Alone
Shadow Knight
Chapter 13: Morphing Reality
Disclaimer: No. Not me.
~
Alrighty, I wont waste a lot of time on this part, but I want to thank all of you who have read and reviewed. Heck, if you just read it, I really appreciate it. Okie dokie. Back to the story. ^_^ Enjoy. ~
-Love is never lost, but is always left to be found.-
~
From when I was a little child, having learned the harsh lessons of life from the man I called my father, I had always despised that word. . . that feeling.
Love. . .
Thinking of the word made bile burn at the back of my throat.
I had always sneered and jeered at those of my friends who were "in love." I would always put on a sniping mask, laughing and letting bawdy words slip from my tongue, piercing like a knife. Then, I would watch as they slowly split apart, my comments making my friends feeling insecure, unsure of their bond. At first, I felt I was simply helping them, even when sometimes they would lock themselves in their room for days.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
Yet, as a smile would light my face after each victory, something else was creeping into my heart, leaving me sick with anger and frustration at myself. It burned deep inside of me, making me want to cry out at night as it ripped my heart apart. And finally, on one cold night, I realized what I was missing. It was that one thing I had always longed for and had always feared. . . .
Love.
Now, as a grown man, I felt silly for my recklessness from my younger years. After she had left, I let my heart grow numb and cold. I wouldn't let myself be that exposed, that open ever again. No, never again would I let someone take advantage like she had.
I told myself to forget her, to let her go. And I had succeeded. . . . .or so I had thought. From my office at work, I could see the couples down on the street, holding hands and embracing one another in the cold winter nights. I tried to avoid it, quickly closing my shutters. Yet, when I finally arrived home, I would slowly crawl into my bed and lie there awake, my mind twirling and. . . my heart burning slightly.
For each night, when that deep pain in my chest flickered, I would silently pull back the drawer on my bed stand, shuffle among my belongings, and pull out a small picture, its ends curling from age.
For those nights when the loneliness seemed greatest, I would pull out that picture. I would pull out the only thing to comfort me at night. A picture. . . a picture of my Rogue.
It was the one thing familiar in this now alien world that seemed to surround me. Even when I got up to look in the mirror I was confronted with a cold, calculating man, eyes gleaming with a malicious desire. It was as if someone had changed me overnight.
I couldn't even see my real self anymore.
And it was beginning to scare me.
~
(Pietro P.O.V)
"Pietro. . .?"
Sinking into her cradled hands upon my face, I enjoyed Rogue's satin touch, her fingers stroking delicately along my cheeks. I wanted to breathe in her scent and enjoy her presence as long as I could. Never did I want to miss a moment of her again. Yet, as her hushed whisper slipped quietly in my ear, I stared at her with concern.
Suddenly, her smooth embrace left my cheeks, the slick material sliding down my face like oil. My eyes widened as Rogue's face suddenly twisted from a quiet shock to a horrible suffering, her breathing turned sharp. Looking wildly at me, a ghastly shriek clawed from her throat, shaking her thin frame.
My lips were quivering, fear gripping my heart as my eyes searched frantically across her face, begging her to answer me. My voice felt choked as I gasped for breath, an iron clamp on my lungs. Struggling to catch my breath, I yelled out, "Rogue!"
Cracking her eyes open slightly, she peered through thin slits as she hissed with pain. Stepping forward a step, I reached out a hand to help her. Observing me carefully, her hand rose shakily to grasp mine, but it fell short when an awful scream erupted from her throat. I stared desperately at her, unsure of what to do as her hands reached up to her head, her screaming continuing.
Hysteria gripped me as I watched her. This was the woman that I had needed for so long. The one thing I needed on the cold nights to keep me warm. She was the one who could take away all my pain with one kiss. I hated myself for letting go of her.
She was the part of me that had been missing for so long.
Tears were coursing down her cheeks as she cried out. Oh how my heart screamed at me! Fighting the urge to stay away, I felt my foot take a step closer to her hunched form, having slid to the ground. Her dress spilled like a tipped bottle of ink around her, covering her legs. My heart pounded and stopped for a moment, causing my head to spin slightly.
Even sad, she would always be beautiful.
Yet, as I slipped another foot ahead of me, I felt a sudden jerk on my heart. Was I doing the right thing? I had told, no trained, myself never to let my heart be open to another woman person for the rest of my life. I told myself they were no good. They would only hurt you. . . . I told myself never to get involved with another one again. To always give them the cold shoulder. . . But I never said I would give up my Rogue once I found her again. . .
