Inspired by Sheo Darren fic "Iron Maiden And Dowser Knight"
Enjoy. And don't worry… Meene is not scary in this fanfic. : )
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Meene left home four years ago today. Millie lit a small candle in remembrance of that last night together that they spent as sisters.
She remembered distinctly her onee-chan and her smile, warm and full of sorrow on the night Meene left. It held secrets and hopes that Millie never could penetrate.
The smile was much like the smile their mother gave them on her last day on earth before death claimed her eight years ago. Despite the fire cracked skin of her face and the pain that fire blackened body must have gave, their mother could still smile at them. She had protected them as well as she could, there could be no regrets now. So she smiled at her last breath of life, at her last moment together as family.
A smile that seemed to see beyond and understand the tragedy and beauty of life before it ends. Before it is taken.
They both claimed to have seen a vision of the angel Gabriel and that was how they could smile.
Millie wondered if she would end up with that same smile as her mother and sister and see the archangel as they had both claimed. The same heavy burden and the warm, sorrowful smile that they received in exchange.
It was enough to pray that she never saw the archangel.
For in the Von Meer family, they had a saying.
If you see Gabriel; be prepared to enter the gates of heaven.
(four years ago)
The cat yawned lazily from its perch and gave Meene a decidedly bored look. It was a favored activity of Meene to enter staring contests with the cat but she usually lost since the competition was rigged for the cat to win. But tonight there would be no staring contest and never again.
Meene checked her duffel bag and luger one last time before sitting down in the parlor of the house to relax.
Shotgun with twenty rounds…. Check.
Luger with twenty four rounds in magazines…. Check.
Clothing…. Check.
Toiletry…. Check.
Bible…. Check.
Lock pick set…. Check. (better keep this in my inner jacket pocket… Just in case)
Combat knife…. Check.
Bayonet knife…. Check. (jeez this duffel bag is a heavy sucker)
The duffel bag was fully packed. The shotgun was empty and properly stored in a gun case with the twenty rounds carefully inserted into the ammo case. The knives were sheathed and the bible was carefully kept between two layers of clothing. The twenty four Luger rounds were hidden on her, loaded into magazines.
She really needed to get a new gun but what was she going to do? Go up to the gun store and say, 'Hi I would like to buy a new gun to use so I can kill some people. Don't worry I'll be only killing evil people who want to destroy all non-shamanistic humans in the world. So be a dear and pass me the Super RedHawk Ruger you got behind the counter there'.
Right… Moving along now.
It was now on her checklist of things to do before going.
Made little sister eat her broccoli, brush teeth, etc. and put her to bed…. Check.
Called Aunt and Uncle to take care of little sister… Check.
Made sure Marco knows where I live…. Check.
Prepared the bribe…. Check.
Prepared all financial documents with bank…. Check.
Wrote final will and testament with lawyer…. Check.
Told off High school…. Check (well actually she told the high school, what was left of it anyways, she was
dropping out of her last year but she did finally give her uppity bible study teacher Sister Kate a piece of her
mind).
Rosario…. Not yet.
Meene got out her rosewood rosary to begin her rosario and tried to remember what day it was today. She heard a pair of feet come down from the stairs and knew that Millie was awake. Meene waited for sister to appear in the parlor doorway.
Millie stood at the entranceway in her white snowflake printed pajamas in silence.
"Today is Wednesday nee-chan," Millie announced when she saw the rosary in her older sister's hands. Meene motioned for her little sister join her in the parlor. In short order Millie sidled up to Meene and watched Meene perform her nightly rosario. Today was the Mysteria Gloriosa, the Glorious Mysteries.
The words were in Latin, Millie could not understand them but she remembered bits and pieces of the words and phrases.
"In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Amen," Meene began as she held the crucifix and made the sign of the cross. Millie patiently waited for her older sister to finish. The rosario took awhile and the words were a bit beyond Millie but there was a simple elegance to it. It was done soon enough and the rosary was around Meene's neck again.
