WOW!!! Thanx to everyone who reviewed! It really inspired me to get
moving on this chapter! Now, I've added in a new original character, and I
hope it doesn't screw things up, because she really is vital to the rest of
the story. Just give her a chance - I know she seems confusing and just a
bit too perfect at first, but I'll make her better in the following
chapters. Don't forget to review!
~~~~~~
And then the music stopped.
Grayfall's vision was swimming slightly, but not so much that he couldn't see the tall, broad-shouldered man striding towards him, cloak wrapped tightly to his body, mouth curved into a delighted smile. His tongue darted out to lick those taunting lips, trailing slowly over the bottom one, and his blue and purple eyes glittered maliciously.
It seemed as if an invisible harp player had struck a chord, and then begun to deftly trail their fingers across golden strings, the rich music enveloping poor Grayfall and bombarding his frazzled senses. He turned his head slightly to see if Vash or Knives or Stormie heard it, if they saw this killer approaching, but they were just staring at him in confusion, yelling words that he couldn't hear. The music was too loud. An organ player joined in.
Stormie tugged on Knives sleeve and shouted something that went unheard to Grayfall, and Knives shrugged and pulled away, stalking back into the house. She seemed to be fuming, and then turned to Vash, who nodded empathetically and started down the stairs with her.
Grayfall clamped his hands over his ears, squinting, and shook his head frantically, trying to warn them not to come closer. They were plants! Didn't they know that they would die if they neared? But when he turned his eyes back to the front, the harp and organ music being played stopped instantly and was replaced by the slow, twinkling, metallic notes of a fading music box. Noashi was no where in sight, but Grayfall could sense that his presence was near. What had made him change his course? Surely he wasn't scared.
Vash had a hand on his shoulder, coaxing him gently to come back into the house, trying to get a response. Stormie was worriedly at his side, not knowing what to do.
Grayfall realized his mouth had been gaping and slowly worked on closing it. "Did you see him?" he murmured, turning to look at Vash imploringly. His eyes were wide and innocent, asking for some reassurance that he wasn't crazy.
Vash bit his lip and slowly shook his head. "Who?"
"He was just out there...coming over from town." Grayfall stared helplessly into the distance, his dark, shaggy hair lifted by the slight breeze and brushing over his glowing eyes.
"We should go in," Stormie urged quietly, but he only jerked away from Vash's touch on his arm and swung to the left, desperate.
"I saw him!" he cried out. "Naoshi! I know you're out there! I know what you want! I...I..." He whimpered slightly, and then steeled himself, helpless expression snapping back into one of determination. "I won't be some toy to your sadistic mind games!" he called out angrily, his voice lower this time.
Vash winced, trying to usher the young man back inside, but Grayfall was not yet to be put off.
"I heard the song," he muttered. "He's gotta be out there. There's no other possible explanation. But...something made him turn around. Someone or something is out there too."
Stormie squinted out into the night, the desert wind whipping through her long, white blonde hair and the open robe she wore over her pajamas. A few grains of sand blew into her eyes and she dropped her face to rub at them furiously with her fists, grunting against how much it stung. When she was able to look up again, she saw nothing, as did Vash and Grayfall.
"Let's go inside," Vash said gently, and the defeated man allowed himself to be shepherded back within the confines of the house.
~~~~~
Knives was sipping at some tea when they tromped back into the kitchen, exhausted and slightly disgruntled (or at least Stormie was). All took their seats again, and Grayfall resumed staring back into his coffee mug, though he did not touch the donuts this time.
Suddenly, Knives slammed a fist onto the table, rattling the silverware and the little porcelain monkey that sat atop the napkins, a birthday present to the sandy-blonde twin from Stormie. Vash had gotten a laptop. "You're leading that murderer right to us, aren't you?" he growled, left eyebrow twitching insanely.
Grayfall scowled. "He doesn't need me here to make it worth his time. He'd come for you anyway, simply because you're a plant."
"That's a lie! He never would've even known who we were if it weren't for you dragging your sorry carcass onto our doorstep!"
"Knives!" hushed Stormie sharply, smacking him over the head as she pushed out her chair and rose. "Stop it! It is NOT his fault!" Still frowning, she pointed out in mild anger, "At least his coming warned us! And why are you always blaming things on other people? Why is it never your fault? Are you flawless? Incapable of making mistakes, Mr. High-and-Mighty?"
"I think I make a lot less than you."
"Oh, excuse me," she snarled, mock curtseying to him.
