"You look like hell," was Honda's first comment Taichi as he came into the
hospital room.
"Thank you for your observation," came a dry, harsh reply. Taichi lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was a mess (even more so than usual), and his clothes were rumpled.
"Dammit Tai! You're not going to help Hikari if you're going to kill yourself!" snapped the other brunette.
"I wasn't there for her before, I'm not going to make that mistake again!" Taichi screamed, looking extremely mulish. Hikari didn't even stir.
Honda glared before sighing and throwing his hands up in the air in defeat. "Fine, fine, but get some rest, will you? And keep the noise down. Oh, and by the way, we have a replacement."
"Nani?" That got Taichi's attention.
"Yes, a distant relative answered the call. There's a meeting planned for tomorrow."
"Damn." Taichi hung his head. "Any news from the departments?"
"Nothing," Honda said softly. "They couldn't get anything on who killed the boss. No readings, no DNA evidence. It was as if the boss just exploded."
Taichi froze, looking at Honda with shocked, suddenly angry eyes. "What did you just say?"
"It was as if he just-" Honda was cut off by a crashing noise as Taichi stood up so fast he knocked down his chair.
"That's it! I knew that pentagram was familiar!" Taichi started to pace. Hikari was still totally unaware of what was happening, sleeping under the influence of drugs.
"What?" Honda's gray eyes were confused.
"Remember, there was a pentagram burned on the boss's head? And it wasn't just a star. There were runes on it."
"Yeah, and?" Honda was still clueless.
"Even incubi have their limits, Honda," Taichi said, pacing. "But- I realize that the symbol was the marking of a spell, a spell only incubi, succubi, or other planar beings can do. Currently, only two people know how to do it, who are in this plane anyway." Taichi's brown eyes bored into Honda's own gray ones. "And one of them is Ishida Yamato."
~*~
"But how can he have incubus status?" Honda asked as he drove the car, not trusting Taichi's mental state to allow him to drive. He had persuaded Taichi to leave his sister's side, promising he could go back to the hospital after the meeting with the new head of C.R.O.S.S. was over.
Taichi gritted his teeth, and started to explain to his companion. Thanks to an underground web of information, constant data on the activities of dark beings came to the slayers. Ever since the arrival of Jyou over ten years before, a mysterious man with a strong gift for magic, especially in summoning other planar beings, the division had much more success in learning such things.
Not many were easy around the blue haired man however, despite his somewhat bumbling and good-natured personality. If one looked into his eyes for too long, they would see things that should not be seen if pleasant dreams were desired. He could be extraordinarily clumsy from time to time, causing much laughter and jokes toward him, yet other times he made even the toughest slayer's skin crawl with fear.
Taichi recollected one of his times with Jyou, when the other man was explaining a lecture on spells, mostly those used by the darker forces for not very pleasant reasons.
"Spells, in general, are merely a projection of will, combined with one's personal energies," he'd explained. "Everyone has the potential to become a magic user, but it has to be unlocked, trained, and used properly. The personal energies vary from person to person and often restricts one from using too many or certain spells."
"But how does it become trained?" Taichi had asked.
"Under apprenticeship of course. The training period can take as short as four years to as long as fifty years. A strong will and powerful imagination are often the best tools any magic user can have."
"How do the vampires use the energies then? They're dead," Taichi had questioned further.
A wry smile had crossed the face of the blue haired man as he pushed up his glasses. "They get their power from leeching it from humans, in the form of blood. You see, we all 'leak' power, our own personal energies that are replaced immediately as it leaves us. An odd sort of cycle, you see. Vampires, since they are undead, must leech their powers as well as their life from living things, disrupting the cycle."
"I see."
"Back to spells." Jyou had coughed slightly then. "The easiest spells to do are healing and summoning. If you want something to happen bad enough, then it will, depending from time to time. I can go deeper into depth but I won't, for your sakes. What I am supposed to be explaining to some of the recruits is the darker spells that vampires and other creatures use."
"Killing spells?" Taichi had provided.
Jyou had an odd smile on his face, half pleased and half wry. It was an odd, twisted expression. "Yes, but dark forces know things that are far worse than death. Killing spells, as a rule, are often difficult to do because it requires not much will, but much emotion."
He had gone into a lengthy explanation of spells that were often used. It was really quite fascinating, but very gruesome, for Jyou was an excellent storyteller. Then he had become very solemn.
"There is one spell that is very dangerous, it can kill anything short of a god, even if the target has all the protections in the world," Jyou had said almost as though he was afraid of being heard. "It is very complex, but has results that never fail. No one has come up with a name for it, but it is very gruesome." He had explained the basics of it, stressing the fact that very few knew how to do it, for if one bungled a single step, it would turn on the caster.
