...just like Nagi started to have before -)
Abruptly, Schuldrich stops in his tracks, stunned at his own realization. And then, mischievously, a wide grin begins to spread across his face, and the German continues to move down the hall as if he hadn't lost a step.
With a mad glint in his jade eyes, he lets out a haunting laugh while walking onward - a loud, deceptive laugh, full of false promises of a tomorrow that may never come.
*****A/N*****
First of all, the little German phrase Farfie uses when Schu walks in means: "God has forsaken me." At least, as close as I can translate. Otherwise, I just love 'punishment'. The relationship between Farf and Schu has always meant something special to me, and I want people to see it. Please keep R&Ring, because I am really proud of this. Love ya!