CHAPTER FIVE: SHOULD THERE BE RESPITE
August 15, 205 AC
Lady awoke in the dimly lit bedroom. For a few moments she could not remember where she was, but soon it all came back. After she had left the graveyard, this time for good, she had decided to move here. This small, isolated home, on the very outskirts of her deceased father's now deserted estates. Here she claimed her sanctuary. Here, she hoped, she would be left at peace. But Treize did not think that way. And fate did not work that way. She may have banished him and the others from her dreams, but that would not stop fate dead in its path.
*******************************************************************
August 28, 205 AC
Lady stood in the kitchen, preparing a well-deserved dinner, as she mused to herself about her triumph. Had she really banished away the dreams for good? Had it just been her mind playing tricks, taunting her with such bitter memories? It mattered not, because she knew she was safe, and she continued to slice the vegetables into the pot that waited on the stove. She was smiling as she worked.
"Why the happy face, my little Lady?" Her head shot up, but she did not want to turn around. "You are not glad to see me?" Slowly, she turned her head, gripping the knife tightly, as if it might do her good to have it there. Treize stood leaning against the doorway, a contented grin across his face, or what was left of his face. Those bony hands reached out to her again, but they caught only air as Lady swooped around and ducked out the other door, slamming it as she went.
Her breathing was erratic, struck with fear, as she reached her office, locking the door behind her. How did Treize get here? Was she going insane? Now, not only did she dream of his ghost, she saw him while she was awake. Instinctively, she checked to make sure she was really awake.
"Mother, you look scared, what did you see?" Marie looked up from the computer in one corner of the room, and Lady choked back a scream at the sight of her daughter, just as she had been in her dreams.
"No!" she screamed. "This can't be! You're not here!"
Marie's eyebrows rose. "Am I not?" Lady flipped the lock and bolted out of the room, not looking back once. Madness. It's all in your imagination, she told herself. Get a hold of yourself. There was laughter. Horrible, evil, disgusting laughter reaching up through one of the doors across the hall.
"The basement!" she gasped. There was someone - or something, down there, and though she fought hard, it was like a hand was forcing her to open the door and peer into the darkness. The laughter grew as she descended the cold stone stairs, and a faint glow lit up the base of the steps. As Lady moved into the light, her presence was detected.
"You!" Tuberov bellowed when he spun around to face her. His scream sent tiny droplets of blood splattering over the floor and nearby walls. Dekim just laughed beyond the shadows. "I should have made sure you were dead when I had the chance," he spat at Lady. A demonic smile crept across his face. "But then again, it's never too late to take one's vengeance." He stepped towards Lady, but already she was dashing back up the stairs. "Come back here you bitch!" she heard him yell behind her. Insane. You're going insane, a voice in her head kept screaming. Lady did nothing but run, her pulse beating against her skin so painfully that she thought it would not be able to withstand the pressure.
Light. The light of day! The same voice cried inside her head. Surely in the light she would be safe, but as she reached the large, sky-lit living room, she realized it already had occupants-and they weren't living ones.
"I do say our ideals were none else but perfection."
"And I can agree with that fully, Noventa."
Three men sat on the sofa, chatting peacefully until they noticed her presence. Immediately, she recognized them all, the three men from Romafeller; the ones who fought for the United Earthsphere... The Alliance.
"You there, woman, I know you." Noventa said coldly. "Come here." A skeletal hand, just like Treize's, beckoned her closer, but she stepped back. "IT'S YOU!!!" Noventa bellowed as he recognized Une's face. He lunged forward, grabbing her shoulder with his thin, bony hand, and she screamed. The colours around her began to melt together, and when next she opened her eyes, she felt the chilly sensation of wind blowing at such a high altitude. Then she realized what was happening.
"NO!!!!" she screamed.
"Oh, yes," Noventa hissed. "Now it's your turn... An eye for an eye is what they say..." He backed Une towards the open door of the airborne carrier. "And now, I bid you a happy landing." He shoved her hard, and she screamed again as her body hurtled towards the earth below. She looked up at the carrier, and there, Noventa stood leaning against the open port, his gun drawn.
"Please, no," she whispered. He smiled wickedly and pulled the trigger.
"NO!!!!!" she found herself screaming as she was jerked back into reality. She was shaking uncontrollably, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"What's wrong, girl?" called a voice. She whirled around and suddenly, Dermail's eyes glowed with recognition. "You are Commander Treize's bitch, aren't you?" His words were like icy daggers. "You should have been burned at the stake! You wicked woman! You destroyed our greatest ideals! You destroyed our future! You. you evil, evil witch!" Dermail rose as if to attack her, but another voice, the one of the third man, halted him in his steps. Lady was frozen.