~No, I'll never lose you again, Rogue. Never again like this. . .~
With a solid gulp in my throat, I stepped closer. When I was about to reach out for her bedraggled form, she suddenly jerked back, a convulsion shook her body and rattled her teeth. She was twitching and shuddering like a demented puppet, pulled by a million strings.
Suddenly, her head was jerked back by one of the invisible strings. Her hair flew backwards, arching like a pair of dark wings beside her face. That's when I saw her face.
"Rogue. ."
I felt something burn slightly in my throat, causing me to slightly blanch. Rogue's eyes stared through me, not seeing. For something was wrong with her eyes that I had always loved so much. Her emerald green ones. . .
Were replaced with a pair of black, pupil less, unseeing eyes.
Standing up slowly, her eyes glazed as they searched desperately. I knew then that she couldn't see me. Suddenly a green flicker appeared in her eyes and she reached out with her small hands toward me. "Pietro," she whispered, her breathing heavy in exertion, ". . please. . . help. . help me. ."
"Rogue!"
Suddenly, as quick as the green flash had appeared, it disappeared, only to be replaced by the dark shadow in her eyes. I walked up to her and grasped her shoulders, shaking her slightly as I searched for her face, now bent down beneath her curtain of hair. "Rogue," I shouted to her, "answer me! What's wrong?!"
All of the sudden, I felt a shiver run down my spine, my nerves jittering as the hair on the back of my neck stood erect. A cold touch of satin slid upon my hands, placed on Rogue's shoulders. I looked at my hands and saw Rogue's black gloves creeping over mine. With silence, I watched her slide my hands off my shoulder and step back, still looking down.
"Rogue," I whispered with concern.
"You silly fool," a harsh and bitter voice murmured from beneath the dark folds of hair, a certain edge growing in the voice, "Rogue's not here."
Her head whipped upwards, revealing a pale white face and those two black eyes that made me shiver.
"Rogue's gone."
Hearing her words left me baffled. ~What? Why is Rogue saying that? And what's up with her eyes?~
"And you will be too, soon."
That shook me out of my dazed reverie. "Dammit Rogue," I felt myself stutter as fear began to rise in my voice, "stop this now. This isn't a joke."
Rogue's normally dark lips were now pale as they thinned and grinned madly at me. Her unseeing eyes staring at me, she simply smiled. Then her eyes widened before she fell to the ground, falling to her hands and knees.
I ran to help her when suddenly I felt something stop me. I couldn't explain it, but there was definitely something different about Rogue. Some strange power pulsed about her, making me feel cold and disturbed. It was giving me the creeps. Reaching out a hand, I touched her black covered back. "Rogue," I whispered slightly, trying to see her face, "please. . please tell me what's wro-?!"
My voice choked after I had laid my hand on her back.
Something had shifted under her skin.
Jumping back, I watched in morbid amusement as the bones in her back shifted, rearranging and splitting. Her flesh was stretched as bone jutted out and moved. Bile burned in my throat as her flesh seemed to crawl and stir as if it had a life of its own. My eyes widened as her shape seemed to get longer. . .lankier.
And her body wasn't the only thing.
I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched her clothes seemed to melt and form a mosaic of colors, swirling as the brewing eye of a storm. They grew darker as they seemed to solidify and take a part in the mixture. The colors grew firm and soon became colors, adorned to her new, laky form.
Unwillingly, I felt myself scoot back a bit farther. She seemed to shake, as if shedding an old skin. Then, slowly, I watched as a fingerless gloved hand pressed against the porcelain floor. Standing up on long, strong legs, Rogue's head slowly rose, revealing her face once again to me.
And once again to shock me. . . this time for the worst.
Her black eyes were gone, only to be replaced by brown ones I had known from before. Smiling at me, I watched as the white streaks I had loved diminished into a darker brown, along with the rest of the chestnut locks.
"Pietro. . ," a voice hissed from the new form.
My eyes grew wide as my lips parted in shock.
"Lance?"
~
New York. . . .
"How are you doing my pretty Kitty?"
The young brunette man shook his shoulder length hair as a laugh erupted from his stomach. Opening his dark eyes, he wiped his eye as he continued to hear the ranting on the other end of the phone. Looking at the wall he saw a picture of him and a few friends gathered around a sign labeled "New York University."