"No one can ever trace it magically, but there is a way of identifying it on a body. For, the last step involves having a picture and something personal of the target. One must scratch a certain design onto the picture before burning it and the personal item. Then all that is needed is a tiny trigger. It could be an action the target does or it can be a mere thought of the caster. As the spell does its work, the design is always etched onto the victim's head. No one knows why." Jyou had drawn out the design onto paper with a pen. After showing it, he had burned it, disposing of the ashes quickly. "That symbol is an evil mark. Beware of this. Very few people on this plane of reality know and can do this spell successfully."
According to sources on the underground, Yamato Ishida was very interested in the occult, even more than the normal vampire should. He had been studying volumes and volumes of ancient texts, containing things that had not been known for thousands of years. There had been a text in the division concerning rituals to raise levels of other beings, rituals that involved a lot of living sacrifice and time.
The text had disappeared just around the time Hikari's and Taichi's parents had died, rather unusually. But it contained dangerous things, and it could not be destroyed by any means C.R.O.S.S had at disposal. So it was kept locked away, until it disappeared.
Contacts had relayed that Yamato was more dangerous than ever, he was killing off his own servants, merely by touching them. Taichi had thought it was rumors, but he knew now that there were grains of truth in that. Yamato Ishida had to be stopped, at any cost.
"What about the other Ishida?" Honda asked, absorbing the lengthy explanation.
"Takeru?" Taichi frowned as he got out of the car. "I don't know. But he still is dangerous, as one of the most powerful vampires in the hierarchy of that society. He's the Dark Angel; he's killed notable slayers all throughout the world. Nothing seems to stop him, not even blessed silver."
"Impossible!" Honda sputtered as he opened the door of the immense building in front of them. Businessmen looked up as two young men walked in, both casually dressed and very grim looking. They ignored their surroundings as they walked to one of the freight elevators.
"Believe it, rookie," Taichi said grimly, not even caring that the other man bristled. Honda had only been in the field for four years. Taichi thus was his superior, having stayed for even longer.
"I thought it was just gossip," Honda argued as Taichi typed in a code on a keypad by the elevator. Twin steel doors opened, admitting them into an elevator. Going in, Taichi punched in a series of numbers. The doors closed, and they descended.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, kid," Taichi growled.
~*~
Takeru slowly opened his eyes, getting out of his bed. He looked to his right and was startled. Adrian was fast asleep, slumped in one of the chairs.
He seemed more innocent like that, his long, platinum hair falling down onto his back and over the chair, contrasting with the dark wood of the piece of furniture. The cares and sorrow were still on his face, as if he couldn't escape his despair even in the realms of dreams. Takeru, curiosity aroused, went over to him. Even then, Adrian's right eye was covered with blond hair, moving ever so slightly from time to time from the angel's gentle breathing. Idly, the vampire wondered what was hidden. Gently, he reached to touch Adrian when the tenshi's eyes burst open.
Takeru jumped back on reflex. Adrian glared for a minute before asking in a quiet rasp, "What were you doing?"
"Just looking," Takeru managed to say. He scolded himself. Why was he acting like a child?
Clearing his throat, Adrian stood up. They stared at each other, so similar but very, very different. An angel of darkness and an angel of light facing each other, like any scene from a story of the battles between good and evil, light and darkness. Takeru then laughed softly after some time.
Adrian crossed his arms. "What is so funny?"
"The look on your face, you look like a cat that's been affronted," Takeru said, smiling a slow smile.
A finely arched eyebrow rose. "I never heard that one."
"Why do you hide your eye?" Takeru then asked.
"It- it is not very pleasant." Adrian looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"I've seen a lot that cannot be classified as pleasant," Takeru said dryly. "I am a higher vampire."
"Alright, but I warned you." Adrian lifted a slender, graceful hand, pushing away his hair.
Takeru was somewhat shocked, covering his mouth as it opened to start a silent scream. There wasn't some kind of scar that marred his face in the area around his eye hidden by the bangs, as he had expected, but instead it was the eye itself that horrified him. He could not see any sign of a white, iris, or pupil in it, only red, pool of gleaming, livid scarlet, like fresh blood. It blinked once as Adrian quickly replaced the bangs that hid it.
"You see?" he said, and his voice was flat, utterly emotionless. Takeru recognized the tone of someone that had seen much and was traumatized, permanently scarred from some event.
"I-I did not realize," Takeru whispered. He sank into a chair. What was wrong with him? Around this tenshi, he felt free to express his emotions and his carefully constructed shields were falling apart.