"STOP IT!" yelled Vash, sick of their bickering. "Why can't you two just accept the fact that your different and opposites attract and you're probably going to end up married with three kids someday?!"
Silence.
Ah, the blessed silence.
And then...
"You think I'd have children with HIM? DISGUSTING!"
"Marriage? What? And with Stormie of all people?! That is truly sick, Vash!"
A knock on the door discouraged any more arguing, and Vash, out of habit, leapt to his feet to answer it. Grayfall doggedly followed at his heels, as if afraid to be left alone in the room with the two plants, who were still appropriately gagging over the notion of producing offspring with one another. Cheerily, the blonde swung open the door and smiled, greeting the visitor with an energetic, "Hello, may I help you?"
A young woman was leaning in the doorway, pale as the moon in the sky with a round, cherubic face that contained traces of Asian origins what with her slanted, hazel eyes and straight, jet-black hair that fell nearly to her waist. She was small, short as it was, only coming up to just a little below Grayfall's shoulder, and slender and curvy. Her full lips, dainty, upturned nose, and rosy cheeks just gave her that ethnic flair. But, if there was one thing that marred her beauty, it was her right hand, which hung loosely at her side, the fingers crippled and looking horribly mangled, as if she had gotten it caught in some sort of machine or something. She smiled at them, but said nothing.
Vash's face shifted into an expression of uneasiness. He glanced at Grayfall for backup, not really expecting help, but somehow, he received it.
"You're what frightened Naoshi, aren't you?"
Surprising as it was, the woman did not look confused or bewildered, but simply nodded. "May I come in?" she asked politely, grinning to show two rows of straight white teeth.
"Yes," murmured Vash, moving aside as she seemed to float right on in. Now in the light, they saw that she was dressed in an unusual fashion, simply a black turtleneck that was laced with patterns of exotic dragons, all in the color of gray so that they were hard to recognize, and a pair of ripped blue jeans. Her heavy boots with the thick tread tracked in dirt and sand, but she took no notice.
Vash grimaced, knowing he was going to be sweeping the next day.
Grayfall seemed to sense something strange about this girl, from the way his body had tensed up, but he remained silent with his jaw clamped. He followed her as she moved into the kitchen and then intently observed her next actions.
She attacked Stormie.
Or at least, that's what he thought she was doing until he realized that they were actually hugging and screaming in excitement. Having lived most of his life with Naoshi, and having had a mother that was too busy to give him hardly any attention, he didn't have much experience in affection. So, he, Knives, and Vash stood quietly to the side and watched as Stormie and this mystery woman hugged and screamed and talked and pulled on one another's hair, held the other's face, stepped back to admire one another, and then hug again. By the time it was over, he was dizzy and his ears hurt.
"Guys!" Stormie exclaimed happily. "This is my BEST friend - Oriole! We grew up together and she is AMAZING!" She sighed, trying to catch her breath. "Knives, you'll love this. Her father was a plant, and her mother, an empath. She got the best of both worlds. Quite amazing, really. You wouldn't believe half the things she can do."
Knives shrugged disinterestedly and then ambled back to his bedroom to sleep away what was left of the night. He really didn't have the energy to pretend like he cared about some half-breed.
"Ignore him - he's a jerk," commanded Stormie sternly. "Meet his brother, Vash. He's more social. And this is Grayfall."
"Pleased to meet you," Oriole murmured, shaking his hand and gazing into his eyes intently. "And you were correct. Naoshi did hold off his attack because he saw me coming, but not because he's scared."
Grayfall nodded gravely. "Naoshi fears nothing."
"Wrong. He fears leaving a job unfinished. Grayfall, he fears you."
Grayfall appeared bemused at that statement. "Why?"
"Because you hear him. You see him. You can sense his presence when no one else can. And most of all, you don't know just how dangerous you are."
"How do YOU know all this?"
"I'm not stupid. I've been around since before Naoshi was even born. That's right, I have the plant's life span and almost eternal youth. Naoshi has been an object of interest for my family for a while, and it didn't really surprise us when he started to kill. Well, it might've surprised my father - or at least enough to let him drop his guard and be slaughtered. Stormie, how could you not remember this?"
Stormie furrowed her brow, hands on her hips. "What are you talking about, Oriole?"
"I suppose that since we parted when we were both still a bit young, you never heard..." She smiled wistfully. "Father never told anyone of what happened, but...someone found out and we were afraid the truth might spread and ruin the family name. But...it obviously didn't spread to you."
"What is it?"
"You know...I really don't feel like telling you the ugly truth at this moment, right here and now. Someday. Not today."
