A/N: Ooook, for those of you who were unfortunate to have read the old version of chapter 10, I extend my profound apologies. Remind me not to do something like that ever again, and if I do, kill me. To make up for that…thing… I called a chapter, I took it down, edited it, and this was the result. Hopefully, it will make up for the previous version. The beginning will be the same, so if you have already read it, you can skip down a ways to the new stuff.
And why wasn't this up sooner? Well, my county/town was subject to an intense thunderstorm, and a stray bolt of lightning decided to hit the building thing of my Internet provider, so my Internet has been down a good while. Curse them and their inability to have fixed it sooner! Bah! Because of this, I was also unable to work on my website, which has increased my aggravation. Though, because of this, my focus was directed to typing this up, so I guess it was a good thing. Anywho. Here's the modified Chapter 10!
Disclaimer: We all know that I don't own it. These things are pointless really…
Silent Scream
Chapter 10
The twin suns had begun their lackadaisical journey into the sky, dousing the sandy terrain with warm light. The rays made their way through a slightly open window of a darkened room, splashing its inhabitant with radiant streams. A pair of golden eyes squinted in response and fluttered open.
As soon as he woke up, Legato wished that he hadn't, for an immediate onslaught of pain racked his entire bruised and broken body. Looking around, he was able to realize that he had somehow made it back to his room the night before, and was now lying on his bed in an awkward position.
'How did I get here?' he wondered, trying to block out the pain in various parts of his body.
He remembered very little of the previous night after being thrown to the tiled floor and having on of the sitting stools snapped against the back of his head. Even before that point he had lost the strength to move, so it remained a mystery as to how he ended up where he was. His astute mind went to work and was soon able to derive a reasonable explanation to his mysterious way of transportation.
After he had fell and passed out on the floor, Legato assumed that his father had taken a few cheap shots on him while he was unconscious and verbally abused him. When he had finished, his father had probably decided that he did not want his son's limp body on the kitchen floor so he was picked him up, brought to his room, and dumped unceremoniously onto his bed, (which would explain his awkward position).
Satisfied with this theory, Legato decided that it would be best to rest in a normal position on top of the pillow. When he tried to hoist himself up however, his left arm buckled beneath him and he fell back onto the seemingly soft bed, causing new waves of uncomfort to ripple through his body. Even the slight impact from falling back on the bed was enough to aggravate his sore back, throbbing head, and aching chest. He took a deep breath of air, only to be overwhelmed by another sharp sensation that came from his ribs. The action caused Legato to let out a jagged cough, causing even more discomfort,
He clenched his eyes and mouth shut, wincing in utter agony. No matter what, he wouldn't cry out. He refused to cry out.
Instead, he parted his pale lips slightly, with his jaws still tightly pressed together, and took several short and ragged breaths. Every intake of air felt like daggers were slowly making their way into his chest, but at least the feeling wasn't as bad as the first one he had felt. Instead of worrying about the pain, Legato concentrated on a more pressing matter: getting some much needed oxygen into his lungs.
What he would give to return to the state of blissful unconsciousness.
When his breathing had returned to a normal rate, he slowly opened his eyes and relaxed his jaw. He gazed emptily at the white ceiling. There was no way he'd be getting up anytime soon.
Growling lightly, he decided to take a mental analysis of his current condition. His legs seemed fine, he was able to move them without much difficulty, no serious damage there. His left arm lay limp at his side, and he was unable to move it. Turning his disheveled blue head, he noticed that his left shoulder was unnaturally slumped, giving the impression that it had been dislocated. Okay, not so bad, that could be fixed. Reaching over with his other arm, ignoring the pain in his chest as he did so, Legato gripped his upper left arm firmly; twisting it awkwardly and setting it back into place with a sickening 'pop!'. He sighed deeply, and was painfully reminded of the great extent of discomfort that brought about his chest. He gritted his teeth. He would assess that damage momentarily, as soon as he managed to get into a sitting position, now that he had the function of both arms.
