Disclaimer: Don't own any of the healing items/ summons/ jobs, those are Squaresofts. This is non-profit fun.
how can you see into my eyes like open doors
leading you down into my core
where I've become so numb without a soul my spirit sleeping
somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
before I come undone
(Save me)
save me from the nothing I've become
now that I know what I'm without
you can't just leave me
breathe into me and make me real
bring me to life
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
before I come undone
(Save me)
save me from the nothing I've become
frozen inside without your touch without your love darling only
you are the life among the dead
all this time I can't believe I couldn't see
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
got to open my eyes to everything
without a thought without a voice without a soul
don't let me die here
there must be something more
bring me to life
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
before I come undone
(Save me)
save me from the nothing I've become
(Bring me to life)
I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside
(Bring me to life)
~ Bring Me to Life, Evanescence
$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%
Twenty minutes had passed, Ashen still stood rigid with the gun aimed, even his finger still held the trigger. For these twenty minute he waited with his senses trained to pick up any sound or movement made, any sign the old man was still alive, but none came. He could stand there looking through the crosshair for twenty more minutes if he wanted, but nothing would happenMeth was dead.
Each tense muscle eased and gradually his arm lowered, the gun clanked as it hit the floor. His breaths resounded in his ears slowly, yet he was panting. All the emotions he had held clawing inside of him were now seeping from his pores in beads of cold sweat while his unblinking eyes were glossy with exhaustion and grief. He felt like his hands were pulling him down and sunk to his knees. Ashen was submerged in a world of thoughts; practical thoughts, tragic thoughts, painful thoughts.
It's overIt's finally overI killed him. One shot, he fell so easily, in the end he was just a frail old man
Ashen stared blankly at his own hands that laid upturned on his thighs. No doubt I'll be executed for thisI don't care, I won't resist. As long as he's dead, nothing else matters.
All of a sudden a warm breeze brushed against his face, he felt it immediately as an unnatural presence, thus his head snapped to where he sensed it. His eyes met two emerald orbs; the shock made him instinctively flinch away from their close proximity. Yet given the space he could see her fully now, sitting on the floor facing him, the fog wafting around her kimono covered knees as well as his own.
Aleura? Why is she here? His features softened with sad realization. The Ketsuruiit must have called her since Meth's dead.
He unabashedly locked with those eyes, the pupil-less sea that held him captive against his will. A stray thought dragged from the millions of lies he told himself: This wasn't for you, was it? You would have never wanted for me to kill anyone even if they were the reason you're dead. The longer he looked at her the more lost he felt. Everything Meth said about mewas right. I'm nothing more then what they made me to be; everything you did was in vain. Your death was in vain and it's all my fault! Stubborn tears, refusing to fall, burnt his eyes. A rock hard lump took refuge in his throat, making it difficult to even breathe. He felt if she uttered one word, he would crumble.
Her eyes seemed to narrow while her face inched closer to his, tilted slightly to the side. She was examining him with those dead orbs, pondering every move he made with a slow blink. There was something in that face, those red eyes of his, which pulled at her like a lesson never learned. One thinks they've learned it, but as they try to recall the how's and why's they can't find anything, not even a name. Yet mechanical curiosity plucked at her strings and automatically she played to it.
She's trying to rememberHe could see it through her eyes, the war ragging in her mind, how his face brought up memories thought to be forgotten. Nono, don't remember me. I don't want you to see me like this. I don't want to cause you anymore pain.
She leaned in closer, her mind almost reaching its conclusion. If she could only touch it, her hand rose half covered by the kimono, it would all come to her. The alabaster fingers delicately reached out to touch his face. Her palm became a feather's tickle against his cheek and then abruptly halted before connecting with the flesh. The wrist recoiled the fingers back a bit like his cheek was something too hot to touch. Those eyes he looked into for so long transformed a million times with shock, with fear, with sadness and grief, and all too soon they became Aleura's eyes again.
She knew who she was, who he was, she knew everything now.
Her parted lips were trembling and her pained eyes were shinning with tears ready to fall if he looked in them any longer. He suddenly felt like a terrible sinner before her holy gaze. His hands felt dirty, marred with so much blood and death. If there was a God, if there was a Heaven or Hell, if everything she had believed in was true; he knew that he would never see her again, he could never be with her in the afterlife. He turned his face away from her, to the side, looking at the ground not her; he couldn't look at her anymore.
Go, go back to HeavenAngels don't belong here, they don't belong here with demonsjust go. He wanted to say something like that.
"Go, just go." The words came out harsher and more jaded then he meant them to be.
