Chapter 5: Thorns and Blood on Snow
Author's Note: All right, reading this fic over, I noticed this chapter
had a million and one grammatical errors. This is due to the fact I was up
till 2 am banging this out for people who were dying to find out how this
ended. So please ignore my mistakes and errors...I'll fix them when I can.
Btw, I do not own .hack sign....the lyrics in here come directly from "Fake
Wings", a song from the .hack sign anime. Arigato! *runs to hide from the
rabid fangirls who will be out to get her once this fic is over with*
Hai, I'm brutal...gomen.
-C.S.K
Shine bright morning light
Now in the air the spring is coming
Sweet blowing wind
Singing down the hills and valleys
Keep your eyes on me
Now we're on the edge of hell
Dear my love, sweet morning light
Wait for me, you've gone much farther, too far...
Morning...Morning...could Tai even remember that morning? Fluttering open, a pair of jade colored eyes peered out into the world. Tai had awoken that morning. Wrapped in her white sheets she yawned and tossed herself over. The night before was the most amazing night Tai had ever had in her life, but, where was he? She should have awoken to the face of her lover but the opposite side of her was completely vacant. Utter confusion played in Tai's eyes and she sat herself up quickly. Clutching the sheets to her chest, she scanned the room. There, upon his own bed, Yohji was seated.
It was obvious he had made no attempt at getting dressed. Since he was a decent man, he did manage to rummage for his boxers betwixt Tai's sheets before placing himself into another part of the room. Yohji was staring out the window with completely vacant eyes. The only thing readable about him was that he must have been deep in thought. He was nervous, his bare chest revealed his irregular breathing patterns. Between his lip was a cigarette, one that would travel into the ashtray along with the six he had before beside of his bed. Whenever Yohji chain-smoked, it symbolized that something was not right with him. There was something wrong. Could it have possibly been her?
Yohji turned his head towards Tai who was blinking from her own bed. His face was pale and tragic. Pain. Hurt. Mystery. Love. He forced a smile upon his face, his lips twitching in complete fakery. He would smile only for her. "I see my princess has awoken." Tai saw straight through this mask Yohji had put upon his face. He was obviously upset, and it was rare for Yohji to place any barriers from her. Tai had always thought she was special, that she was the key to his heart so he could be free to fly and love again. Freedom. A word filled with so many restraints. Was it possible for a man like Yohji to ever be free? He was thinking too harshly that morning. Tai, in her head, pondered if she did something wrong.
Lowering her eyes, a reddish tint appearing over her pale cheeks, she came to a realization that shocked and stung at her heart. "Was I that bad?" a meek voiced asked ever so softly. Yohji's eyes widened in disbelief as he heard the angel's voice ask the most horrible question she could ask. Bad? Was she bad? How could Tai possibly bad? She was wonderful. Her body, her skin, her lips, her touch. She had fulfilled Yohji's heart with a feeling he had been deprived with all of his life. How could a woman so tender and magical, a woman so angelic, possibly be bad at love in all of it's ways?
"Are you joking?" Yohji said, almost half-laughing. He stood up, his muscles relaxing. His golden hair shimmered in the sunlight that poured through the window in a heavenly radiance. He slowly walked his way across the room to Tai's bedside. He placed a hand gently on top of her head as she looked up at him with her glimmering eyes. "You could never be bad." He finished in a whisper. He leaned over, his breath tickling her forehead as his lips softly pressed against its cool skin in the most miraculous sincerity.
A grin spread across Tai's face, she was absolutely and completely glad. She blinked for a moment as Yohji placed himself beside her, forcing the bed to sink a bit more from his weight. "Then what's wrong?" she asked, running her slender fingers through his golden locks as a mother would, and as she used to do....to him. Her Aki. Now, only her Yohji could gain her affections anymore. Aki was dead and Omi had been rather distant lately. It was all out of due respect of course, he wanted to give Yohji and Tai their space.
A painful look flashed through Yohji's eyes, as he looked her straight into her beautiful face. "I," he began, his voice cracking with emotion ever so silently. "I once loved like this before. And she died on a very important mission we were on back when I was a private investigator. I thought I could never love again, until the day you walked into my life like a wingless angel, broken within herself due to her own tragic pain. I can't lose you..." his voice trailed off, his eyes glimmering as he turned his face away from her.
Tai's eyes widened in shock. Was this the same Yohji Kudou she met only weeks before? Was this same, strong, humurous, man actually broken down in tears? And for her? Slender arms wrapped around Yohji's waist in a tight embrace. Tai's cool cheek pressed against his warm skin as she squeezed her eyes shut. She wouldn't leave him...she couldn't leave him. They needed one another more than humans needed water to survive. They needed each other to survive. Tai looked up at him, her eyes welling up and sparkling with tears of tragedy and happiness mixed together in a stream of reckless madness, "Yohji, I will be with you always. No matter what happens, I love you more than anything else in this world.
That was when the stream trickled down. The stream was on his cheek and came from his very own eye. Yohji Kudou, the pathetic man with a tragic life, the lonely man with no purpose and no emotion left inside of him, was crying for the girl he had loved more than the world. He cared not for his own pathetic soul, he was crying for the tragic soul of the young woman embracing him and his heart. Tai had the abilities to pick up the lost and broken pieces and put them together so gently that there was no way this woman could possibly be human.
The two lovers stared at each other for a moment longer until Yohji stood up, his body looming over her like a valiant knight. He placed a tender calloused hand upon her wet cheek and grinned, his eyes dancing. "You seem to have lost something else, my love." He mocked. Tai blinked in confusion and her eyes flashed in annoyance for a split seconds. Yohji pushed a finger into her tiny nose and finished, "You're clothes." Immediately, Tai's face turned bright crimson as she pushed her sheets into her chest even harder, scrunching her body up sheepishly. Making his was towards the door, Yohji winked, and opened it. Once outside her turned back towards Tai and smiled. "By the way, I love you too." He said bluntly. He exited, closing the door softly behind him. Once outside her bowed his head down, a grin over his face. His hand was clenched around the doorknob in depseration. Leaving...leaving....she can't leave...he loved her. This time, there was no one there to force the streams flowing from his eyes back in. Yohji Kudou had broken, and could no longer stop his tears of pain. *** "Well, well, well," the carrot topped man said, his sturdy hands upon his sculpted hips. He was rather attractive for someone so vile and irritable. His name was Schuldig, a member of the assassination group known as Schwarz. The telepath reached up a hand to adjust the band around his head nonchalantly. His eyes burned into the violet eyes of the redhead opposite of him. "Look what we have here, as if they could stop us.