His eyes quickly traveled over to a different picture, this one of a young girl holding the hand of a boy. He smiled. He knew her well, his pretty Kitty.
"Lance!"
As the shriek came through, he replied after hearing his name. Smiling, he sighed into the phone, "Yes, Kitty?"
"Are you going to come visit me for the summer at the mansion? Hey, maybe you'll even change your mind and become a professor along with me? Hmmm?"
"Yeah. . . surrrreee. That and I'll sign up to be an X-Gee-urk!"
"Lance?"
Lance halted as a sudden pain pounded him in his head. Gasping for breath, he felt another wave hit him, this time causing his vision to blur. Dropping the phone, he reached up to his head, the phone clattering onto his desk.
"Lance? Answer me!"
He opened his mouth as a silent screamed passed by his lips. Lance's eyes suddenly widened as they suddenly were inked by a black shadow sweeping through his eyes, encasing his iris and pupil. Then, as soon as the attack had come, his eyes shut heavily and he slid slowly from the chair, slumping to the floor in a broken heap.
Lance tried to stay awake, but found it futile as the darkness of unconsciousness awaited him with a warm embrace. Slipping further in the darkness, he barely caught Kitty's last scream through the earpiece.
"Lance?!?!"
~
I am sooooooooooooo evil I know. ^_^ Ah well. I wanted to stop here cause I wanted to really get it all thought out for the next part. This next part is going to be a bit complex so I hope you guys can hang in there. Thank you all who have been reading and/or reviewing. I REALLLLLLLLYYYYY APPRECIATE IT!!!!! ^_^
I do hope that I can reach 100 after this chapter. Geeze, the plots been going back and forth, back and forth. After I start writing one thing out, another thing pops into my head. Quite frustrating. ^_^
Ah well. Hope you like the chapter. If I reach 100 after this, I'll definitely try to get the chapters out faster than this snail pace. :)
Ciao. ^_~
Gemini------Yes, I do read manga. Thanks for noticing. ^_^
gecko---------Hey if you like it that's nice! But. . . um. . .what's Anti-X supposed to mean? Anti X-Men or Anti-Xavier? Dunno. For the former, no, but for the latter. . . MAYBE. . . ^_^
Shadow Knight
Chapter 13: Morphing Reality
Disclaimer: No. Not me.
~
Alrighty, I wont waste a lot of time on this part, but I want to thank all of you who have read and reviewed. Heck, if you just read it, I really appreciate it. Okie dokie. Back to the story. ^_^ Enjoy. ~
-Love is never lost, but is always left to be found.-
~
From when I was a little child, having learned the harsh lessons of life from the man I called my father, I had always despised that word. . . that feeling.
Love. . .
Thinking of the word made bile burn at the back of my throat.
I had always sneered and jeered at those of my friends who were "in love." I would always put on a sniping mask, laughing and letting bawdy words slip from my tongue, piercing like a knife. Then, I would watch as they slowly split apart, my comments making my friends feeling insecure, unsure of their bond. At first, I felt I was simply helping them, even when sometimes they would lock themselves in their room for days.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
Yet, as a smile would light my face after each victory, something else was creeping into my heart, leaving me sick with anger and frustration at myself. It burned deep inside of me, making me want to cry out at night as it ripped my heart apart. And finally, on one cold night, I realized what I was missing. It was that one thing I had always longed for and had always feared. . . .
Love.
Now, as a grown man, I felt silly for my recklessness from my younger years. After she had left, I let my heart grow numb and cold. I wouldn't let myself be that exposed, that open ever again. No, never again would I let someone take advantage like she had.
I told myself to forget her, to let her go. And I had succeeded. . . . .or so I had thought. From my office at work, I could see the couples down on the street, holding hands and embracing one another in the cold winter nights. I tried to avoid it, quickly closing my shutters. Yet, when I finally arrived home, I would slowly crawl into my bed and lie there awake, my mind twirling and. . . my heart burning slightly.
For each night, when that deep pain in my chest flickered, I would silently pull back the drawer on my bed stand, shuffle among my belongings, and pull out a small picture, its ends curling from age.
For those nights when the loneliness seemed greatest, I would pull out that picture. I would pull out the only thing to comfort me at night. A picture. . . a picture of my Rogue.
It was the one thing familiar in this now alien world that seemed to surround me. Even when I got up to look in the mirror I was confronted with a cold, calculating man, eyes gleaming with a malicious desire. It was as if someone had changed me overnight.