She felt like she had just been slapped across the face, hurt and rejected. Her hand reached out to touch him for comfort, maybe the feel of her hand could make it all better, but its trip stopped half way, the fear of him pulling away forced it too. She could feel it now, the separation, the ripping apart; they did not belong together, two different existences, they were not allowed to be together. Will Death always be our divider, my love? Her hand recoiled; clutching both to her chest as her head slumped downwards.
The fog dissipated and was no more. He felt her presence was no longer there, he was alone. Alone, he sat, a broken man.
~***~
How long had he sat here? In the dark, in the same numb position, staring blankly at the floor while reminding himself to breathe ever so often; how long ago since he killed Meth, since Aleura came and went? Minutes felt like hours felt like days, years, centuries, a millennia? Since the dawn of time itself? He felt old at twenty-three, not just like an old man, but like a fossil.
Why shouldn't he feel like that? When you've seen so many newly made ruins, when you've been the cause of some much devastation, when you've out lived everyone you've knownshouldn't you feel ancient? Like you should have died long ago, but didn't? Then yes, for him twenty-three was the approximate age of a ruined civilization or a fossilized tree.
He needed to stop thinking, he reminded himself to breathe again. His lungs filled partially, a pause, and then his exhaled breath seeped out from his parted lips creating a rolling billow of white steam. It was now rather late, the midnight air in the dead of winter took hold of the office, but Ashen was too numb to feel it.
No, I can't be here anymore. I need to gogo somewhere, anywhere. It doesn't matter.
His hands slid to the floor, the slight movement brought all his stiff joints to his attention but he ignored them, and helped himself to his wobbly feet. He straightened himself and absently ran a hand through his scruffy hair, trying to think what to do next, but his mind drew a blank.
"Fuck it," he murmured frustrated at his own befuddled thoughts, then finally turned to walk out the large double doors.
In a short symphony, papers rustled, rummaged about the floor, it was quiet but it filled the room. Ashen's head inched over his shoulder, daring to go further; from the corners of his eyes he spied the desk. The sounds grew louder, he turned around watching with caution, more rustling papers. Bang, the wood desk. Bang, Ashen felt his heart jump in his chest. Snap, creak, CRACK. Ashen's eyes grew wide with alarm as the solid mahogany desk broke into splinters and out from its rubble emerged a man.
His torso first became visible from the haze of dust; armored in grim iron plates that fit like a second skin to his muscular yet lean form while on his shoulders hung a long flowing black cape that was lined in thick oily black plumage. Ashen's eyes crawled up to the head, crowned in black helm with twin ram horns spiraling by his ears, but it was the face that held Ashen eerily captive. His smooth white visage was like the glow of the moon, long, young, almost carrying a feminine beauty to it, but it was very clear it was that of a young man. Shaped by long straight strands of silver hair, that shined like metal. His pupil-less eyes, like Meth's were he Ashen's age, lined in gray shadow that ran down to his cheeks.
All of a sudden he shot up from his normal man height to something twice Ashen's height. The dust settled, Ashen gaped at the gleaming black horse body where normal human legs should have been, as the man stood up on hind legs for a moment kicking his front hoofs and then landed back on all four with a slight shudder resonating in the office.
Ashen was frozen to his place, the immense aura of this male being teemed with power and death; it made the young summoner's skin prickle. Once again red eyes slowly crawled over the large being to his eyes, they were staring at him, as malice dance in those orbs with an intense fire. Then, unexpectedly, the red smear of this being's lips, red and glossy like fresh blood, spread into a smile. A horrific smile that sweetly spoke of wickedness which let the white teeth peek out revealing the unnaturally long canines.
"Baa-haa-muutt" His deep voice rung in the hollow office, boomed like the voice of God then dying down into the remnants of a lingering hiss.
The volume shook Ashen, he could feel each syllable in his chest, and the way it was said made a chill run down his back and prickle his skin.
"BAA-Haa-muutt..."The words resounded louder with more force.
Ashen felt something inside of him jump at it, then the sudden urge to tear this being limb from limb. The young summoner grabbed his head in rage and shrieked at the being, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE SAYING!! SHUT UP!!"
Scornful laugher echoed, so much like Meth's, meant to belittle him.
Swiftly Ashen picked up his discarded gun and fired several shots at the being, but his anger faded to alarm when all the shots he fired, direct shots, passed through the evil being. The scornful laughter rose, pounding at the walls at an unnatural pitch. Ashen's heart thumped madly in his chest as his hands fell limp at his sides.
Simply repeating the word in his mind created a sickening feeling in Ashen's stomach. Yet he continued to ponder it unwillingly, everything about it tumbling over and over in his brain, it was something Then automatically answers sprang forth from somewhere deep inside his mind: It's a nameold summonermaybe even older.
"He is Odin, the Lord of Death, he is calling for Bahamut, the Pathway," A voice chirped inside his mind, an old man's voice.