The Knight Hunters, the group known to the world as Weiss, stood in front of Schuldig and his cohorts. Aya's face was gleaming in anger, his fists clutching his sword that lay at his side. All of them were clad in black, their usual attire for missions. "You damn well better know that we're going to stop you." Aya seethed from his clenched teeth. Schuldig made his blood boil more than anyone else ever had. He was the one that took his sister into his own hands and used his Sakura-chan to point a gun in his own direction. A small hand placed itself on Aya's shoulder in support. The young Omi's brown eyes sparkled up at Aya in sympathy. He wouldn't let Schuldig get to his friend.
Brad, the raven-haired man smirked and let out a slight chuckle, his hands crossing over his chest and pressed beige suit. Next to him stood a boy with brown hair and vacant eyes in his own white attire. He was known as Nagi Naoe, a telekinetic and youngest member of the Schwarz group. Only 15 years old and had killed more than 10 times his age. On the opposite side of Brad Crawford stood the resident psychopath Farfarello. The silver- haired man who despised the thought of God, ran his blades down his scarred face, caressing them, laughing madly, as if they were his own children.
The poisonous eyes of Schuldig landed upon a girl with brown hair placed up into a high ponytail above her head. She had a look of hatred upon her face, her own eyes burning back into Schuldig's. She was wearing a black pleather jacket, skirt, and knee high boots. A gloved hand was wrapped tightly around her dagger, ready to strike when necessary. Licking his lips, Schuldig looked the pretty up and down hungrily. "I see you have a new lovely lady on your team." He taunted, an evil smirk on his face. "Boys, when we're done with the rest of these clowns, let's spare her. She'll be of use to us for a few hours. Then, we can kill her." All the Schwarz men laughed, it was a miraculous joke to everyone except Nagi, who didn't care for anything except for the blueberry headed Tot of Schrient, and Weiss who was seething in anger.
Yohji grasped at his watch in fury and went to shot out a deadly wire Schuldig's way, but his fist froze. Brad, stepping beside his fiery haired companion, peered from behind his reflective dark glasses. "Don't event try it." He warned quite calmly. Yohji's skin was burning. How dare anyone say anything disrespectful about Tai. Her own face was glowing red.
The snow was falling on top of the good inch that was already there from the previous night. The cold blew everyone's hair back as the tense staring continued. It was time to face the enemies that had been allowed to live for too long already. Farfarello spun his knives around in his fingers expertly, liking his lips, as he was hungry for blood, a crimson liquid that quenched his crazed thirst. "No more talk." He scowled. "More blood!" he cried, darting through the snow and slashing his way towards Ken and Yohji to take them on. Brad appeared behind Aya suddenly, jamming a fist into his back. Aya's eyes bulged and he swung his sowrd in front of him and Brad. "You and me, any day." Aya said harshly towards the grinning Brad. Schuldig, disappearing in the frosty air, reappeared towards Tai's scowling face. He grinned and bowed respectfully. "May I have this fight, madam?" he asked, taunting, ushering towards the vacant patch of snow beside of them. Tai laughed, spinning her dagger in her hand, waiting to strike. "You can have your head on a platter if you like, because that's the only thing I'll spare after I'm done with you!" she screamed his way. Schuldig's eyes lit up at the challenge. "Excellent, I love my women feisty and aggressive." he stated as he lunged towards her. This left Omi and Nagi standing face to face, blinking at one another, the two children pondering what exactly to do. Aya raised his sword and slammed it down, aiming straight for Brad Crawford's heart. In an instant, Brad moved slyly out of the way with expert ease, his hands jammed into his pockets as if fighting with Aya was merely nothing. "Oh come now, Ran, are you telling me you haven't gotten more experienced after are last meeting?" He was still continuously dodging Aya's attacks as the sword came slicing his way. Aya was grunting, his eyes flashing in anger.
"No, but I am telling you that this time I'm going to kill you and leave your body here for the wolves." Aya's teeth were bared as he charged at Brad who slipped off to the side yet again. A sever blow jammed itself into Aya's stomach and he toppled over, the wind escaping from his parted lips. Brad had punched him when he was least expecting it. Brad extended his cold fingers and grabbed Aya's hair at the roots, snapping it backwards. "You're pathetic." He seethed as he kicked Aya down towards the ground. In a cat-like somersault, Aya rolled himself to his feet, his boots crunching down upon the snow. All to fast for Brad to predict, Aya's sword slashed straight into Brad Crawford's leg. Blood splashed outwards from the connection, on top of the snow and onto Aya's face.
Brad bent over in pain, his sunglasses falling of off his face. Twisted in pain, he spoke towards his assailant in a snarl, "I'm going to kill you." He said. Aya stood up and raised his sword, pointing it at Brad Crawford's neck. "Correction. I am going to kill you." He said triumphantly. With dire determination set in his eyes and a look of complete hatred and victory at the same time on his face, Aya hurled himself through the air. His sword was ready to make the long awaited connection with Brad Crawford, aiming straight for the throat. Soon, Aya would turn the newly white snow a deep velvet red. Two youth's with fair hair stood off alone, gazing into each other's eyes, waiting for a move, any move from the other assassin to begin making the invitation for battle. "Aren't you going to strike at me?" The emotionless telepath, Nagi, asked calmly and bluntly to the youngest member of Weiss.
Omi stood his lips blue from the cold. A bow was clasped in his right hand while a dart was clutched in his left. His brown eyes flashed over at Nagi. "Would you like me too?" Nagi thought momentarily. He raised his head to the falling snow and opened his mouth to speak. "I don't care." He stood for a moment, watching the snowfall from the deep black sky over his head. It fell over his face, stinging him in specks of frost, landing in his soft brown hair and delicate eyelashes. "Why do we fight when we know we will die?" Omi blinked at the other boy's question. Was he trying to play with his mind or was he actually being serious. Omi raised his bow in front of his face, taking aim towards Nagi's heart. He felt the hard plastic of the bulk of the dart in his fingers as he set it carefully into position. "For our beliefs." Omi replied. He shivered, a look of tragedy appearing into his eyes before he added, "For the ones we love."
