By: Vole
Disclaimer—I do not own Chiba Mamoru, Fiore, or any of the other Bishôjo Senshi Sailor Moon characters that might show up later; they all belong to their creator, Takeuchi Naoko. Of course, all of the other characters are mine, however annoying they may be.
Warning--Violence, some non-consensual situations, and sexual relations in later chapters [slash].
A:N// First off, hi. I'm new to FF.NET, and I hope that this is as good a story as any to get started here. This will be Mamoru/Fiore, and it will probably have much OOCness to it (which I hope won't be too badly done).
Please read and review (and enjoy, quite possibly)
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CHAPTER I – the dealo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
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A brunette youth staggered down the dirt road, his feet throbbing with fresh washes of pain each time they slammed against the ground; but he would not stop. He blinked suddenly, rapidly, sweat beading down his face, against his eyes, sweeping stingingly over his lips. How long had he been running? Surely Tokai, the nearest town, hadn't ever been this far away… But where was everyone? How could he possibly be the only person out that day? No one on the road, no one in the fields that dipped over the edge of the path and spread out toward the horizon…no one was anywhere.
Where was everyone?"Help! Someone, please help! There must be someone! Please!" He screamed, though in vain, he knew; no one was there to hear him.
But suddenly, the soft sound of pattering feet swept up behind him. He pivoted on his heels and gazed back, hoping, with all of his heart, to see someone on the road, someone who might be able to help him.
But all he saw was the outline of his siblings as they ran along, trying to catch up to him. "…Damn…"
"Subaru! Wait up, Subaru! Why didn't you wait for us?" A boy came barreling up to him, his face compacted in frustration, "What's going on?"
"Yonen, no! Why are you following me?" Subaru cried, his voice faltering in pitch as he tried to catch his breath. "And why is Kago with you? Why did you let her leave the house? She's just a baby!" He bent over haggardly, moving to grab for his younger sister just as she, almost coincidentally, tottered toward him.
"She followed me-"
"Oh, just as you've followed me?"
"No, I-""You are a child, Yonen! I told you to remain at the house with Mamoru and father! You were to watch Kago and make sure she was kept safe." He paused a moment, drawing himself up to his full height and shifting the girl in his tired arms. "Yet…you cannot even do that."
"I am not a child! What's going on, Subaru? Tell me what's happening! Father collapsed! Mamoru was yelling! You ran off! What's going on?!" The younger boy exclaimed, tears uncontrollably misting over his eyes.
"You wouldn't understand."
"I would!"
"No. There are more important things for you to do. If you don't want to be a child, you'll take Kago back to the house and wait there until I return."
"I want to help! Please, let me—""Excuse me?" A deep, accent-tainted voice abruptly interrupted their bickering, and both boys jerked their sights toward a figure completely engulfed in a long, black cloak. "I am sorry, but I could not help overhearing your conversation."
"Oh," Subaru sounded in surprise, face masking with confusion.
"Perhaps I might be of assistance to your—father, I believe it was."
"Yes… Good sir, can you?" He faltered, searching for the right words, not wanting to scare the potential help away, "Can you help us? Help my father?"
The figured was silent a moment, still beneath the cloak. Then he spoke, deeply and calmly, "…Take me to him."
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Mamoru looked up as his brothers and sister approached quickly, a strange figure decked all in a cloak trailing behind. "Subaru!"
"Mamoru! I've brought this man to help father. He says that he is a healer; he has magic and can heal him!" The younger boy supplied, hurriedly, but gently, leading the stranger toward his older brother and fallen parent.
"Please, then, sir, help my father," Mamoru begged hoarsely, shifting his father's head against his lap. "Please… I think his heart is failing."
"…I see…" The stranger murmured, before he knelt down to draw his gloved hands over the ailing man's chest.
Mamoru tensed at the touch that this foreigner was placing on his father, but could do little else than look on with apprehension. He knew nothing about him, yet placed his father's life in his hands almost unquestionably. "How…how did you come upon my siblings, stranger?"
"We met him on the street. He offered to help…" Subaru supplied, clearing his throat almost loudly, trying to grab Mamoru's attention. He needed to speak with him, but not while they were so far away; it was a conversation not meant to be yelled, not for the stranger's ears. But how could they speak to each other without him hearing?
…Of course!
Subaru rapidly dragged his hands through a few signs, speaking to Mamoru through the language that they used to talk to Kago; she had been deaf since birth, so it was only natural that they know how to speak to her without words. I'm afraid to let him work on father…but he was the only one to help.