Adrian looked at him, his single visible eye very serious. "You can trust me, I am meant to guide you. That is the reason of my poor, useless existence, to help others find those meant for them, to help others out of their darkness." He laughed, but it was a hard, brittle sound. "Except no one is there for me."
"Oh." Takeru shook his head furiously. He could not show weakness, no matter what. His voice hardened as he said quietly, "I don't need a guardian angel. I never needed one. Like I said before, I'm not going to start now."
Adrian looked at him and answered, "Oh really?"
The pain in those two words panged in Takeru's heart. He turned away, unable to face his tenshi.
Why did his life have to suddenly change like this?
~*~
Taichi straightened his shirt a little. A cool, curt voice said, "Come in." He strained to listen, but couldn't determine the gender or age of the voice. Looking at Honda, he took a deep breath, walking into the office.
Because of the mess and investigations still taking place, the main office had been transferred to another area. The room was organized, and very well lit. Spartan in décor, it seemed almost too strict. Someone with red hair was bent over the desk and noticing the presence of the two newcomers, looked up.
Taichi felt his jaw drop. Staring at him with a penetrating gaze was a woman he had not seen in years. "Sora?" he whispered.
His childhood friend smiled ever so slightly. "It's been a long time, Tai."
Sora Takenouchi had been an acquaintance, then a friend of his during his younger days. She hadn't changed too much, but her appearance seemed different to him. Then he realized that her looks had refined.
Gone were the boyishly thin limbs and body of her youth. Feminine curves replaced those, yet her body was still as sinewy and lithe as it had been when she was a child. Her flame red hair gleamed under the light, still short cropped, as it had been when she was younger, but somewhat darker in color. Her mahogany eyes, with a touch of scarlet glimmering in them, looked at him with a cool, crisp manner, within a face that was no longer rounded with the childish features of youth. Now it seemed sharper, more pronounced. Dressed in navy slacks, along with a white dress shirt and a jacket that matched the slacks, she posed a business like, casual image.
"I know," he said finally, keeping his emotions down. He hadn't survived for years by becoming emotional at critical moments, even when he was stressed or under pressure.
"Sit down, gentlemen." The woman gestured to the chairs in front of her desk.
Taichi smoothly and easily sat down, as Honda seemed very nervous. He kept on fidgeting and adjusting his collar. The other man kicked him lightly to stop him.
She eyed them both with studying gazes and Taichi noted belatedly her collar was not buttoned up completely. Instead, a gold and silver cross- shaped brooch held it together. "So, gentlemen," she continued, picking up a pair of glasses. "It has come to my attention that my uncle has died."
"Yes ma'am," Taichi answered quietly, looking right into her eyes. He never was submissive, not even to a superior officer.
She put on the glasses, staring very hard. "I received the details and came here as quickly as possible, but from what I have heard, you two have the main details."
"But, ma'am it really was-" Honda started uncomfortably.
She coolly cut him off, merely saying, "I interviewed that young man and he gave me as many details. But you two are professionals and I need a professional view upon this case."
Dully, Taichi started the whole story, including his theories. He knew he was speaking in a drone but couldn't damn care that he was. It no longer pained him; it didn't even stir up sad feelings in him. His anger, his desire for judgment however. It burned like a comfortable, buzzing warmth in his chest.
When he finished, he merely concluded with, "Though I am not the official leader of this organization, I knew it was my duty to make sure nothing fell apart. Now that you are here, I graciously step down so that you may take over."
Honda put a gentle hand on his arm, his gray eyes saying more than words could ever tell. They seemed to tell him that everything would be all right, that he was with a friend who would support him, no matter what happened. And Taichi found that much more comforting than anything that the younger man had said to him to attempt to pull him out of his depression.
"Thank you, Yagami-san," Sora said briskly, nodding. "I appreciate all your information." During that entire time, she had been taking very careful notes, not on an electric pad, as Taichi might have expected, but on sheets of paper and a pen.
Idly he wondered how much her hand hurt, for she had filled countless pages with tiny, precise writing. His eyes noted it very carefully. Not out of boredom, but out of curiosity and the habit of always observing his surroundings. Her writing was tiny but very neat, nothing like his own scrawl, which could only be deciphered by very few.
"Both of you are dismissed," she said, and bowing slightly to her in respect, the two left.
~*~
"Come on Hikari, you have to eat," Taichi coaxed gently. His sister, propped up by pillows, didn't move at all. She just stared off into space, her red brown eyes lifeless.