I couldn't even see my real self anymore.
And it was beginning to scare me.
~
(Pietro P.O.V)
"Pietro. . .?"
Sinking into her cradled hands upon my face, I enjoyed Rogue's satin touch, her fingers stroking delicately along my cheeks. I wanted to breathe in her scent and enjoy her presence as long as I could. Never did I want to miss a moment of her again. Yet, as her hushed whisper slipped quietly in my ear, I stared at her with concern.
Suddenly, her smooth embrace left my cheeks, the slick material sliding down my face like oil. My eyes widened as Rogue's face suddenly twisted from a quiet shock to a horrible suffering, her breathing turned sharp. Looking wildly at me, a ghastly shriek clawed from her throat, shaking her thin frame.
My lips were quivering, fear gripping my heart as my eyes searched frantically across her face, begging her to answer me. My voice felt choked as I gasped for breath, an iron clamp on my lungs. Struggling to catch my breath, I yelled out, "Rogue!"
Cracking her eyes open slightly, she peered through thin slits as she hissed with pain. Stepping forward a step, I reached out a hand to help her. Observing me carefully, her hand rose shakily to grasp mine, but it fell short when an awful scream erupted from her throat. I stared desperately at her, unsure of what to do as her hands reached up to her head, her screaming continuing.
Hysteria gripped me as I watched her. This was the woman that I had needed for so long. The one thing I needed on the cold nights to keep me warm. She was the one who could take away all my pain with one kiss. I hated myself for letting go of her.
She was the part of me that had been missing for so long.
Tears were coursing down her cheeks as she cried out. Oh how my heart screamed at me! Fighting the urge to stay away, I felt my foot take a step closer to her hunched form, having slid to the ground. Her dress spilled like a tipped bottle of ink around her, covering her legs. My heart pounded and stopped for a moment, causing my head to spin slightly.
Even sad, she would always be beautiful.
Yet, as I slipped another foot ahead of me, I felt a sudden jerk on my heart. Was I doing the right thing? I had told, no trained, myself never to let my heart be open to another woman person for the rest of my life. I told myself they were no good. They would only hurt you. . . . I told myself never to get involved with another one again. To always give them the cold shoulder. . . But I never said I would give up my Rogue once I found her again. . .
~No, I'll never lose you again, Rogue. Never again like this. . .~
With a solid gulp in my throat, I stepped closer. When I was about to reach out for her bedraggled form, she suddenly jerked back, a convulsion shook her body and rattled her teeth. She was twitching and shuddering like a demented puppet, pulled by a million strings.
Suddenly, her head was jerked back by one of the invisible strings. Her hair flew backwards, arching like a pair of dark wings beside her face. That's when I saw her face.
"Rogue. ."
I felt something burn slightly in my throat, causing me to slightly blanch. Rogue's eyes stared through me, not seeing. For something was wrong with her eyes that I had always loved so much. Her emerald green ones. . .
Were replaced with a pair of black, pupil less, unseeing eyes.
Standing up slowly, her eyes glazed as they searched desperately. I knew then that she couldn't see me. Suddenly a green flicker appeared in her eyes and she reached out with her small hands toward me. "Pietro," she whispered, her breathing heavy in exertion, ". . please. . . help. . help me. ."
"Rogue!"
Suddenly, as quick as the green flash had appeared, it disappeared, only to be replaced by the dark shadow in her eyes. I walked up to her and grasped her shoulders, shaking her slightly as I searched for her face, now bent down beneath her curtain of hair. "Rogue," I shouted to her, "answer me! What's wrong?!"
All of the sudden, I felt a shiver run down my spine, my nerves jittering as the hair on the back of my neck stood erect. A cold touch of satin slid upon my hands, placed on Rogue's shoulders. I looked at my hands and saw Rogue's black gloves creeping over mine. With silence, I watched her slide my hands off my shoulder and step back, still looking down.
"Rogue," I whispered with concern.
"You silly fool," a harsh and bitter voice murmured from beneath the dark folds of hair, a certain edge growing in the voice, "Rogue's not here."
Her head whipped upwards, revealing a pale white face and those two black eyes that made me shiver.
"Rogue's gone."
Hearing her words left me baffled. ~What? Why is Rogue saying that? And what's up with her eyes?~
"And you will be too, soon."
