Author's Note: Yes, I realize these chapters are horribly short, but I'm trying to write this story in more of a chapter by chapter format as opposed to Rage Against the Dying of the Light, so while the chapters are short, the story will be plenty long, never fear.

All Heaven in the Midnight of the Sun

Chapter Two

Ebony waves washed over a cancerous and bleeding shore under the dismal and hideous glow of some horrific eldritch sun. Aeris Gainsborough walked along this hellish shore, her feet squishing into the bloody sand. Her body ached from weariness, but she could not stop. She had a mission, a holy goal that left no room for the silly fatigues and weaknesses of her frail human body. On she walked, her shadow forming into sickening death-shapes in the crimson sand.

Someone was walking alongside her. She could hear the steady squish of

(his? her?)

footsteps. She thought the sound might drive her mad. A voice spoke from beside her, a hideous, bubbling cacophony of terror and evil.

"Poor thing," it crooned, "You must be so tired..." Its voice was mocking and truly insane. She felt terror and revulsion rise within her like fire.

She tried to turn her head, but it was heavy and weak with weariness.

"Leave me alone." Her voice was cracked and weak from lack of water, and she doubted that the thing behind her even heard it. But it did.

"Oh, I guess I could do that…" The thing's voice reeked of false indecision. "…But I think I'd rather stay here and talk with you. After all, I do love you."

Her eyes widened in shock. Now she recognized the voice. It was-

A slimy hand fell onto her shoulder. With a gentleness that poorly hid the strength underneath, it turned her around to face it.

It was Cloud. His body was bleeding and hideous, broken and twisted like a victim of some horrible accident. Bits of bone poked through his face, and his eyes were shrunken and greedy with animal lust. He moved to embrace her, and she began to shriek.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Garret reached the fallen girl, his breath heaving in and out of his chest in fury and hate. He yanked the girl to her feet by the front of her red vest. She moaned in her sleep. He began to shake her, screaming into her face for her to wake up. Slowly, sleepily, her eyes blinked open. She had a moment to take in the hideous and insane figure in front of her before he yanked her around and put the blade of his short sword to her throat.

"See this, bitch? Good. I want you to see what you did before I slit your throat."

"What are you talking about? I don't understand!"

His eyes bulged in fury and shock. He was so shocked that for a moment he was unable to speak.

"You just killed everybody in my goddam village! You murdering, demonic bitch!!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

Her voice was shocked and confused. Even in his state of absolute fury and hatred he recognized the honesty in her voice. Whatever had happened, she had no memory of it whatsoever. At that moment, he came within inches of slitting her throat and watching her soak the flowers with her life's blood. His arm tensed to bring his sword sweeping down. Then his fury and insanity broke like waves upon a beachhead. He stumbled backwards with a moan of agony and she dropped forward onto the flowers, gasping in fright. His sword arm lowered. Tears began to spill from his eyes.

"You didn't…do it?"

She got up and began to move forward, but caution got the better of her.

"I'm sorry for what happened. But I didn't have anything to do with it."

His fury strained like a chained beast, yearning to break free and taste blood, but his confusion and sadness held it back. He choked on his next words, and they came out as less of an accusation than he intended.

"Then why are you here?"

"I don't know…I-I can't remember anything…"

He looked up sharply, eyes straining to detect any hint of a trick. There was none. Her face betrayed no secret, no farce.

"Never mind. I…I just need to think for a while…"

He looked back over the flower-filled valley. The wind blew through his hair and chilled the sweat on his brow. He turned, and the girl was standing at his side, looking over the valley with a kind of awe in her face. Her face was so childish and pure that he felt his heart soften the tiniest bit. Surely nobody this innocent could laugh as she demolished an entire village. Surely nobody this innocent could be so evil.