Grayfall held up a hand, signaling for everyone to stop, his expression bordering on angry, and when he spoke, his voice holding restrained insanity. "What...what is going on?" he quietly demanded, nearly trembling in his anxiety.
"My name is Oriole. I was able to get a read of Naoshi's emotions and just snatch a few of his thoughts as he crested that hill. He knows you four are here, but he won't be back for at least a few days. Rest easy tonight, all of you, because I came here for a vacation. Didn't know the past was going to come back to haunt me in this way though. Now, if you'll direct me to a bed, I will prepare for some rest."
~~~~~
In his own bedroom, the one he shared with Vash, Knives was scrounging through the closet, searching for a box of sacred possessions. Upon finding it, he dragged the cardboard carton over to his bed, sat on the edge of his mattress, and began to sift through the contents. Past a photo album, around his folded ship suit, and just beneath his picture frame holding some pressed flowers, he unearthed an old, dog-eared journal. Tenderly, he brushed his hand over the leather cover, chasing away the dust, and then opened it. Out of all the things from his past, the only one he had never touched was Legato's diary.
~*~I wandered into town today after all my duties to Master had been performed. Midvalley and Dominique had preceded me and I saw them in a small diner, and, being in the mood for company, I followed them in. But as soon as I stepped within, I felt horribly out of place, like I just didn't belong. It seems I always feel like that, no matter where I go, even when I'm with Master. I couldn't bring myself to approach them, so I hurried back outside and around back, where I sat down against the wall. I was so ashamed, for reasons which I did not know. I wished I was back with Master; I wished he was more proud of me; I even wished that at the moment he was there to hit me so I could get my just punishment for being so cowardly, but none of that was possible. Tears began to flow down my face - I couldn't stop them. The back door opened and I almost panicked, but just a homely waitress came out. I thought that through my crying she looked familiar, and when she ran towards me and spoke my name, I knew it must be so. Heather, who I had not spoken to since I came to be with Master, was very concerned, and I didn't know how to respond. No one cared for me except Master. But this was a different kind of caring. The only was I could describe it was gentle. Yes, this was gentle caring.~*~
Knives slammed the book shut as Vash walked in, quickly tossing it back into the box, which he in turn kicked across the room and into the closet. "How's the freak show doing in the kitchen?" he demanded gruffly, hoping his brother wouldn't inquire on what he had been reading.
"It's very confusing," yawned Vash as he pulled back the covers and lay down.
The two did not speak again until morning.
~~~~~~
And then the music stopped.
Grayfall's vision was swimming slightly, but not so much that he couldn't see the tall, broad-shouldered man striding towards him, cloak wrapped tightly to his body, mouth curved into a delighted smile. His tongue darted out to lick those taunting lips, trailing slowly over the bottom one, and his blue and purple eyes glittered maliciously.
It seemed as if an invisible harp player had struck a chord, and then begun to deftly trail their fingers across golden strings, the rich music enveloping poor Grayfall and bombarding his frazzled senses. He turned his head slightly to see if Vash or Knives or Stormie heard it, if they saw this killer approaching, but they were just staring at him in confusion, yelling words that he couldn't hear. The music was too loud. An organ player joined in.
Stormie tugged on Knives sleeve and shouted something that went unheard to Grayfall, and Knives shrugged and pulled away, stalking back into the house. She seemed to be fuming, and then turned to Vash, who nodded empathetically and started down the stairs with her.
Grayfall clamped his hands over his ears, squinting, and shook his head frantically, trying to warn them not to come closer. They were plants! Didn't they know that they would die if they neared? But when he turned his eyes back to the front, the harp and organ music being played stopped instantly and was replaced by the slow, twinkling, metallic notes of a fading music box. Noashi was no where in sight, but Grayfall could sense that his presence was near. What had made him change his course? Surely he wasn't scared.
Vash had a hand on his shoulder, coaxing him gently to come back into the house, trying to get a response. Stormie was worriedly at his side, not knowing what to do.
Grayfall realized his mouth had been gaping and slowly worked on closing it. "Did you see him?" he murmured, turning to look at Vash imploringly. His eyes were wide and innocent, asking for some reassurance that he wasn't crazy.
Vash bit his lip and slowly shook his head. "Who?"
"He was just out there...coming over from town." Grayfall stared helplessly into the distance, his dark, shaggy hair lifted by the slight breeze and brushing over his glowing eyes.
"We should go in," Stormie urged quietly, but he only jerked away from Vash's touch on his arm and swung to the left, desperate.