Nagi instantly looked down and back at the boy in front of him. Love...He turned his head to the side and looked away, a hard expression on his face. "If we fight for our beliefs and those we love," he began. "I have lost everything and have no reason to fight." A hand went over his hard as he moved his face downward, clutching onto his white shirt sadly.
There was a release of a string, a slicing of air, as flash of green. It was making it's way towards Nagi, one of Omi's deadly darts flying through the air to end the other boy's tragedy. Omi's eyes were shut in sadness momentarily. The opened once again, shock passing onto his face when he did not hear Nagi's body hit the snow.
The boy in front of him stood staring at the dart that was sent his way. The green dart was extended and ceased in mid-air, stopped from its course towards his corrupted heart. Omi's eyes squinted in annoyance, his face scrunched up in agitation. "Damn." He whispered to himself as he watched the dart fall into the snow, making a light imprint in between the two children. Nagi smiled coldly, closing his eyes softly once more. "I fight to kill." He stated with immense simplicity. A glow emitted from Nagi's body, enveloping him entirely as it summoned powers from the depths of Hell to do his bidding.
A shining object glinted in the light as Nagi held out an open palm. A silver pin lay inside of it, presumably borrowed y the human mutilator, Farfarello. It raised into the air slowly as Nagi opened his eyes, a smile of playfullness appearing ever so suddenly. "And now, my dear friend," he said softly. "I am going to kill you." The pin flew straight through the air and right for Omi's heart.
Wincing in anticipation of the death that was about to befall him, he prayed. He prayed to God for the safety of his friends and the happiness of his beloved sister-figure, Tai. The pin to much too long to reach his heart. Instead, it took a detour, lodging itself in Omi's ribs, not intending to kill him at all. Was this all a part of Nagi's twisted battle plan? Blood dripped from the wound as Omi hunched over in pain.
Across from him, Nagi bowed respectfully, clasping his hands behind him. "I have no more time for this mere child's play." He stated coldly. After closing his eyes once again, Nagi disappeared, leaving Omi bloody and wounded in the middle of the snow. "Ken-kun, watch out!" Yohji's scream splinted through the winter air in desperation. The silver haired maniac was licking his blades sadistically as Yohji's companion pummeled himself through the air. His goggled were tightly attached to his forehead, his leather brown glove raised, the claws emitting a sharp and deadly glow as they raised straight towards Farfarello. Ken would not let this bastard get away alive. Not again.
Ken's eyes widened in triumph, he was headed straight for the man's heart. He was going, flying, claws raised to strike and then...blood. Blood splattered all around the white sheets of night. Crimson liquid cascading in waterfalls through the darkness and melting its way inside of the white that lay below them. Dreams revealed, dreams shattered, like a lover's tears yearning for her companion. Lost dreams, faded compassion, broken wings shattering the hearts of angels from the celestial heavens. Stars, oh stars of night, can you save the hearts of men fighting for justice? Take away the pain, take away the world's pain, why must we fight? Why must we die?
"Ken!" Yohji screamed, his face twisting in horror as he watched the scene play before him.
A gurgle escaped Ken's mouth as Farfarello's laugh bellowed, retracting his blood stained knives from Ken's body. Forward, he was falling forward into the snow, his own blood staining the gifts from heaven, staining himself. His sins were spilling onto the ground, looking for a place to hide from the light, away from the body of their sinner.
Laughing once more as the blood trickled from Ken's mouth, Farfarello snapped his wrist, pinning Ken's shoulder to the ground only splattering more blood onto the ground. We fight, we fall, we spill one another's blood, we die. But he was already dead on the inside. We're all dead. Why do we fight?
Ken's eyes widened in shock. His dreams shattered, shattered with his tears and his body. Take me home. Ken's eyes shut in pain and he let his sins bleed into the earth. A wire cut through the air and wrapped its way tautly around Farfarello's neck. The man hissed and shot a nasty glance Yohji's way. Yohji's eyes were squinted in pain and horror. How dare this man defile his friend! How dare he lay his filthy weapons into a good man's heart and be able to fill himself with such pride. Perspiration slid down his face as he clenched the wire tighter. He will kill this man...
In an instant, the rope became slack in Yohji's hand. Farfarello was quick enough to cut it with a pin that emerged from between his very own lips. Yohji's eyes widened in shock and prepared himself. Silver shot through the air. The silver of hair and the silver of knives. This couldn't be good. But he would fight, fight for Tai. More blood infiltrated the snow. He would fight for friendship, and for love, must he die in the process. Pain. Pain never stopped. Neither did the bleeding from inside and out, she was bleeding out. Schuldig's knife slit across her collarbone, ripping her skin roughly down her ride side to her hip. She screamed a bloodcurdling scream that ripped through the night like rabid tigers. She felt her own pain, she felt her emotional and physical pain both. Waterfalls of red slid down to the ground. Schuldig's eyes danced in amusement. "Oh no, did you make a mess my love?" he taunted.
Tai placed a hand over her body, holding onto her ripped side, the blood flowing over her glove and covering her hand and arm. Her voice was raspy and hard, "I'll show you a mess..." she flung herself towards him, her dagger cutting right through his shoulder as she rammed him into the ground, pinning him with her dead weight. Pieces if her hair fell in wet snowy strings over her face and into her determined eyes. His own blood added to the red that already covered the area. Growling in pain and agitation, Schuldig spat at the girl and cried, "Bitch!" He raised his scarred hand, caked in blood, slashing at her face with his knife. She fell backwards, spraying the ground once again, a slight gash on her cheek. That would leave a scar.
Schuldig clutched his shoulder, his own blood soaking his jacket and hand. He staggered over towards Tai who was fallen into the ground. His teeth were bared and his red hair was hanging wet as it framed around his face. His knife raised once more in an attempt to kill this time. Tai was defeated, she knew she was. Schuldig had her in the palm of her hand. She would die and leave the only thing she had left in this world behind. Gomen ne, Yohji. A tear slipped down her cheek as Schuldig's knife glinted in the moonlight and made it's way towards her shattered heart. She closed her eyes, come sweet death. Hands cupped around her shoulders and she saw a yellow light.