When he had returned to the hospital, the nurse had informed him that she had awoken, but not respond to any stimuli whatsoever. She could have been a human vegetable. Taichi was currently attempting (with no results) to coax his sister to eat. She had lost a considerable amount of weight, and while being slim when she was brought in, now she looked skeletal.
Nothing could break her of her trance. Taichi sighed and started to talk to her, trying to bring some semblance of his sister's personality to surface.
"You have to eat," he tried again. "I mean, you have to return to duty soon. Remember?" He attempted not to cry but a tear trickled down his cheek.
An ice-cold finger brushed it away. "Don't cry," Hikari whispered, her voice lifeless, distant, just like her eyes.
Taichi's eyes brimmed with tears. "God, Hikari, what happened to you?" With that, he buried his face in his hands and wept for the first time in years.
~*~
Takeru watched Adrian as the angel flipped through a book.
"Do you not have anything better to do?" the vampire demanded.
There was a slam. Adrian put the closed book back into the shelf. "I could always start preaching."
"Anything but that," Takeru said hastily and the angel smirked.
"I thought so." He then selected another book.
"So, why is your eye like that?" Takeru asked for curiosity's sake.
"It's none of your concern," the angel snapped, actually looking irritable, an expression that did not quite suit him.
"I am your charge," the vampire wheedled.
"That is something that is irrelevant," Adrian replied softly, putting the book away.
"Dammit, tenshi!" Takeru swore. "You and your damn morals!"
The other man started to laugh, first softly but growing in volume until the sardonic sound filled the air. It bordered on hysterical, but did not quite cross the line. Takeru started to edge away, a little frightened.
"These morals, as you call them," he finally said. "Are what got me into this situation in the first place." He coughed, looking sad again. "Maybe I should tell you a story."
"I'm listening."
"There was once a young boy, his name was- Alexander. He was a very compassionate boy, and a dreamer, though he was always lonely. No matter what, not even the flames of friendship or family could help fill the void within him. He never knew love, because it was never shown to him as a genuine emotion, one that was unconditional upon the giver's part, not even from his parents.
"Then, one day he met another, who loved him for who he was. He filled the void in Alexander's heart with happiness and light. But so many hated the match, even the parents, for they would not have their son love the same gender as he. An assassin found the two lovers in a garden, murmuring sweet secrets to each other. There was to be only missile shot: to shoot the lover, so that Alexander would love the 'proper' gender. But the blow was given to him instead and in his last breaths, he whispered his love to his soulmate, before passing on. His lover, in grief, went mad, before killing himself. To murder oneself is a sin, and he was punished to take the form of a demon, and was reincarnated. Alexander became an angel, and watched sadly as his lover became the very thing he was to kill.
"And he still watches his lover today. He became depressed, for the last time he ever saw his lover was in battle. His lover hardly recognized him and in the desperate fight, gouged out his eye. He fled, but in pain. Other angels tried to help him, to no avail. He was then forced upon the part of a guardian angel, and then he knew how to love again. His charge was a girl, her name was- Well, names to do not matter really. She brought laughter into his life, and soon he fell for her, though the shadows of his past lover still loomed over his mind. But she died, for her heart was weak, and one day, it gave out.
"He mourned her death deeply, sinking into another depression, but was sent to earth again, to keep watch upon a new charge, one who could revolutionize the entire world."
Takeru looked at him and said very softly, "I'm sorry."
Adrian was only silent for a long time, staring off into space, his eye emotionless, and his face a frozen mask. Takeru continued and asked, "Alexander. was that your name?"
"Former," Adrian said quietly. "I took a new one. That is why I have this." He pointed to the mass of bangs hiding his one deformed eye.
"Do you know who your lover is reincarnated into now?"
The angel smiled sadly. "Yes, but now is not the time to tell you."
Takeru had to know one more thing. "This will be my last question: What was the name of that little girl?"
Adrian smiled another one of his sad smiles. "Her name was- Hideko*."
~*~
A/N: I am so sorry for not updating any further. But I will try to write, despite heavy writer's block for me. Well. this is becoming very interesting, ne? I am taking multiple elements from different animes and stories to incorporate in this. None of them belong to me, I am writing this for the pure entertainment of fanfic readers and writers alike. Thank you. *bows*
Adrian: Get up on the soapbox now would you?
Me: And let me introduce my muse, Adrian!
Adrian: Not willingly.
Me: Hey! Will I have to fire you?
Daisuke: (to Ken) Ten bucks says three days.
Ken: You're on.
Me: STUPID MUSES! Ahem. well, that is all.
*Hideko is Japanese for sun-child. I thought it was fitting because the girl was like sunlight in Adrian's life. Hey, it can't be Hikari because that name's taken and I didn't want to confuse anyone.