"She is no witch." Lady recognized the voice. It was Dorlain. The man she herself had killed. "She is my murderer!" His accusations struck her like the explosion she had set to kill him. He held up a small device that looked almost like a makeup kit.
"No, please.No," she pleaded as tears brimmed her eyes.
"You should have thought of that before you committed such a sin," Dorlain whispered. "But then, it would not have mattered, would it? You wicked woman. You. you soulless, blood-lusting bitch!" He threw the palm- sized mechanism through the air, towards a fearful Une. She screamed once again as it exploded, the blinding light and force of the detonation sent her flying to the ground. But it did not end there, and she forced herself to look up. The three were standing, approaching with their hands reaching for her throat.to kill her. "MURDERER!!"
"MURDERER!!!" The shouts echoed in her ears as she pulled herself from the floor and fled the house, unable to bear it any longer. You are dreaming! She told herself desperately. You are dreaming! And soon, you will wake up! The garden, she thought with a sigh of relief. You will find peace in the garden.
But she did not. A little girl's laughter rang through the air. "Leah!" Noin called. "Leah, come back here!" The girl laughed again, and this time, so did Zechs. The three stopped their frolic and turned to Lady, their eyes suddenly becoming cold and distant, fading as if clouded over by fog.
"Lady, there you are. Noin has been looking for you. She thought you might want to look after Leah for a while." Zechs said as Leah stepped forward. The image Lady saw was like that of a broken, bloody china doll, and it made her, again, choke back the bile that rose in her throat.
"I thought you loved me," the little girl said, but Lady did not hear. She ran out into the forests. Away, she thought. She had to get away. As she ran, their voices echoed behind her, following her as she slowly slipped into hysteria. The hell she had fought for so long was binding tightly around her. Fate would have its way yet.
*******************************************************************
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Meh. we all knew Une was bound to lose it sooner or later. . Sheesh.
what a psycho. But then, it's always fun to be the author of a macabre
fanfic like this one. ONE MORE CHAPTER!!! THEN WE'RE DONE!!! Yay.
*majorly faked enthusiasm*
August 15, 205 AC
Lady awoke in the dimly lit bedroom. For a few moments she could not remember where she was, but soon it all came back. After she had left the graveyard, this time for good, she had decided to move here. This small, isolated home, on the very outskirts of her deceased father's now deserted estates. Here she claimed her sanctuary. Here, she hoped, she would be left at peace. But Treize did not think that way. And fate did not work that way. She may have banished him and the others from her dreams, but that would not stop fate dead in its path.
*******************************************************************
August 28, 205 AC
Lady stood in the kitchen, preparing a well-deserved dinner, as she mused to herself about her triumph. Had she really banished away the dreams for good? Had it just been her mind playing tricks, taunting her with such bitter memories? It mattered not, because she knew she was safe, and she continued to slice the vegetables into the pot that waited on the stove. She was smiling as she worked.
"Why the happy face, my little Lady?" Her head shot up, but she did not want to turn around. "You are not glad to see me?" Slowly, she turned her head, gripping the knife tightly, as if it might do her good to have it there. Treize stood leaning against the doorway, a contented grin across his face, or what was left of his face. Those bony hands reached out to her again, but they caught only air as Lady swooped around and ducked out the other door, slamming it as she went.
Her breathing was erratic, struck with fear, as she reached her office, locking the door behind her. How did Treize get here? Was she going insane? Now, not only did she dream of his ghost, she saw him while she was awake. Instinctively, she checked to make sure she was really awake.
"Mother, you look scared, what did you see?" Marie looked up from the computer in one corner of the room, and Lady choked back a scream at the sight of her daughter, just as she had been in her dreams.
"No!" she screamed. "This can't be! You're not here!"
Marie's eyebrows rose. "Am I not?" Lady flipped the lock and bolted out of the room, not looking back once. Madness. It's all in your imagination, she told herself. Get a hold of yourself. There was laughter. Horrible, evil, disgusting laughter reaching up through one of the doors across the hall.
"The basement!" she gasped. There was someone - or something, down there, and though she fought hard, it was like a hand was forcing her to open the door and peer into the darkness. The laughter grew as she descended the cold stone stairs, and a faint glow lit up the base of the steps. As Lady moved into the light, her presence was detected.