Why was she not dead? Her eyes fluttered open. She was inside of a building now. It was the hallway into her father's office. Why was she here? Who had...her eyes looked up and stared into the emotionless face of Nagi Naoe. He had saved Tai from the wrath of one of his own team members. She flinched in pain and weakness. "Why did you...?" She began to ask before her voice cracked off. Where had all her strength gone? Nagi did not smile, he stayed the same as he always did, expressionless. His dead eyes burned into hers and he whispered softly into her ear, "It is not your time to die." She blinked as he said those words, but then he had gone just as fast as he had come.
Stumbling to get up, her head spun. Tai was still bleeding badly, she was clutching onto her shoulder as she stared towards the door. "Daddy's office..." she said slowly. This was it, this was where her father would be. The man she had not seen in two years. The man that killed a part of her, her twin brother. The man she called father. Gathering whatever strength she had left, she wrapped her hand around the doorknob before her. "I'm coming for you, daddy..." she whispered a she flung the door open and stepped inside of the office.
A burly man in a black suit sat at the desk, his hands folded tightly in front of him. He had not changed a bit since the last time Tai had seen him. This time, however, he was no longer drunk. Her father was completely sober. An eerie smile played upon her father's face as she looked at him in disgust. Getting up from his seat his father walked over towards the center of this office, his shoes tapping ever so slightly against the wood. "I've been waiting for you." He said calmly, his smile growing wider.
Tai gasped, clutching her knife out in front of her. He knew she was coming? Her father stepped forward and closed his eyes. "I'm afraid we have some unfinished business, my darling daughter." He said, his eyes opening once more. Cold. Hateful. Dead. Tai's lips trembled as tears began to form in her eyes, the green in them becoming brighter with pain. "I am not you're daughter." She said hatefully, pushing her knife his way. Kill him. Kill him.
Her father chuckled and nodded. "Oh yes, you won't be anymore, my dear Tai. I'm going to kill you just like I did your brother." Aki...Aki...Tai screamed, dropping her knife in pain. She couldn't bear to be in his presence. Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked up to face her father, and right into the barrel of a gun.
Bang. Whiz. Red again. It was her heart. Her bleeding heart. That's where all the blood began to come from. She was dead before, and she would be dead now as the blood fell in pools from the pain of her past flooded from her body to shower the office floor. Backwards. Crash. Glass flew along with her body and her tears as she went flying.
"I'm coming, Aki..." she whispered. She was flying through the cold, and the snow. She landed with a thud on the snow below of the office building. Tai's eyes looked up at the snow that was coming down and the moonlight before her eyes. Blood flowed like a river from the wounds on her body, seeping into the snow as the white absorbed her pain welcomingly. "Aki..." she whispered again. Footsteps in the snow. Cry of pain. "Tai!" Tai! Hang on!" a male cried. Tai's glassy eyes looked up. "Yohji?" she asked. The blond headed male kneeled beside the woman he loved and respected, her blood flowing into his hand ad he pressed it onto her wound in a feeble attempt to stop the blood from pouring out of her. Tai smiled, reaching up a hand weakly to touch his tear-stained cheek. "I'm sorry, I lied..." she whispred. Yohji slammed his eyes shut and placed his head down onto her chest as he choked, "Shut up! Don't speak.." Shine bright morning light... Tai closed her eyes and coughed, blood pouring from her mouth, covering her blue lips with the red that had once naturally flushed them before. Yohji's face was pale as a ghost. His cheeks were stained with her blood and his tears. Together they flowed down into the snow as he wrapped his arms around her body, bringing her close to him in an attempt to make her warm. Her body was dangling and lifeless. Now in the air the spring is coming... Blood. There was so much blood. How could he make the blood stop? Oh God, how could he make her stop bleeding. "Don't leave!" Youhji cried, jamming his lips onto hers in an attempt to save her with a passionate kiss. "I need you, with me." Tai shut her eyes again and coughed. More blood. She was so weak, God she was weak. Yohji clung to her. "I'm sorry. Aki needs me too. It's time for me to go with Aki." She said, her voice cracking every time she spoke. "Roses wilt in the winter..." she said thoughtfully. Yohji's eyes shed even more tears, what was she saying? "No, no, not you! You're never going to wilt!" Sweet blowing wind...singing down the hills and valleys... Tai softly gasped for breath, her skin losing all the color it once had. Yohji couldn't let her go. Tai couldn't die. She wasn't supposed to leave him, he couldn't have this happen again. Asuka...Tai...No....not again! Not ever again. He pressed her body close to his. Tai lifted her head up, her bloody lips touching his lips so softly as she spoke, dead breath escaping her lungs. "I...love you..." she raised a hand to his cheek. "I love you too. "he cried back as he spouted more tears from his jade eyes. Keep your eyes on me... Her hand fell from his cheek. Her eyes closed shut, her body lay lifeless and limp in the arms of the only man she could ever love. Yohji's eyes winced shut and he pressed her dead body to his chest. "You're not leaving me! Do you hear me Tai? I will not let you leave me!" he screamed in desperation as if to curse God for what he had done to his beloved. Tai was gone. Gone from this world and gone from him. There was nothing left. Nothing left to be with her... Now we're on the edge of hell... Yohji looked down at Tai's dead face. She still looked beautiful, she always had and always will. Yohji brushed a strand of his blond hair red with blood from his eyes and he smiled down at her, his tears falling onto her dead cheeks. "You came to Aki, now I am coming to you." He lowered his head and pressed his chapped lips agaisnt Tai's soft and lifeless ones. She was cold. So very cold. Dear my love, sweet morning light...
Yohji raised the hand with his watch and pulled the wire from it. He looked down one last time at the woman he loved and let the tears fall once again. He slowly lifted her head and wrapped the wire around. He lowered his head and kissed Tai's lips once again. "I'm coming, Tai. Wait for me, we'll be together soon. Yohji wrapped the wire again around his own neck as he kept her in the kiss. Clenching his fist tightly, he pulled. Wait for me, you've gone much farther...too far... Roses always die in winter. ************************* Oh goooooodddd that took a while. *sweatdrops* Gomen ne, minna! Please don't hurt me for what I have done to the beloved Weiss boys. Ahhh...anyways...please Read and Review and all that stuff n' fluff. My next fic won't be serious and epic, just a nice humorous one-shot. One shots are goooooood....now...I need sleep! *runs off to rest her aching eyes* Thank you SO much for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! ~Chibi Selphie Kudou
Shine bright morning light
Now in the air the spring is coming
Sweet blowing wind
Singing down the hills and valleys
Keep your eyes on me
Now we're on the edge of hell
Dear my love, sweet morning light
Wait for me, you've gone much farther, too far...