"I saw him!" he cried out. "Naoshi! I know you're out there! I know what you want! I...I..." He whimpered slightly, and then steeled himself, helpless expression snapping back into one of determination. "I won't be some toy to your sadistic mind games!" he called out angrily, his voice lower this time.
Vash winced, trying to usher the young man back inside, but Grayfall was not yet to be put off.
"I heard the song," he muttered. "He's gotta be out there. There's no other possible explanation. But...something made him turn around. Someone or something is out there too."
Stormie squinted out into the night, the desert wind whipping through her long, white blonde hair and the open robe she wore over her pajamas. A few grains of sand blew into her eyes and she dropped her face to rub at them furiously with her fists, grunting against how much it stung. When she was able to look up again, she saw nothing, as did Vash and Grayfall.
"Let's go inside," Vash said gently, and the defeated man allowed himself to be shepherded back within the confines of the house.
~~~~~
Knives was sipping at some tea when they tromped back into the kitchen, exhausted and slightly disgruntled (or at least Stormie was). All took their seats again, and Grayfall resumed staring back into his coffee mug, though he did not touch the donuts this time.
Suddenly, Knives slammed a fist onto the table, rattling the silverware and the little porcelain monkey that sat atop the napkins, a birthday present to the sandy-blonde twin from Stormie. Vash had gotten a laptop. "You're leading that murderer right to us, aren't you?" he growled, left eyebrow twitching insanely.
Grayfall scowled. "He doesn't need me here to make it worth his time. He'd come for you anyway, simply because you're a plant."
"That's a lie! He never would've even known who we were if it weren't for you dragging your sorry carcass onto our doorstep!"
"Knives!" hushed Stormie sharply, smacking him over the head as she pushed out her chair and rose. "Stop it! It is NOT his fault!" Still frowning, she pointed out in mild anger, "At least his coming warned us! And why are you always blaming things on other people? Why is it never your fault? Are you flawless? Incapable of making mistakes, Mr. High-and-Mighty?"
"I think I make a lot less than you."
"Oh, excuse me," she snarled, mock curtseying to him.
"STOP IT!" yelled Vash, sick of their bickering. "Why can't you two just accept the fact that your different and opposites attract and you're probably going to end up married with three kids someday?!"
Silence.
Ah, the blessed silence.
And then...
"You think I'd have children with HIM? DISGUSTING!"
"Marriage? What? And with Stormie of all people?! That is truly sick, Vash!"
A knock on the door discouraged any more arguing, and Vash, out of habit, leapt to his feet to answer it. Grayfall doggedly followed at his heels, as if afraid to be left alone in the room with the two plants, who were still appropriately gagging over the notion of producing offspring with one another. Cheerily, the blonde swung open the door and smiled, greeting the visitor with an energetic, "Hello, may I help you?"
A young woman was leaning in the doorway, pale as the moon in the sky with a round, cherubic face that contained traces of Asian origins what with her slanted, hazel eyes and straight, jet-black hair that fell nearly to her waist. She was small, short as it was, only coming up to just a little below Grayfall's shoulder, and slender and curvy. Her full lips, dainty, upturned nose, and rosy cheeks just gave her that ethnic flair. But, if there was one thing that marred her beauty, it was her right hand, which hung loosely at her side, the fingers crippled and looking horribly mangled, as if she had gotten it caught in some sort of machine or something. She smiled at them, but said nothing.
Vash's face shifted into an expression of uneasiness. He glanced at Grayfall for backup, not really expecting help, but somehow, he received it.
"You're what frightened Naoshi, aren't you?"
Surprising as it was, the woman did not look confused or bewildered, but simply nodded. "May I come in?" she asked politely, grinning to show two rows of straight white teeth.
"Yes," murmured Vash, moving aside as she seemed to float right on in. Now in the light, they saw that she was dressed in an unusual fashion, simply a black turtleneck that was laced with patterns of exotic dragons, all in the color of gray so that they were hard to recognize, and a pair of ripped blue jeans. Her heavy boots with the thick tread tracked in dirt and sand, but she took no notice.
Vash grimaced, knowing he was going to be sweeping the next day.
Grayfall seemed to sense something strange about this girl, from the way his body had tensed up, but he remained silent with his jaw clamped. He followed her as she moved into the kitchen and then intently observed her next actions.
She attacked Stormie.
Or at least, that's what he thought she was doing until he realized that they were actually hugging and screaming in excitement. Having lived most of his life with Naoshi, and having had a mother that was too busy to give him hardly any attention, he didn't have much experience in affection. So, he, Knives, and Vash stood quietly to the side and watched as Stormie and this mystery woman hugged and screamed and talked and pulled on one another's hair, held the other's face, stepped back to admire one another, and then hug again. By the time it was over, he was dizzy and his ears hurt.