I was going for more of light-bringer, but this was pretty close.
"Thank you for your observation," came a dry, harsh reply. Taichi lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was a mess (even more so than usual), and his clothes were rumpled.
"Dammit Tai! You're not going to help Hikari if you're going to kill yourself!" snapped the other brunette.
"I wasn't there for her before, I'm not going to make that mistake again!" Taichi screamed, looking extremely mulish. Hikari didn't even stir.
Honda glared before sighing and throwing his hands up in the air in defeat. "Fine, fine, but get some rest, will you? And keep the noise down. Oh, and by the way, we have a replacement."
"Nani?" That got Taichi's attention.
"Yes, a distant relative answered the call. There's a meeting planned for tomorrow."
"Damn." Taichi hung his head. "Any news from the departments?"
"Nothing," Honda said softly. "They couldn't get anything on who killed the boss. No readings, no DNA evidence. It was as if the boss just exploded."
Taichi froze, looking at Honda with shocked, suddenly angry eyes. "What did you just say?"
"It was as if he just-" Honda was cut off by a crashing noise as Taichi stood up so fast he knocked down his chair.
"That's it! I knew that pentagram was familiar!" Taichi started to pace. Hikari was still totally unaware of what was happening, sleeping under the influence of drugs.
"What?" Honda's gray eyes were confused.
"Remember, there was a pentagram burned on the boss's head? And it wasn't just a star. There were runes on it."
"Yeah, and?" Honda was still clueless.
"Even incubi have their limits, Honda," Taichi said, pacing. "But- I realize that the symbol was the marking of a spell, a spell only incubi, succubi, or other planar beings can do. Currently, only two people know how to do it, who are in this plane anyway." Taichi's brown eyes bored into Honda's own gray ones. "And one of them is Ishida Yamato."
~*~
"But how can he have incubus status?" Honda asked as he drove the car, not trusting Taichi's mental state to allow him to drive. He had persuaded Taichi to leave his sister's side, promising he could go back to the hospital after the meeting with the new head of C.R.O.S.S. was over.
Taichi gritted his teeth, and started to explain to his companion. Thanks to an underground web of information, constant data on the activities of dark beings came to the slayers. Ever since the arrival of Jyou over ten years before, a mysterious man with a strong gift for magic, especially in summoning other planar beings, the division had much more success in learning such things.
Not many were easy around the blue haired man however, despite his somewhat bumbling and good-natured personality. If one looked into his eyes for too long, they would see things that should not be seen if pleasant dreams were desired. He could be extraordinarily clumsy from time to time, causing much laughter and jokes toward him, yet other times he made even the toughest slayer's skin crawl with fear.
Taichi recollected one of his times with Jyou, when the other man was explaining a lecture on spells, mostly those used by the darker forces for not very pleasant reasons.
"Spells, in general, are merely a projection of will, combined with one's personal energies," he'd explained. "Everyone has the potential to become a magic user, but it has to be unlocked, trained, and used properly. The personal energies vary from person to person and often restricts one from using too many or certain spells."
"But how does it become trained?" Taichi had asked.
"Under apprenticeship of course. The training period can take as short as four years to as long as fifty years. A strong will and powerful imagination are often the best tools any magic user can have."
"How do the vampires use the energies then? They're dead," Taichi had questioned further.
A wry smile had crossed the face of the blue haired man as he pushed up his glasses. "They get their power from leeching it from humans, in the form of blood. You see, we all 'leak' power, our own personal energies that are replaced immediately as it leaves us. An odd sort of cycle, you see. Vampires, since they are undead, must leech their powers as well as their life from living things, disrupting the cycle."
"I see."
"Back to spells." Jyou had coughed slightly then. "The easiest spells to do are healing and summoning. If you want something to happen bad enough, then it will, depending from time to time. I can go deeper into depth but I won't, for your sakes. What I am supposed to be explaining to some of the recruits is the darker spells that vampires and other creatures use."
"Killing spells?" Taichi had provided.
Jyou had an odd smile on his face, half pleased and half wry. It was an odd, twisted expression. "Yes, but dark forces know things that are far worse than death. Killing spells, as a rule, are often difficult to do because it requires not much will, but much emotion."
He had gone into a lengthy explanation of spells that were often used. It was really quite fascinating, but very gruesome, for Jyou was an excellent storyteller. Then he had become very solemn.
"There is one spell that is very dangerous, it can kill anything short of a god, even if the target has all the protections in the world," Jyou had said almost as though he was afraid of being heard. "It is very complex, but has results that never fail. No one has come up with a name for it, but it is very gruesome." He had explained the basics of it, stressing the fact that very few knew how to do it, for if one bungled a single step, it would turn on the caster.