Morning...Morning...could Tai even remember that morning? Fluttering open, a pair of jade colored eyes peered out into the world. Tai had awoken that morning. Wrapped in her white sheets she yawned and tossed herself over. The night before was the most amazing night Tai had ever had in her life, but, where was he? She should have awoken to the face of her lover but the opposite side of her was completely vacant. Utter confusion played in Tai's eyes and she sat herself up quickly. Clutching the sheets to her chest, she scanned the room. There, upon his own bed, Yohji was seated.
It was obvious he had made no attempt at getting dressed. Since he was a decent man, he did manage to rummage for his boxers betwixt Tai's sheets before placing himself into another part of the room. Yohji was staring out the window with completely vacant eyes. The only thing readable about him was that he must have been deep in thought. He was nervous, his bare chest revealed his irregular breathing patterns. Between his lip was a cigarette, one that would travel into the ashtray along with the six he had before beside of his bed. Whenever Yohji chain-smoked, it symbolized that something was not right with him. There was something wrong. Could it have possibly been her?
Yohji turned his head towards Tai who was blinking from her own bed. His face was pale and tragic. Pain. Hurt. Mystery. Love. He forced a smile upon his face, his lips twitching in complete fakery. He would smile only for her. "I see my princess has awoken." Tai saw straight through this mask Yohji had put upon his face. He was obviously upset, and it was rare for Yohji to place any barriers from her. Tai had always thought she was special, that she was the key to his heart so he could be free to fly and love again. Freedom. A word filled with so many restraints. Was it possible for a man like Yohji to ever be free? He was thinking too harshly that morning. Tai, in her head, pondered if she did something wrong.
Lowering her eyes, a reddish tint appearing over her pale cheeks, she came to a realization that shocked and stung at her heart. "Was I that bad?" a meek voiced asked ever so softly. Yohji's eyes widened in disbelief as he heard the angel's voice ask the most horrible question she could ask. Bad? Was she bad? How could Tai possibly bad? She was wonderful. Her body, her skin, her lips, her touch. She had fulfilled Yohji's heart with a feeling he had been deprived with all of his life. How could a woman so tender and magical, a woman so angelic, possibly be bad at love in all of it's ways?
"Are you joking?" Yohji said, almost half-laughing. He stood up, his muscles relaxing. His golden hair shimmered in the sunlight that poured through the window in a heavenly radiance. He slowly walked his way across the room to Tai's bedside. He placed a hand gently on top of her head as she looked up at him with her glimmering eyes. "You could never be bad." He finished in a whisper. He leaned over, his breath tickling her forehead as his lips softly pressed against its cool skin in the most miraculous sincerity.
A grin spread across Tai's face, she was absolutely and completely glad. She blinked for a moment as Yohji placed himself beside her, forcing the bed to sink a bit more from his weight. "Then what's wrong?" she asked, running her slender fingers through his golden locks as a mother would, and as she used to do....to him. Her Aki. Now, only her Yohji could gain her affections anymore. Aki was dead and Omi had been rather distant lately. It was all out of due respect of course, he wanted to give Yohji and Tai their space.
A painful look flashed through Yohji's eyes, as he looked her straight into her beautiful face. "I," he began, his voice cracking with emotion ever so silently. "I once loved like this before. And she died on a very important mission we were on back when I was a private investigator. I thought I could never love again, until the day you walked into my life like a wingless angel, broken within herself due to her own tragic pain. I can't lose you..." his voice trailed off, his eyes glimmering as he turned his face away from her.
Tai's eyes widened in shock. Was this the same Yohji Kudou she met only weeks before? Was this same, strong, humurous, man actually broken down in tears? And for her? Slender arms wrapped around Yohji's waist in a tight embrace. Tai's cool cheek pressed against his warm skin as she squeezed her eyes shut. She wouldn't leave him...she couldn't leave him. They needed one another more than humans needed water to survive. They needed each other to survive. Tai looked up at him, her eyes welling up and sparkling with tears of tragedy and happiness mixed together in a stream of reckless madness, "Yohji, I will be with you always. No matter what happens, I love you more than anything else in this world.
That was when the stream trickled down. The stream was on his cheek and came from his very own eye. Yohji Kudou, the pathetic man with a tragic life, the lonely man with no purpose and no emotion left inside of him, was crying for the girl he had loved more than the world. He cared not for his own pathetic soul, he was crying for the tragic soul of the young woman embracing him and his heart. Tai had the abilities to pick up the lost and broken pieces and put them together so gently that there was no way this woman could possibly be human.
The two lovers stared at each other for a moment longer until Yohji stood up, his body looming over her like a valiant knight. He placed a tender calloused hand upon her wet cheek and grinned, his eyes dancing. "You seem to have lost something else, my love." He mocked. Tai blinked in confusion and her eyes flashed in annoyance for a split seconds. Yohji pushed a finger into her tiny nose and finished, "You're clothes." Immediately, Tai's face turned bright crimson as she pushed her sheets into her chest even harder, scrunching her body up sheepishly. Making his was towards the door, Yohji winked, and opened it. Once outside her turned back towards Tai and smiled. "By the way, I love you too." He said bluntly. He exited, closing the door softly behind him. Once outside her bowed his head down, a grin over his face. His hand was clenched around the doorknob in depseration. Leaving...leaving....she can't leave...he loved her. This time, there was no one there to force the streams flowing from his eyes back in. Yohji Kudou had broken, and could no longer stop his tears of pain. *** "Well, well, well," the carrot topped man said, his sturdy hands upon his sculpted hips. He was rather attractive for someone so vile and irritable. His name was Schuldig, a member of the assassination group known as Schwarz. The telepath reached up a hand to adjust the band around his head nonchalantly. His eyes burned into the violet eyes of the redhead opposite of him. "Look what we have here, as if they could stop us.