Mamoru drew one of his hands against his father's cheek, seemingly concerned only for his welfare, while the other discreetly signed something. But Subaru could not read it, his brother's words so short and disguised. But it was a small price to pay, for their plan to work.
What? Mamoru… Clearer.
…We shall see if it is not all in vain… Had you caught a look at him before?
No. Subaru shook his head slightly; he's kept that damned cloak on the entire time.
Then I'll watch him—
Suddenly, without any warning, their father cried out beneath the stranger's ministrations, his fingers clutching tightly at the grass ground beneath him, his face stiff with pain.
"What-what are you doing to him?!" Subaru exclaimed, flying forward, his palms shoving frantically against the shoulders of the stranger. "You're hurting him!"
"Subaru!" Mamoru chided, "Look! Leave him be. Look—father is fine. Look."
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Mamoru stood slowly, drawing his father up beside him, "Father, can you stand alright?""Yes, Mamoru, I am alright." He nodded weakly, bringing his eyes to glance at the man who had saved him, his savior, "Ah, many thanks to you, fellow. I am Kaigan. What, may I ask, is your name?"
"I have none."
"Well—regardless, I am indebted to you forever. Please, may you accept something for your good deed? Anything you want you may have. Perhaps some of my crops? A horse? One of my carts? Something-"
"I want your son," the stranger stated abruptly, seeming not to need any time to think over his answer.
"My son?" Kaigan asked, the tone of his voice just short of bafflement, "Wh-why?""Do you not recall what you just told me, my good man? Anything I wanted for saving your life…I believe you said."
"But I—""I could easily have asked for your home, your farm—your life. Yet, I only ask for your son, something which you have two more of, besides."
"You cannot be serious!" Yonen cried.
"I can and I am. You should be grateful I do not want you—or Subaru." He rose smoothly, drawing toward Mamoru, "I only want him."
Mamoru felt eyes on him, the eyes he knew were hidden deep within the darkness of the cloak. He tensed involuntarily, undeniably frightened by the man who now stood so very close to him.
"Why must you do that? Can you not do a good deed without taking something in return?!" Kaigan shouted in frustration.
"I can, my good man, and often times I do perform good deeds without payment. However—" The stranger drew his hand out, running it daringly against Mamoru's cheek, who abruptly reeled away, not wanting to be touched by the wandering, foreign fingers. "However—" his pleased smirk was almost prevalent through his words, "—you offered me a gift, and when opportunity presents itself, I am not one to refuse it."
"But why my child? My child?! My oldest son! I will never see him marry. I will never see him bear children. …No! I will not give him to you." Kaigan staggered forward, toward the man, as if threatening him to a fight; but he clutched at his chest as he did, giving away his weakness. His heart's pain was arising again. "I will not give him to you! You asked of too much! I am not that grateful to you!"
"Old man, you wear my patience thin. You say one thing, yet do another. If you will not willingly part with your son, then I shall take your life; you take from me, I take from you. Or…perhaps, I will just kill your family; that might be a more suitable payment."
"Monster!" Subaru screamed.
"Do not tempt me. I can kill you just as easily as I healed your father."
"Subaru…" Kaigan muttered roughly, half in grief, half expecting his son to take it as a warning and remove himself from the argument. "Please, Sir. You must take something else- anything else."
"No, I want your son. It is either your son, or your family. I give you the opportunity to choose."
The old man looked longly toward his son, his beautiful son, who, no matter what, he would never see again… And he couldn't tell whether the pain in his heart was from the attack, or from sadness. "Ma…Mamoru…"
"Father?" Mamoru drew his deep, ebony eyes up to look at his father, knowing what was coming, but hoping dearly that something might yet get his family out of the deal.
"I…""If it is any consolation, he will not be harmed," the stranger offered monotonously, apathetic to their sickening sentiments.
"Any consolation?" Kaigan cried.
"You heard what I said."
"You-""Father," Mamoru warned this time, not wishing for his father to step farther over the line; it was true that the stranger might be bluffing about his power, but it would be better to take caution about it, than see how far this man would go to get what he wanted.
"…Mamoru…"
"Father?""I…" The old man grabbed brokenly for a deep breath, for the right words, not quite able to prepare himself for what he was to say next, "…I want you to go with him."
"Father?" It was inevitable, Mamoru knew, but he still could not deny that he did not wish to so easily go with the cloaked man.
"Go. There will be no more discussion of this matter. Say good-bye to your brothers…your sister, and…go. …Just—go!"
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So…? Good? Bad? Not worth your time? Let me know. :-)