"Guys!" Stormie exclaimed happily. "This is my BEST friend - Oriole! We grew up together and she is AMAZING!" She sighed, trying to catch her breath. "Knives, you'll love this. Her father was a plant, and her mother, an empath. She got the best of both worlds. Quite amazing, really. You wouldn't believe half the things she can do."
Knives shrugged disinterestedly and then ambled back to his bedroom to sleep away what was left of the night. He really didn't have the energy to pretend like he cared about some half-breed.
"Ignore him - he's a jerk," commanded Stormie sternly. "Meet his brother, Vash. He's more social. And this is Grayfall."
"Pleased to meet you," Oriole murmured, shaking his hand and gazing into his eyes intently. "And you were correct. Naoshi did hold off his attack because he saw me coming, but not because he's scared."
Grayfall nodded gravely. "Naoshi fears nothing."
"Wrong. He fears leaving a job unfinished. Grayfall, he fears you."
Grayfall appeared bemused at that statement. "Why?"
"Because you hear him. You see him. You can sense his presence when no one else can. And most of all, you don't know just how dangerous you are."
"How do YOU know all this?"
"I'm not stupid. I've been around since before Naoshi was even born. That's right, I have the plant's life span and almost eternal youth. Naoshi has been an object of interest for my family for a while, and it didn't really surprise us when he started to kill. Well, it might've surprised my father - or at least enough to let him drop his guard and be slaughtered. Stormie, how could you not remember this?"
Stormie furrowed her brow, hands on her hips. "What are you talking about, Oriole?"
"I suppose that since we parted when we were both still a bit young, you never heard..." She smiled wistfully. "Father never told anyone of what happened, but...someone found out and we were afraid the truth might spread and ruin the family name. But...it obviously didn't spread to you."
"What is it?"
"You know...I really don't feel like telling you the ugly truth at this moment, right here and now. Someday. Not today."
Grayfall held up a hand, signaling for everyone to stop, his expression bordering on angry, and when he spoke, his voice holding restrained insanity. "What...what is going on?" he quietly demanded, nearly trembling in his anxiety.
"My name is Oriole. I was able to get a read of Naoshi's emotions and just snatch a few of his thoughts as he crested that hill. He knows you four are here, but he won't be back for at least a few days. Rest easy tonight, all of you, because I came here for a vacation. Didn't know the past was going to come back to haunt me in this way though. Now, if you'll direct me to a bed, I will prepare for some rest."
~~~~~
In his own bedroom, the one he shared with Vash, Knives was scrounging through the closet, searching for a box of sacred possessions. Upon finding it, he dragged the cardboard carton over to his bed, sat on the edge of his mattress, and began to sift through the contents. Past a photo album, around his folded ship suit, and just beneath his picture frame holding some pressed flowers, he unearthed an old, dog-eared journal. Tenderly, he brushed his hand over the leather cover, chasing away the dust, and then opened it. Out of all the things from his past, the only one he had never touched was Legato's diary.
~*~I wandered into town today after all my duties to Master had been performed. Midvalley and Dominique had preceded me and I saw them in a small diner, and, being in the mood for company, I followed them in. But as soon as I stepped within, I felt horribly out of place, like I just didn't belong. It seems I always feel like that, no matter where I go, even when I'm with Master. I couldn't bring myself to approach them, so I hurried back outside and around back, where I sat down against the wall. I was so ashamed, for reasons which I did not know. I wished I was back with Master; I wished he was more proud of me; I even wished that at the moment he was there to hit me so I could get my just punishment for being so cowardly, but none of that was possible. Tears began to flow down my face - I couldn't stop them. The back door opened and I almost panicked, but just a homely waitress came out. I thought that through my crying she looked familiar, and when she ran towards me and spoke my name, I knew it must be so. Heather, who I had not spoken to since I came to be with Master, was very concerned, and I didn't know how to respond. No one cared for me except Master. But this was a different kind of caring. The only was I could describe it was gentle. Yes, this was gentle caring.~*~
Knives slammed the book shut as Vash walked in, quickly tossing it back into the box, which he in turn kicked across the room and into the closet. "How's the freak show doing in the kitchen?" he demanded gruffly, hoping his brother wouldn't inquire on what he had been reading.
"It's very confusing," yawned Vash as he pulled back the covers and lay down.
The two did not speak again until morning.