The Knight Hunters, the group known to the world as Weiss, stood in front of Schuldig and his cohorts. Aya's face was gleaming in anger, his fists clutching his sword that lay at his side. All of them were clad in black, their usual attire for missions. "You damn well better know that we're going to stop you." Aya seethed from his clenched teeth. Schuldig made his blood boil more than anyone else ever had. He was the one that took his sister into his own hands and used his Sakura-chan to point a gun in his own direction. A small hand placed itself on Aya's shoulder in support. The young Omi's brown eyes sparkled up at Aya in sympathy. He wouldn't let Schuldig get to his friend.
Brad, the raven-haired man smirked and let out a slight chuckle, his hands crossing over his chest and pressed beige suit. Next to him stood a boy with brown hair and vacant eyes in his own white attire. He was known as Nagi Naoe, a telekinetic and youngest member of the Schwarz group. Only 15 years old and had killed more than 10 times his age. On the opposite side of Brad Crawford stood the resident psychopath Farfarello. The silver- haired man who despised the thought of God, ran his blades down his scarred face, caressing them, laughing madly, as if they were his own children.
The poisonous eyes of Schuldig landed upon a girl with brown hair placed up into a high ponytail above her head. She had a look of hatred upon her face, her own eyes burning back into Schuldig's. She was wearing a black pleather jacket, skirt, and knee high boots. A gloved hand was wrapped tightly around her dagger, ready to strike when necessary. Licking his lips, Schuldig looked the pretty up and down hungrily. "I see you have a new lovely lady on your team." He taunted, an evil smirk on his face. "Boys, when we're done with the rest of these clowns, let's spare her. She'll be of use to us for a few hours. Then, we can kill her." All the Schwarz men laughed, it was a miraculous joke to everyone except Nagi, who didn't care for anything except for the blueberry headed Tot of Schrient, and Weiss who was seething in anger.
Yohji grasped at his watch in fury and went to shot out a deadly wire Schuldig's way, but his fist froze. Brad, stepping beside his fiery haired companion, peered from behind his reflective dark glasses. "Don't event try it." He warned quite calmly. Yohji's skin was burning. How dare anyone say anything disrespectful about Tai. Her own face was glowing red.
The snow was falling on top of the good inch that was already there from the previous night. The cold blew everyone's hair back as the tense staring continued. It was time to face the enemies that had been allowed to live for too long already. Farfarello spun his knives around in his fingers expertly, liking his lips, as he was hungry for blood, a crimson liquid that quenched his crazed thirst. "No more talk." He scowled. "More blood!" he cried, darting through the snow and slashing his way towards Ken and Yohji to take them on. Brad appeared behind Aya suddenly, jamming a fist into his back. Aya's eyes bulged and he swung his sowrd in front of him and Brad. "You and me, any day." Aya said harshly towards the grinning Brad. Schuldig, disappearing in the frosty air, reappeared towards Tai's scowling face. He grinned and bowed respectfully. "May I have this fight, madam?" he asked, taunting, ushering towards the vacant patch of snow beside of them. Tai laughed, spinning her dagger in her hand, waiting to strike. "You can have your head on a platter if you like, because that's the only thing I'll spare after I'm done with you!" she screamed his way. Schuldig's eyes lit up at the challenge. "Excellent, I love my women feisty and aggressive." he stated as he lunged towards her. This left Omi and Nagi standing face to face, blinking at one another, the two children pondering what exactly to do. Aya raised his sword and slammed it down, aiming straight for Brad Crawford's heart. In an instant, Brad moved slyly out of the way with expert ease, his hands jammed into his pockets as if fighting with Aya was merely nothing. "Oh come now, Ran, are you telling me you haven't gotten more experienced after are last meeting?" He was still continuously dodging Aya's attacks as the sword came slicing his way. Aya was grunting, his eyes flashing in anger.
"No, but I am telling you that this time I'm going to kill you and leave your body here for the wolves." Aya's teeth were bared as he charged at Brad who slipped off to the side yet again. A sever blow jammed itself into Aya's stomach and he toppled over, the wind escaping from his parted lips. Brad had punched him when he was least expecting it. Brad extended his cold fingers and grabbed Aya's hair at the roots, snapping it backwards. "You're pathetic." He seethed as he kicked Aya down towards the ground. In a cat-like somersault, Aya rolled himself to his feet, his boots crunching down upon the snow. All to fast for Brad to predict, Aya's sword slashed straight into Brad Crawford's leg. Blood splashed outwards from the connection, on top of the snow and onto Aya's face.
Brad bent over in pain, his sunglasses falling of off his face. Twisted in pain, he spoke towards his assailant in a snarl, "I'm going to kill you." He said. Aya stood up and raised his sword, pointing it at Brad Crawford's neck. "Correction. I am going to kill you." He said triumphantly. With dire determination set in his eyes and a look of complete hatred and victory at the same time on his face, Aya hurled himself through the air. His sword was ready to make the long awaited connection with Brad Crawford, aiming straight for the throat. Soon, Aya would turn the newly white snow a deep velvet red. Two youth's with fair hair stood off alone, gazing into each other's eyes, waiting for a move, any move from the other assassin to begin making the invitation for battle. "Aren't you going to strike at me?" The emotionless telepath, Nagi, asked calmly and bluntly to the youngest member of Weiss.
Omi stood his lips blue from the cold. A bow was clasped in his right hand while a dart was clutched in his left. His brown eyes flashed over at Nagi. "Would you like me too?" Nagi thought momentarily. He raised his head to the falling snow and opened his mouth to speak. "I don't care." He stood for a moment, watching the snowfall from the deep black sky over his head. It fell over his face, stinging him in specks of frost, landing in his soft brown hair and delicate eyelashes. "Why do we fight when we know we will die?" Omi blinked at the other boy's question. Was he trying to play with his mind or was he actually being serious. Omi raised his bow in front of his face, taking aim towards Nagi's heart. He felt the hard plastic of the bulk of the dart in his fingers as he set it carefully into position. "For our beliefs." Omi replied. He shivered, a look of tragedy appearing into his eyes before he added, "For the ones we love."