"Ramuh?" Ashen shot back at the voice in his head, "How—You're dead, aren't you?"
"I died many years ago, before the tribes were scattered." The old man spoke softly.
"Heh, I always wondered how you knew my name when I never gave it to you."
"Listen to me, Ashen," The old man interrupted, "No one can help you if you try to fight this deity and this is not a battle that you, as the man you are, can win."
"Is that a warning?"
"No, just a fact..." Ramuh said in a grim fashion, "Only Lord Bahamut can seal away Lord Odin and restore the balance."
"Is this another thing I should do because I'm a summoner?" the young summoner mentally scoffed.
"No, it is something you should do as a human being."
"Fine." Ashen deliberated while he watched the being across the room as it breathed heavily in horse-like snorts, but did not flinch besides that, "What do I need to do?"
"Summon Lord Bahamut."
"And how--?" Suddenly the two summoner's mental connection was severed by the clink of metal.
Ashen's eyes ran over the grim steel of a rippled doubled edged sword that had to be just as long as he was. Its thick blade glinted subtly while it was lifted, baring black plumes that decorated the handle and two hanging ivory skulls that knocked together in the movement.
"Shit" the young man cursed to himself looking at the formidable weapon.
All of a sudden, Odin took a hooved step forward. The whole office shook briefly. Then took another, Ashen backed himself against the wall next to the door while groping blindly for the emergency button to open it. However, just when Ashen's fingers grazed the outer rim of the button, he heard an earthshaking shriek arise from Odin; it sounded like the war cry of both man and horse.
A split second later, Ashen was gaping from the floor at the blade that was thrust through where he had just been standing. His eyes were not only looking at the sword but at the man-sized hole it created. Quickly, he crawled through the hole as the sword was freed by Odin's grasp, before the centaur could attack again.
Outside in the marble hallway, the young summoner scrambled to his feet. With a quick glance about he spotted the elevator at the far end. Without a second thought he ran for it while loud bangs echoed from the office behind him.
He's trying to breakthrough the wall, Ashen reasoned as he madly pushed the button that summoned the elevator. It was taking too long to reach him. Son of a bitch! You'd think with all the money Dynasty has they would have fucking put in a fire escape!
Crack, crack, BOOM!
Ashen whipped around, the air in his lungs forgotten mid-exhale, watching the centaur gallop at full speed from office through the now missing wall. Ashen lifted his hand and spread his fingers, hoping he could summon Bahamut by dumb luck. But nothing came and Odin halted half way, much to Ashen's bewilderment.
The sword in his grip shifted, the blade pointed to the floor as he held the hilt with both hands. Air lightly grazed Ashen's cheeks, air flowing towards the centaur. Then the young summoner felt it; the aura of death Odin held was gradually increasing vacuuming in all other energies in the room. Ashen wouldn't be able to do a thing.
Suddenly with a shriek, Odin rose on hind legs with the sword held high over his head yet the blade still being pointed at the ground. Then, with all the power and might he harnessed, thrust the blade into the floor. The marble tiles rippled around the blade like water, rolling all the way to Ashen's feet before stopping. All was still for about thirty seconds, Ashen could feel his heart trying to break through his rib cage with the way it was beating and Odin smiled.
White flakes began to fall gently from the ceiling; the white flakes soon became white chunks. Ashen looked up; cracks were rapidly forming in the ceiling like veins in a leaf. They were crawling down the walls. He could hear walls breaking apart in the other offices. The white chunks were becoming blocks of concrete falling from the ceiling. The elevator wasn't there, it wouldn't come. A shudder tore through the room and the rest of the ceiling began to crumble and fall. Ashen watched helplessly, a strange warmth crawling over his skin, as it all came down upon him.
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
AN: * Sniffles * So sad! Poor Ashen and Aleura * Feels silly now cause she feels bad for her imaginary charactersoh well * Okay short explanation of why I chose that particular song. When I first heard "Bring Me to Life" (Long ago, before I heard it was on the DareDevil soundtrack * still grumbling about that * ) it really REALLY creeped me out! The words were damn near prophetic to what I was writing (Actually a lot of Evanescenc stuff is like that to me), so yes it freaked me out and I had to use it, but I also was a little afraid to use it cause it's almost a spoiler it's that on the money. I'll let you all guess what it pretains too and which parts are spoilers. Hint: only a couple of lines are far off the mark. Okay nuff about the song, if you have any questions write it in the review and I'll answer them. I've kinda been lagging on this story due to school and weddings, and I'm not really happy with how the next chapter turned out so it might be a week or so late so I can revise it. But if I can gather the motivation to get going it will be up on time. Anyways, later all!