That shook me out of my dazed reverie. "Dammit Rogue," I felt myself stutter as fear began to rise in my voice, "stop this now. This isn't a joke."
Rogue's normally dark lips were now pale as they thinned and grinned madly at me. Her unseeing eyes staring at me, she simply smiled. Then her eyes widened before she fell to the ground, falling to her hands and knees.
I ran to help her when suddenly I felt something stop me. I couldn't explain it, but there was definitely something different about Rogue. Some strange power pulsed about her, making me feel cold and disturbed. It was giving me the creeps. Reaching out a hand, I touched her black covered back. "Rogue," I whispered slightly, trying to see her face, "please. . please tell me what's wro-?!"
My voice choked after I had laid my hand on her back.
Something had shifted under her skin.
Jumping back, I watched in morbid amusement as the bones in her back shifted, rearranging and splitting. Her flesh was stretched as bone jutted out and moved. Bile burned in my throat as her flesh seemed to crawl and stir as if it had a life of its own. My eyes widened as her shape seemed to get longer. . .lankier.
And her body wasn't the only thing.
I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched her clothes seemed to melt and form a mosaic of colors, swirling as the brewing eye of a storm. They grew darker as they seemed to solidify and take a part in the mixture. The colors grew firm and soon became colors, adorned to her new, laky form.
Unwillingly, I felt myself scoot back a bit farther. She seemed to shake, as if shedding an old skin. Then, slowly, I watched as a fingerless gloved hand pressed against the porcelain floor. Standing up on long, strong legs, Rogue's head slowly rose, revealing her face once again to me.
And once again to shock me. . . this time for the worst.
Her black eyes were gone, only to be replaced by brown ones I had known from before. Smiling at me, I watched as the white streaks I had loved diminished into a darker brown, along with the rest of the chestnut locks.
"Pietro. . ," a voice hissed from the new form.
My eyes grew wide as my lips parted in shock.
"Lance?"
~
New York. . . .
"How are you doing my pretty Kitty?"
The young brunette man shook his shoulder length hair as a laugh erupted from his stomach. Opening his dark eyes, he wiped his eye as he continued to hear the ranting on the other end of the phone. Looking at the wall he saw a picture of him and a few friends gathered around a sign labeled "New York University."
His eyes quickly traveled over to a different picture, this one of a young girl holding the hand of a boy. He smiled. He knew her well, his pretty Kitty.
"Lance!"
As the shriek came through, he replied after hearing his name. Smiling, he sighed into the phone, "Yes, Kitty?"
"Are you going to come visit me for the summer at the mansion? Hey, maybe you'll even change your mind and become a professor along with me? Hmmm?"
"Yeah. . . surrrreee. That and I'll sign up to be an X-Gee-urk!"
"Lance?"
Lance halted as a sudden pain pounded him in his head. Gasping for breath, he felt another wave hit him, this time causing his vision to blur. Dropping the phone, he reached up to his head, the phone clattering onto his desk.
"Lance? Answer me!"
He opened his mouth as a silent screamed passed by his lips. Lance's eyes suddenly widened as they suddenly were inked by a black shadow sweeping through his eyes, encasing his iris and pupil. Then, as soon as the attack had come, his eyes shut heavily and he slid slowly from the chair, slumping to the floor in a broken heap.
Lance tried to stay awake, but found it futile as the darkness of unconsciousness awaited him with a warm embrace. Slipping further in the darkness, he barely caught Kitty's last scream through the earpiece.
"Lance?!?!"
~
I am sooooooooooooo evil I know. ^_^ Ah well. I wanted to stop here cause I wanted to really get it all thought out for the next part. This next part is going to be a bit complex so I hope you guys can hang in there. Thank you all who have been reading and/or reviewing. I REALLLLLLLLYYYYY APPRECIATE IT!!!!! ^_^
I do hope that I can reach 100 after this chapter. Geeze, the plots been going back and forth, back and forth. After I start writing one thing out, another thing pops into my head. Quite frustrating. ^_^
Ah well. Hope you like the chapter. If I reach 100 after this, I'll definitely try to get the chapters out faster than this snail pace. :)
Ciao. ^_~
Gemini------Yes, I do read manga. Thanks for noticing. ^_^
gecko---------Hey if you like it that's nice! But. . . um. . .what's Anti-X supposed to mean? Anti X-Men or Anti-Xavier? Dunno. For the former, no, but for the latter. . . MAYBE. . . ^_^