Nagi instantly looked down and back at the boy in front of him. Love...He turned his head to the side and looked away, a hard expression on his face. "If we fight for our beliefs and those we love," he began. "I have lost everything and have no reason to fight." A hand went over his hard as he moved his face downward, clutching onto his white shirt sadly.
There was a release of a string, a slicing of air, as flash of green. It was making it's way towards Nagi, one of Omi's deadly darts flying through the air to end the other boy's tragedy. Omi's eyes were shut in sadness momentarily. The opened once again, shock passing onto his face when he did not hear Nagi's body hit the snow.
The boy in front of him stood staring at the dart that was sent his way. The green dart was extended and ceased in mid-air, stopped from its course towards his corrupted heart. Omi's eyes squinted in annoyance, his face scrunched up in agitation. "Damn." He whispered to himself as he watched the dart fall into the snow, making a light imprint in between the two children. Nagi smiled coldly, closing his eyes softly once more. "I fight to kill." He stated with immense simplicity. A glow emitted from Nagi's body, enveloping him entirely as it summoned powers from the depths of Hell to do his bidding.
A shining object glinted in the light as Nagi held out an open palm. A silver pin lay inside of it, presumably borrowed y the human mutilator, Farfarello. It raised into the air slowly as Nagi opened his eyes, a smile of playfullness appearing ever so suddenly. "And now, my dear friend," he said softly. "I am going to kill you." The pin flew straight through the air and right for Omi's heart.
Wincing in anticipation of the death that was about to befall him, he prayed. He prayed to God for the safety of his friends and the happiness of his beloved sister-figure, Tai. The pin to much too long to reach his heart. Instead, it took a detour, lodging itself in Omi's ribs, not intending to kill him at all. Was this all a part of Nagi's twisted battle plan? Blood dripped from the wound as Omi hunched over in pain.
Across from him, Nagi bowed respectfully, clasping his hands behind him. "I have no more time for this mere child's play." He stated coldly. After closing his eyes once again, Nagi disappeared, leaving Omi bloody and wounded in the middle of the snow. "Ken-kun, watch out!" Yohji's scream splinted through the winter air in desperation. The silver haired maniac was licking his blades sadistically as Yohji's companion pummeled himself through the air. His goggled were tightly attached to his forehead, his leather brown glove raised, the claws emitting a sharp and deadly glow as they raised straight towards Farfarello. Ken would not let this bastard get away alive. Not again.
Ken's eyes widened in triumph, he was headed straight for the man's heart. He was going, flying, claws raised to strike and then...blood. Blood splattered all around the white sheets of night. Crimson liquid cascading in waterfalls through the darkness and melting its way inside of the white that lay below them. Dreams revealed, dreams shattered, like a lover's tears yearning for her companion. Lost dreams, faded compassion, broken wings shattering the hearts of angels from the celestial heavens. Stars, oh stars of night, can you save the hearts of men fighting for justice? Take away the pain, take away the world's pain, why must we fight? Why must we die?
"Ken!" Yohji screamed, his face twisting in horror as he watched the scene play before him.
A gurgle escaped Ken's mouth as Farfarello's laugh bellowed, retracting his blood stained knives from Ken's body. Forward, he was falling forward into the snow, his own blood staining the gifts from heaven, staining himself. His sins were spilling onto the ground, looking for a place to hide from the light, away from the body of their sinner.
Laughing once more as the blood trickled from Ken's mouth, Farfarello snapped his wrist, pinning Ken's shoulder to the ground only splattering more blood onto the ground. We fight, we fall, we spill one another's blood, we die. But he was already dead on the inside. We're all dead. Why do we fight?
Ken's eyes widened in shock. His dreams shattered, shattered with his tears and his body. Take me home. Ken's eyes shut in pain and he let his sins bleed into the earth. A wire cut through the air and wrapped its way tautly around Farfarello's neck. The man hissed and shot a nasty glance Yohji's way. Yohji's eyes were squinted in pain and horror. How dare this man defile his friend! How dare he lay his filthy weapons into a good man's heart and be able to fill himself with such pride. Perspiration slid down his face as he clenched the wire tighter. He will kill this man...
In an instant, the rope became slack in Yohji's hand. Farfarello was quick enough to cut it with a pin that emerged from between his very own lips. Yohji's eyes widened in shock and prepared himself. Silver shot through the air. The silver of hair and the silver of knives. This couldn't be good. But he would fight, fight for Tai. More blood infiltrated the snow. He would fight for friendship, and for love, must he die in the process. Pain. Pain never stopped. Neither did the bleeding from inside and out, she was bleeding out. Schuldig's knife slit across her collarbone, ripping her skin roughly down her ride side to her hip. She screamed a bloodcurdling scream that ripped through the night like rabid tigers. She felt her own pain, she felt her emotional and physical pain both. Waterfalls of red slid down to the ground. Schuldig's eyes danced in amusement. "Oh no, did you make a mess my love?" he taunted.
Tai placed a hand over her body, holding onto her ripped side, the blood flowing over her glove and covering her hand and arm. Her voice was raspy and hard, "I'll show you a mess..." she flung herself towards him, her dagger cutting right through his shoulder as she rammed him into the ground, pinning him with her dead weight. Pieces if her hair fell in wet snowy strings over her face and into her determined eyes. His own blood added to the red that already covered the area. Growling in pain and agitation, Schuldig spat at the girl and cried, "Bitch!" He raised his scarred hand, caked in blood, slashing at her face with his knife. She fell backwards, spraying the ground once again, a slight gash on her cheek. That would leave a scar.
Schuldig clutched his shoulder, his own blood soaking his jacket and hand. He staggered over towards Tai who was fallen into the ground. His teeth were bared and his red hair was hanging wet as it framed around his face. His knife raised once more in an attempt to kill this time. Tai was defeated, she knew she was. Schuldig had her in the palm of her hand. She would die and leave the only thing she had left in this world behind. Gomen ne, Yohji. A tear slipped down her cheek as Schuldig's knife glinted in the moonlight and made it's way towards her shattered heart. She closed her eyes, come sweet death. Hands cupped around her shoulders and she saw a yellow light.