"No one can ever trace it magically, but there is a way of identifying it on a body. For, the last step involves having a picture and something personal of the target. One must scratch a certain design onto the picture before burning it and the personal item. Then all that is needed is a tiny trigger. It could be an action the target does or it can be a mere thought of the caster. As the spell does its work, the design is always etched onto the victim's head. No one knows why." Jyou had drawn out the design onto paper with a pen. After showing it, he had burned it, disposing of the ashes quickly. "That symbol is an evil mark. Beware of this. Very few people on this plane of reality know and can do this spell successfully."
According to sources on the underground, Yamato Ishida was very interested in the occult, even more than the normal vampire should. He had been studying volumes and volumes of ancient texts, containing things that had not been known for thousands of years. There had been a text in the division concerning rituals to raise levels of other beings, rituals that involved a lot of living sacrifice and time.
The text had disappeared just around the time Hikari's and Taichi's parents had died, rather unusually. But it contained dangerous things, and it could not be destroyed by any means C.R.O.S.S had at disposal. So it was kept locked away, until it disappeared.
Contacts had relayed that Yamato was more dangerous than ever, he was killing off his own servants, merely by touching them. Taichi had thought it was rumors, but he knew now that there were grains of truth in that. Yamato Ishida had to be stopped, at any cost.
"What about the other Ishida?" Honda asked, absorbing the lengthy explanation.
"Takeru?" Taichi frowned as he got out of the car. "I don't know. But he still is dangerous, as one of the most powerful vampires in the hierarchy of that society. He's the Dark Angel; he's killed notable slayers all throughout the world. Nothing seems to stop him, not even blessed silver."
"Impossible!" Honda sputtered as he opened the door of the immense building in front of them. Businessmen looked up as two young men walked in, both casually dressed and very grim looking. They ignored their surroundings as they walked to one of the freight elevators.
"Believe it, rookie," Taichi said grimly, not even caring that the other man bristled. Honda had only been in the field for four years. Taichi thus was his superior, having stayed for even longer.
"I thought it was just gossip," Honda argued as Taichi typed in a code on a keypad by the elevator. Twin steel doors opened, admitting them into an elevator. Going in, Taichi punched in a series of numbers. The doors closed, and they descended.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, kid," Taichi growled.
~*~
Takeru slowly opened his eyes, getting out of his bed. He looked to his right and was startled. Adrian was fast asleep, slumped in one of the chairs.
He seemed more innocent like that, his long, platinum hair falling down onto his back and over the chair, contrasting with the dark wood of the piece of furniture. The cares and sorrow were still on his face, as if he couldn't escape his despair even in the realms of dreams. Takeru, curiosity aroused, went over to him. Even then, Adrian's right eye was covered with blond hair, moving ever so slightly from time to time from the angel's gentle breathing. Idly, the vampire wondered what was hidden. Gently, he reached to touch Adrian when the tenshi's eyes burst open.
Takeru jumped back on reflex. Adrian glared for a minute before asking in a quiet rasp, "What were you doing?"
"Just looking," Takeru managed to say. He scolded himself. Why was he acting like a child?
Clearing his throat, Adrian stood up. They stared at each other, so similar but very, very different. An angel of darkness and an angel of light facing each other, like any scene from a story of the battles between good and evil, light and darkness. Takeru then laughed softly after some time.
Adrian crossed his arms. "What is so funny?"
"The look on your face, you look like a cat that's been affronted," Takeru said, smiling a slow smile.
A finely arched eyebrow rose. "I never heard that one."
"Why do you hide your eye?" Takeru then asked.
"It- it is not very pleasant." Adrian looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"I've seen a lot that cannot be classified as pleasant," Takeru said dryly. "I am a higher vampire."
"Alright, but I warned you." Adrian lifted a slender, graceful hand, pushing away his hair.
Takeru was somewhat shocked, covering his mouth as it opened to start a silent scream. There wasn't some kind of scar that marred his face in the area around his eye hidden by the bangs, as he had expected, but instead it was the eye itself that horrified him. He could not see any sign of a white, iris, or pupil in it, only red, pool of gleaming, livid scarlet, like fresh blood. It blinked once as Adrian quickly replaced the bangs that hid it.
"You see?" he said, and his voice was flat, utterly emotionless. Takeru recognized the tone of someone that had seen much and was traumatized, permanently scarred from some event.
"I-I did not realize," Takeru whispered. He sank into a chair. What was wrong with him? Around this tenshi, he felt free to express his emotions and his carefully constructed shields were falling apart.