"You should be in bed you know," Meene noted as she got out a blanket to cover Millie up. The fire in the fireplace had long since died out, there were only a few embers left glowing. It was just enough to restart the fire perhaps, a log was placed on top and Meene stoked the embers with the poker after covering Millie with the blanket.
"I don't wanna go to sleep… If I go to sleep you'll go away," Millie said. Her tearful eyes were wide with exaggerated effort to remain awake. It was well past bedtime but Meene decided to indulge her little sister still. The cat got up from his seat on the couch and walked to the door where it patiently waited for Meene to open for him. Seeing the cat, Meene put away the poker and opened the door to let the cat out. A blast of cold greeted her but it was not snowing yet. The cat journeyed out into the lit streets and disappeared.
"I have to go anyways Millie, even if you are awake or not," Meene said gently. She sat by her little sister's side and drew in a deep breath.
"As long as I am awake, I'll keep you here," Millie said stubbornly. She hugged Meene tightly as though to weigh her down to not move. It was a rather futile move on Millie's part but Meene knew that it would not be easy to get away from her.
Hours past in silence and the log caught fire. The red flickering of the flames bathed them in warmth and lit the room weakly. Millie's eyes began to droop a bit as time went on and she tried to stifle her yawns and keep her hug on Meene strong. Nevertheless, time was allowing sleep to win and it would not be long before Millie would fall asleep.
"I should be going now," Meene announced quietly to Millie. She got up and easily broke away from Millie's hug. She knelt down and looked at Millie's sleepy face.
"But why?!" Millie asked in a vaguely whinny and insistent voice.
The look in Meene's eyes became cloudy and far away. As though they were no longer any where on earth but somewhere far off that only she could see.
"I saw the angel Gabriel…" Meene said simply.
Millie looked awed and looked up at Meene's eyes and face. Meene still had that warm and sorrowful smile and it baffled her.
"But you saw the angel… Why aren't you happy nee-chan?" Millie asked confused.
"I am happy to see… It's just that I don't understand what I saw," Meene answered and sucked in a frustrated breath of air.
"Can you tell me about it?" Millie asked. Meene paused to gather her thoughts and then she began. The words were so special that they seemed to charge the air and open a crack to a doorway into heaven, just by being spoken. It was such a curious feeling that Millie memorized all the words without fail after one single telling.
"I saw a man clothed in a red robe embroidered with green. He was…. I can't even describe Millie what he looked like but only what he had. He had a shield with a lily etched on lying by his left and a spear held in his right hand.
In the sky above him, I saw the future, the past and the present mixed into one. And then just the future was shown, where there was tears and smiles, hatred and fear, an ending and a beginning… It was all beyond me and I turned away from the sky covering my eyes.
Then he spoke…
Hail, child of Adam and of Eve
I bear a task and message from the Lord
He beseeches you to accept.
Seek the boy in green and the man in white,
See the girl in the iron,
Forgive the woman in black
Be not the boy's crutch but his inspiration,
He shall walk on his own soon enough
Smile unto him as We do in heaven.
Be not the man's illusion but his counsel,
As I am to Michael, so shall you be
Do not blind him for your own sake.
Be not the girl's worshipper,
Reveal that she is of flesh and blood
Tell that she is loved, not just protected.
Be not the woman in black herself,
For you cannot be or replace her
This shall be your most tempting quandary."
Meene stopped speaking. Millie felt as though it was incomplete, as though there was more to the message but Meene was not saying what it was.
"What does it all mean?" Millie asked awed, and then a bizarre tingling feeling upon her skin was felt. Millie never realized that Meene was using a bit of her furyoku to encourage sleep to claim her. Soft languorous warmth welled up within Millie and she wanted to fall into its embrace.
"I don't know Millie… If I knew the world be a better place with kitty cats and chocolates and I wouldn't have to leave," Meene joked at her frustration at the vision.