Why was she not dead? Her eyes fluttered open. She was inside of a building now. It was the hallway into her father's office. Why was she here? Who had...her eyes looked up and stared into the emotionless face of Nagi Naoe. He had saved Tai from the wrath of one of his own team members. She flinched in pain and weakness. "Why did you...?" She began to ask before her voice cracked off. Where had all her strength gone? Nagi did not smile, he stayed the same as he always did, expressionless. His dead eyes burned into hers and he whispered softly into her ear, "It is not your time to die." She blinked as he said those words, but then he had gone just as fast as he had come.
Stumbling to get up, her head spun. Tai was still bleeding badly, she was clutching onto her shoulder as she stared towards the door. "Daddy's office..." she said slowly. This was it, this was where her father would be. The man she had not seen in two years. The man that killed a part of her, her twin brother. The man she called father. Gathering whatever strength she had left, she wrapped her hand around the doorknob before her. "I'm coming for you, daddy..." she whispered a she flung the door open and stepped inside of the office.
A burly man in a black suit sat at the desk, his hands folded tightly in front of him. He had not changed a bit since the last time Tai had seen him. This time, however, he was no longer drunk. Her father was completely sober. An eerie smile played upon her father's face as she looked at him in disgust. Getting up from his seat his father walked over towards the center of this office, his shoes tapping ever so slightly against the wood. "I've been waiting for you." He said calmly, his smile growing wider.
Tai gasped, clutching her knife out in front of her. He knew she was coming? Her father stepped forward and closed his eyes. "I'm afraid we have some unfinished business, my darling daughter." He said, his eyes opening once more. Cold. Hateful. Dead. Tai's lips trembled as tears began to form in her eyes, the green in them becoming brighter with pain. "I am not you're daughter." She said hatefully, pushing her knife his way. Kill him. Kill him.
Her father chuckled and nodded. "Oh yes, you won't be anymore, my dear Tai. I'm going to kill you just like I did your brother." Aki...Aki...Tai screamed, dropping her knife in pain. She couldn't bear to be in his presence. Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked up to face her father, and right into the barrel of a gun.
Bang. Whiz. Red again. It was her heart. Her bleeding heart. That's where all the blood began to come from. She was dead before, and she would be dead now as the blood fell in pools from the pain of her past flooded from her body to shower the office floor. Backwards. Crash. Glass flew along with her body and her tears as she went flying.
"I'm coming, Aki..." she whispered. She was flying through the cold, and the snow. She landed with a thud on the snow below of the office building. Tai's eyes looked up at the snow that was coming down and the moonlight before her eyes. Blood flowed like a river from the wounds on her body, seeping into the snow as the white absorbed her pain welcomingly. "Aki..." she whispered again. Footsteps in the snow. Cry of pain. "Tai!" Tai! Hang on!" a male cried. Tai's glassy eyes looked up. "Yohji?" she asked. The blond headed male kneeled beside the woman he loved and respected, her blood flowing into his hand ad he pressed it onto her wound in a feeble attempt to stop the blood from pouring out of her. Tai smiled, reaching up a hand weakly to touch his tear-stained cheek. "I'm sorry, I lied..." she whispred. Yohji slammed his eyes shut and placed his head down onto her chest as he choked, "Shut up! Don't speak.." Shine bright morning light... Tai closed her eyes and coughed, blood pouring from her mouth, covering her blue lips with the red that had once naturally flushed them before. Yohji's face was pale as a ghost. His cheeks were stained with her blood and his tears. Together they flowed down into the snow as he wrapped his arms around her body, bringing her close to him in an attempt to make her warm. Her body was dangling and lifeless. Now in the air the spring is coming... Blood. There was so much blood. How could he make the blood stop? Oh God, how could he make her stop bleeding. "Don't leave!" Youhji cried, jamming his lips onto hers in an attempt to save her with a passionate kiss. "I need you, with me." Tai shut her eyes again and coughed. More blood. She was so weak, God she was weak. Yohji clung to her. "I'm sorry. Aki needs me too. It's time for me to go with Aki." She said, her voice cracking every time she spoke. "Roses wilt in the winter..." she said thoughtfully. Yohji's eyes shed even more tears, what was she saying? "No, no, not you! You're never going to wilt!" Sweet blowing wind...singing down the hills and valleys... Tai softly gasped for breath, her skin losing all the color it once had. Yohji couldn't let her go. Tai couldn't die. She wasn't supposed to leave him, he couldn't have this happen again. Asuka...Tai...No....not again! Not ever again. He pressed her body close to his. Tai lifted her head up, her bloody lips touching his lips so softly as she spoke, dead breath escaping her lungs. "I...love you..." she raised a hand to his cheek. "I love you too. "he cried back as he spouted more tears from his jade eyes. Keep your eyes on me... Her hand fell from his cheek. Her eyes closed shut, her body lay lifeless and limp in the arms of the only man she could ever love. Yohji's eyes winced shut and he pressed her dead body to his chest. "You're not leaving me! Do you hear me Tai? I will not let you leave me!" he screamed in desperation as if to curse God for what he had done to his beloved. Tai was gone. Gone from this world and gone from him. There was nothing left. Nothing left to be with her... Now we're on the edge of hell... Yohji looked down at Tai's dead face. She still looked beautiful, she always had and always will. Yohji brushed a strand of his blond hair red with blood from his eyes and he smiled down at her, his tears falling onto her dead cheeks. "You came to Aki, now I am coming to you." He lowered his head and pressed his chapped lips agaisnt Tai's soft and lifeless ones. She was cold. So very cold. Dear my love, sweet morning light...
Yohji raised the hand with his watch and pulled the wire from it. He looked down one last time at the woman he loved and let the tears fall once again. He slowly lifted her head and wrapped the wire around. He lowered his head and kissed Tai's lips once again. "I'm coming, Tai. Wait for me, we'll be together soon. Yohji wrapped the wire again around his own neck as he kept her in the kiss. Clenching his fist tightly, he pulled. Wait for me, you've gone much farther...too far... Roses always die in winter. ************************* Oh goooooodddd that took a while. *sweatdrops* Gomen ne, minna! Please don't hurt me for what I have done to the beloved Weiss boys. Ahhh...anyways...please Read and Review and all that stuff n' fluff. My next fic won't be serious and epic, just a nice humorous one-shot. One shots are goooooood....now...I need sleep! *runs off to rest her aching eyes* Thank you SO much for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! ~Chibi Selphie Kudou