Adrian looked at him, his single visible eye very serious. "You can trust me, I am meant to guide you. That is the reason of my poor, useless existence, to help others find those meant for them, to help others out of their darkness." He laughed, but it was a hard, brittle sound. "Except no one is there for me."
"Oh." Takeru shook his head furiously. He could not show weakness, no matter what. His voice hardened as he said quietly, "I don't need a guardian angel. I never needed one. Like I said before, I'm not going to start now."
Adrian looked at him and answered, "Oh really?"
The pain in those two words panged in Takeru's heart. He turned away, unable to face his tenshi.
Why did his life have to suddenly change like this?
~*~
Taichi straightened his shirt a little. A cool, curt voice said, "Come in." He strained to listen, but couldn't determine the gender or age of the voice. Looking at Honda, he took a deep breath, walking into the office.
Because of the mess and investigations still taking place, the main office had been transferred to another area. The room was organized, and very well lit. Spartan in décor, it seemed almost too strict. Someone with red hair was bent over the desk and noticing the presence of the two newcomers, looked up.
Taichi felt his jaw drop. Staring at him with a penetrating gaze was a woman he had not seen in years. "Sora?" he whispered.
His childhood friend smiled ever so slightly. "It's been a long time, Tai."
Sora Takenouchi had been an acquaintance, then a friend of his during his younger days. She hadn't changed too much, but her appearance seemed different to him. Then he realized that her looks had refined.
Gone were the boyishly thin limbs and body of her youth. Feminine curves replaced those, yet her body was still as sinewy and lithe as it had been when she was a child. Her flame red hair gleamed under the light, still short cropped, as it had been when she was younger, but somewhat darker in color. Her mahogany eyes, with a touch of scarlet glimmering in them, looked at him with a cool, crisp manner, within a face that was no longer rounded with the childish features of youth. Now it seemed sharper, more pronounced. Dressed in navy slacks, along with a white dress shirt and a jacket that matched the slacks, she posed a business like, casual image.
"I know," he said finally, keeping his emotions down. He hadn't survived for years by becoming emotional at critical moments, even when he was stressed or under pressure.
"Sit down, gentlemen." The woman gestured to the chairs in front of her desk.
Taichi smoothly and easily sat down, as Honda seemed very nervous. He kept on fidgeting and adjusting his collar. The other man kicked him lightly to stop him.
She eyed them both with studying gazes and Taichi noted belatedly her collar was not buttoned up completely. Instead, a gold and silver cross- shaped brooch held it together. "So, gentlemen," she continued, picking up a pair of glasses. "It has come to my attention that my uncle has died."
"Yes ma'am," Taichi answered quietly, looking right into her eyes. He never was submissive, not even to a superior officer.
She put on the glasses, staring very hard. "I received the details and came here as quickly as possible, but from what I have heard, you two have the main details."
"But, ma'am it really was-" Honda started uncomfortably.
She coolly cut him off, merely saying, "I interviewed that young man and he gave me as many details. But you two are professionals and I need a professional view upon this case."
Dully, Taichi started the whole story, including his theories. He knew he was speaking in a drone but couldn't damn care that he was. It no longer pained him; it didn't even stir up sad feelings in him. His anger, his desire for judgment however. It burned like a comfortable, buzzing warmth in his chest.
When he finished, he merely concluded with, "Though I am not the official leader of this organization, I knew it was my duty to make sure nothing fell apart. Now that you are here, I graciously step down so that you may take over."
Honda put a gentle hand on his arm, his gray eyes saying more than words could ever tell. They seemed to tell him that everything would be all right, that he was with a friend who would support him, no matter what happened. And Taichi found that much more comforting than anything that the younger man had said to him to attempt to pull him out of his depression.
"Thank you, Yagami-san," Sora said briskly, nodding. "I appreciate all your information." During that entire time, she had been taking very careful notes, not on an electric pad, as Taichi might have expected, but on sheets of paper and a pen.
Idly he wondered how much her hand hurt, for she had filled countless pages with tiny, precise writing. His eyes noted it very carefully. Not out of boredom, but out of curiosity and the habit of always observing his surroundings. Her writing was tiny but very neat, nothing like his own scrawl, which could only be deciphered by very few.
"Both of you are dismissed," she said, and bowing slightly to her in respect, the two left.
~*~
"Come on Hikari, you have to eat," Taichi coaxed gently. His sister, propped up by pillows, didn't move at all. She just stared off into space, her red brown eyes lifeless.
When he had returned to the hospital, the nurse had informed him that she had awoken, but not respond to any stimuli whatsoever. She could have been a human vegetable. Taichi was currently attempting (with no results) to coax his sister to eat. She had lost a considerable amount of weight, and while being slim when she was brought in, now she looked skeletal.