"You!" Tuberov bellowed when he spun around to face her. His scream sent tiny droplets of blood splattering over the floor and nearby walls. Dekim just laughed beyond the shadows. "I should have made sure you were dead when I had the chance," he spat at Lady. A demonic smile crept across his face. "But then again, it's never too late to take one's vengeance." He stepped towards Lady, but already she was dashing back up the stairs. "Come back here you bitch!" she heard him yell behind her. Insane. You're going insane, a voice in her head kept screaming. Lady did nothing but run, her pulse beating against her skin so painfully that she thought it would not be able to withstand the pressure.
Light. The light of day! The same voice cried inside her head. Surely in the light she would be safe, but as she reached the large, sky-lit living room, she realized it already had occupants-and they weren't living ones.
"I do say our ideals were none else but perfection."
"And I can agree with that fully, Noventa."
Three men sat on the sofa, chatting peacefully until they noticed her presence. Immediately, she recognized them all, the three men from Romafeller; the ones who fought for the United Earthsphere... The Alliance.
"You there, woman, I know you." Noventa said coldly. "Come here." A skeletal hand, just like Treize's, beckoned her closer, but she stepped back. "IT'S YOU!!!" Noventa bellowed as he recognized Une's face. He lunged forward, grabbing her shoulder with his thin, bony hand, and she screamed. The colours around her began to melt together, and when next she opened her eyes, she felt the chilly sensation of wind blowing at such a high altitude. Then she realized what was happening.
"NO!!!!" she screamed.
"Oh, yes," Noventa hissed. "Now it's your turn... An eye for an eye is what they say..." He backed Une towards the open door of the airborne carrier. "And now, I bid you a happy landing." He shoved her hard, and she screamed again as her body hurtled towards the earth below. She looked up at the carrier, and there, Noventa stood leaning against the open port, his gun drawn.
"Please, no," she whispered. He smiled wickedly and pulled the trigger.
"NO!!!!!" she found herself screaming as she was jerked back into reality. She was shaking uncontrollably, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"What's wrong, girl?" called a voice. She whirled around and suddenly, Dermail's eyes glowed with recognition. "You are Commander Treize's bitch, aren't you?" His words were like icy daggers. "You should have been burned at the stake! You wicked woman! You destroyed our greatest ideals! You destroyed our future! You. you evil, evil witch!" Dermail rose as if to attack her, but another voice, the one of the third man, halted him in his steps. Lady was frozen.
"She is no witch." Lady recognized the voice. It was Dorlain. The man she herself had killed. "She is my murderer!" His accusations struck her like the explosion she had set to kill him. He held up a small device that looked almost like a makeup kit.
"No, please.No," she pleaded as tears brimmed her eyes.
"You should have thought of that before you committed such a sin," Dorlain whispered. "But then, it would not have mattered, would it? You wicked woman. You. you soulless, blood-lusting bitch!" He threw the palm- sized mechanism through the air, towards a fearful Une. She screamed once again as it exploded, the blinding light and force of the detonation sent her flying to the ground. But it did not end there, and she forced herself to look up. The three were standing, approaching with their hands reaching for her throat.to kill her. "MURDERER!!"
"MURDERER!!!" The shouts echoed in her ears as she pulled herself from the floor and fled the house, unable to bear it any longer. You are dreaming! She told herself desperately. You are dreaming! And soon, you will wake up! The garden, she thought with a sigh of relief. You will find peace in the garden.
But she did not. A little girl's laughter rang through the air. "Leah!" Noin called. "Leah, come back here!" The girl laughed again, and this time, so did Zechs. The three stopped their frolic and turned to Lady, their eyes suddenly becoming cold and distant, fading as if clouded over by fog.
"Lady, there you are. Noin has been looking for you. She thought you might want to look after Leah for a while." Zechs said as Leah stepped forward. The image Lady saw was like that of a broken, bloody china doll, and it made her, again, choke back the bile that rose in her throat.
"I thought you loved me," the little girl said, but Lady did not hear. She ran out into the forests. Away, she thought. She had to get away. As she ran, their voices echoed behind her, following her as she slowly slipped into hysteria. The hell she had fought for so long was binding tightly around her. Fate would have its way yet.
*******************************************************************
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Meh. we all knew Une was bound to lose it sooner or later. . Sheesh.
what a psycho. But then, it's always fun to be the author of a macabre
fanfic like this one. ONE MORE CHAPTER!!! THEN WE'RE DONE!!! Yay.
*majorly faked enthusiasm*