"You'll be coming home right onee-chan?" Millie asked sleepily. She never heard her onee-chan answer though; she fell asleep right after asking. The next day Millie awoke in her bed, she raced downstairs to see if her sister was still in the house, only to discover her aunt and uncle downstairs making lunch for her. It was then that Millie realized her older sister had actually left in pursuit of that far away vision of the future that might or might not be.
The cat never came home either after Meene left; it had gone on a further patrol than expected. It was on its last leg of its three day journey when it was struck by a car. It barely managed to crawl to the front steps of the house where it finally died. It was so close to home but it never made it back.
Millie cried for a week and felt a grip of dread.
The cat's death seemed almost prophetic.
There is also a tale to be spoken of when the dreamer sleeps and the guardian is awake. Let us see the gap between Millie's memories. After all, there are still stories being spun when eyes are closed.
When Millie finally fell asleep finally, Meene smiled the same warm and sorrowful smile she held that entire night. She carefully lifted Millie into her arms and carried her little sister to bed. The house was quiet and the cat had already left for its overnight patrol.
"Goodbye Millie… I won't be coming home," Meene whispered as she kissed her little sisters forehead and closed the door of the bedroom. There was more to the message then what Meene had told Millie but she kept quiet about it.
'He gives you a difficult task,
The price to perform all is harsh
He will not hide what the result shall be.
Perform all four and you shall perish,
Perform only three and you shall live
The task for whom you do not fulfill shall perish in your stead.
To accept or to refuse is your right of free will
He nor I can make you accept
But know that it comes from the most sincere prayers.
Know that it comes from those who are despairing.'
It wasn't as if Meene could tell Millie that could she now. No, to live she would have to sacrifice another, and to save all she must die at the end of her labors. Not a very good deal, too bad she couldn't negotiate with heaven for a better one. She quickly ran to the parlor and picked up her duffel bag and Luger so she could finally leave the house. Checking the time, Meene noted that Marco had probably been waiting outside in the winter chill for at least an hour and a half.
He was probably not very happy at all.
This was when Meene went into the kitchen and picked up the 'bribe' she had prepared before hand… It was a bar of Belgian chocolate. It was always good to be prepared with the 'bribe'; it was a little known secret that Marco had a fondness for Belgian chocolate.
True to her prediction, Marco was outside waiting for her and was obviously trying to keep himself warm in the cold. The chill was not so bad but being outside for an hour and a half waiting for Meene proved to be a bit too much for a man more used to warmer climes. The trunk of the car was left open and he had been sitting inside the car waiting.
"What were you doing?! It is cold out here!" Marco barked angry, he slammed the door of the car shut and muttered his indignation. The X-Laws captain was wrapped in a warm jacket, had gloves on and a badly made scarf with similarly crooked initial M. on it. Jeanne had no talent when it came to knitting but the amorphous scarf, if one could call it a scarf, was very warm. Marco marched over to Meene.
Meene didn't answer. Instead, she got out the chocolate, tore away the wrapping, broke off a piece and then shoved the piece of chocolate into Marcos' mouth without missing a beat.
"Oh quiet you; it's not that cold out… Well for an Italian I suppose it is cold but for Germans like me, this is warm."
Marco chewed the chocolate first and found that it was his favorite Belgian chocolate, which abated his anger somewhat as he chewed it. Then he realized that Meene was bribing him again and that got his anger right back up. After he ate the chocolate, he glared at Meene.
"Bribing me with choco- mrph!" Marco began but Meene shoved another piece of Belgian chocolate into his mouth and cut off his sentence.
"Jeez you're being greedy today, Belgian chocolate is expensive and I don't have that much okay?" Meene said vaguely annoyed. Marco favored giving Meene a harassed look before he ate the chocolate in his mouth.
"Fine then, give me your bag. I'll load it onto the car," Marco finally accepting his bribe.