Nothing could break her of her trance. Taichi sighed and started to talk to her, trying to bring some semblance of his sister's personality to surface.
"You have to eat," he tried again. "I mean, you have to return to duty soon. Remember?" He attempted not to cry but a tear trickled down his cheek.
An ice-cold finger brushed it away. "Don't cry," Hikari whispered, her voice lifeless, distant, just like her eyes.
Taichi's eyes brimmed with tears. "God, Hikari, what happened to you?" With that, he buried his face in his hands and wept for the first time in years.
~*~
Takeru watched Adrian as the angel flipped through a book.
"Do you not have anything better to do?" the vampire demanded.
There was a slam. Adrian put the closed book back into the shelf. "I could always start preaching."
"Anything but that," Takeru said hastily and the angel smirked.
"I thought so." He then selected another book.
"So, why is your eye like that?" Takeru asked for curiosity's sake.
"It's none of your concern," the angel snapped, actually looking irritable, an expression that did not quite suit him.
"I am your charge," the vampire wheedled.
"That is something that is irrelevant," Adrian replied softly, putting the book away.
"Dammit, tenshi!" Takeru swore. "You and your damn morals!"
The other man started to laugh, first softly but growing in volume until the sardonic sound filled the air. It bordered on hysterical, but did not quite cross the line. Takeru started to edge away, a little frightened.
"These morals, as you call them," he finally said. "Are what got me into this situation in the first place." He coughed, looking sad again. "Maybe I should tell you a story."
"I'm listening."
"There was once a young boy, his name was- Alexander. He was a very compassionate boy, and a dreamer, though he was always lonely. No matter what, not even the flames of friendship or family could help fill the void within him. He never knew love, because it was never shown to him as a genuine emotion, one that was unconditional upon the giver's part, not even from his parents.
"Then, one day he met another, who loved him for who he was. He filled the void in Alexander's heart with happiness and light. But so many hated the match, even the parents, for they would not have their son love the same gender as he. An assassin found the two lovers in a garden, murmuring sweet secrets to each other. There was to be only missile shot: to shoot the lover, so that Alexander would love the 'proper' gender. But the blow was given to him instead and in his last breaths, he whispered his love to his soulmate, before passing on. His lover, in grief, went mad, before killing himself. To murder oneself is a sin, and he was punished to take the form of a demon, and was reincarnated. Alexander became an angel, and watched sadly as his lover became the very thing he was to kill.
"And he still watches his lover today. He became depressed, for the last time he ever saw his lover was in battle. His lover hardly recognized him and in the desperate fight, gouged out his eye. He fled, but in pain. Other angels tried to help him, to no avail. He was then forced upon the part of a guardian angel, and then he knew how to love again. His charge was a girl, her name was- Well, names to do not matter really. She brought laughter into his life, and soon he fell for her, though the shadows of his past lover still loomed over his mind. But she died, for her heart was weak, and one day, it gave out.
"He mourned her death deeply, sinking into another depression, but was sent to earth again, to keep watch upon a new charge, one who could revolutionize the entire world."
Takeru looked at him and said very softly, "I'm sorry."
Adrian was only silent for a long time, staring off into space, his eye emotionless, and his face a frozen mask. Takeru continued and asked, "Alexander. was that your name?"
"Former," Adrian said quietly. "I took a new one. That is why I have this." He pointed to the mass of bangs hiding his one deformed eye.
"Do you know who your lover is reincarnated into now?"
The angel smiled sadly. "Yes, but now is not the time to tell you."
Takeru had to know one more thing. "This will be my last question: What was the name of that little girl?"
Adrian smiled another one of his sad smiles. "Her name was- Hideko*."
~*~
A/N: I am so sorry for not updating any further. But I will try to write, despite heavy writer's block for me. Well. this is becoming very interesting, ne? I am taking multiple elements from different animes and stories to incorporate in this. None of them belong to me, I am writing this for the pure entertainment of fanfic readers and writers alike. Thank you. *bows*
Adrian: Get up on the soapbox now would you?
Me: And let me introduce my muse, Adrian!
Adrian: Not willingly.
Me: Hey! Will I have to fire you?
Daisuke: (to Ken) Ten bucks says three days.
Ken: You're on.
Me: STUPID MUSES! Ahem. well, that is all.
*Hideko is Japanese for sun-child. I thought it was fitting because the girl was like sunlight in Adrian's life. Hey, it can't be Hikari because that name's taken and I didn't want to confuse anyone.
I was going for more of light-bringer, but this was pretty close.