"Er… I'll do it Marco; it's pretty heavy and…" Meene began but Marco glared at her.
"Are you implying that I can't carry it?" Marco asked annoyed.
"Sigh… Okay Marco, fine…" Meene assented at last.
Meene passed her bag and watched as Marco struggled under the load a bit, as he tried to put it into the open trunk. Instead of going into the trunk, it landed onto his foot. Marco let loose a string of inventive curses that she made mental note of so she could use latter on.
Except the one about the cat and the tree, that particular insult made Meene wince since she was a cat lover.
"What is in here?" Marco asked with a note of exasperation and disbelief.
"Marco don't make me shove more chocolates your mouth… I'll help you okay," Meene answered idly. She came beside Marco but he waved her off.
"I'm a man, I accepted the burden so leave me be," Marco muttered, Meene rolled her eyes at his response. With a single heave, he managed to get the duffel bag into the trunk of the car. He slammed it shut with annoyance and muttered more.
Meene sighed and turned to look at her house one last time. Marco noticed Meene was staring at her home and frowned. The silence was awkward, it wasn't that he didn't like silence but sometimes he couldn't help but get annoyed at it. Life was noisy, or had sound in his opinion. Quiet was unnatural in his opinion except in nature.
"I swear that you'll return home to your little sister safely Meene on my life, honor and soul," Marco swore solemnly and suddenly. Meene was startled and laughed quietly at the overly serious look and gave Marco the same smile she gave her younger sister. His oath jarred her out of her reverie.
"Do not promise me something like that… You know Marco; one of the biggest problems with you is that you promise girls what you can't really accomplish. If you keep on doing that your future girlfriend is going to hate you. I see that you keep her closely to your heart," Meene teased lightly. She lightly treaded her fingers over his chest, she could sense a faint aura there that was not his own. It was a unfamiliar aura, it was not Father Rasso's aura nor was it the Iron Maiden's. It had a distinctly feminine feel, God forbid if Marco had something that wasn't manly, and held the scent of earth and grass.
Marco wished he was dignified enough not to sputter and not redden as Meene's hand lightly caressed his chest where the ring was hanging underneath his shirt.
"What are you talking about? I'm serious!" Marco said recovering.
"Yes… I know you're serious, you're too serious, that is why I am telling you not promise me something like that," Meene said in an amused voice.
"… You don't think you're coming back alive do you?" Marco accused harshly. Was there no one in the X-Laws who believed they would come back from this war alive?
"All I know Marco is… That I will never return to this life… That I will never see my little sister again. It does not mean I am going to die, rather I shall not… No, I can't return to this life after this war… I will do things that even Millie could never believe and I never want her to know," Meene answered calmly. The answer cooled Marco's boiling temper and calmed him.
"I'm sorry… This is hard for you isn't it? I never really had family that cared for me that way, so I never worry about what they might think when I do things," Marco answered. The admission surprised Meene, she tried to recall in any instance where Marco ever mentioned family or at least his own family situation and found no previous example. She stored away that little info in her head; Marco was a private individual. Information on his past or on him was hard to acquire.
"Ah, but you do have family, my Stoic Roman friend and she is waiting for us," Meene replied.
Marco said nothing, he knew who Meene was talking about, and looked up into the clouded skies. The first snow of winter was falling at last and it lightly dusted his head with white.
"Let's go, we have a lot to do," Marco finally spoke at last.
They left the house and its sleeping child within.
Or at least they tried to.
"Marco… Did you leave the keys inside the car?… And you locked the doors as well?"
"Quiet! I don't want to hear about it!"
"… You want me to open the lock for you?"
"…."
"It's that or breaking the window… Choose."
A new string of explosive curses erupted and Meene shoved the rest of the Belgian chocolate into Marco's mouth to calm him down. Meene memorized the ones that did come out during the brief moment before she stuffed his mouth with chocolate…
Except the one about the cat and fire. Meene began to wonder if Marco hated cats or something.