He was able to gently heave himself into a leaning position against the headboard of his bed, earning a minor protest from his left wrist, and noted that it had probably been sprained. His whole left side had not faired well, he noticed as he located two distinct areas of pain on that side of his rib cage. He tenderly prodded his right side, only finding one discrepancy.
Legato let his arms drop to his sides and relaxed against the headboard, as he ran through his list of injuries: a sprained wrist, sore shoulder, at least three bruised, possibly fractured ribs, throbbing spine, and a pounding headache. To his knowledge, his legs were fine, but he could still surprise himself should he ever find the energy to stand soon. He didn't include the cuts and bruises that were bound to be prominent all over his battered body in his list of agony, they were just too numerous.
He winced again as the pain in his skull intensified. Bringing a hand to the back of his head, he ran it through the matted hair, stopping when he felt a strange substance. Dried blood.
'Oh goody…' he thought with bitter sarcasm, 'it would appear I may have suffered a concussion as well…'
Letting himself slump down against the bed, Legato's eyes began to grow heavy as he lost all of his remaining energy. Submitting to the fatigue, he closed them slowly, absently noting the small face that was peering into his bedroom. He didn't care. The darkness was ready to claim him again, and he had no desire to send it away.
---
The school bell rung twice, signifying that class had begun. Groups of rowdy students took their seats as the teacher entered, dispelling any current traces of conversation.
Rei looked around, noticing that the classroom was devoid of two certain individuals- the stoic azure-haired boy and the fiery blonde. She pushed the stray blonde tresses of her own hair out of her face.
"Hmm, maybe they ended up killing each other,' she mused.
As if on cue, Aiden walked into the room hurriedly, his head lowered and gaze fixated on the ground. She caught a brief glance of his face before he sat down in the seat next to her, and couldn't stop herself from laughing.
His left eye was bruised heavily and swollen shut. A gauze bandage covered his left temple, and a bruise marred his cheekbone. Also on the left side of his face was a gash on his inflamed lower lip. Rei had previously noted that he had walked in with a slight limp on his right leg. All in all, he was a sorry sight to behold.
She deemed it necessary to use this opportunity to poke fun at the arrogant rich-boy.
"What's the matter, Aiden? Loose your little cat fight?" She snickered.
He shot her an ineffective glare out of his good eye, causing her, as well as some of the people around them, to burst into laughter again.
"All right, settle down," the instructor commanded. He shot Aidan a suspicious glance through his wire-framed glasses before starting his lecture.
Rei looked at the empty seat in front of her. Legato still had not come in yet. Did he really fare worse than Aiden had, or was he just skipping school again? If it was the former, then he deserved it. No one spoke to her like that and got away with it. That was how Aiden knew where to find the indifferent youth. She had given him the route Legato and his sister usually took home. She felt slightly guilty if he was hurt, but again, he deserved it. Besides, she was just doing her "job".
She placed her elbow on the desk and rested her head on her upturned palm. She still had to discern the reason why Aiden had such a grudge on Legato Bluesummers. He would always speak the name with such vehemence that she knew the hatred ran deeper than simple annoyance and injustice.
Drawing her gaze to the blackboard, Rei let the teacher's drone slip her into further contemplation.
---
When two additional days passed without any sign of Legato, Rei began to worry. Aiden, of course, had used this opportunity to brag about how he had been the undisputed victor of their bout and how he had sent the blue-haired boy home with his tail between his legs. Somehow, she doubted this greatly. Sure, Legato may look lanky, but he didn't seem like one to be as weak as Aiden was making him out to be. Also, she didn't take Legato to be one to be easily intimidated, so she also didn't think his was not coming to school was to just to avoid the arrogant blonde. Plus, Aiden was still recovering from the battle wounds said boy had inflicted upon him, supporting her theory on Legato's strength, and making it another reason to wave off Aiden's boasting as a lie. However, there was still the little fact that he was still absent after three days, so Rei had a strange desire to discover the welfare of Legato Bluesummers.
With this in mind, she had resolved to seek out the elusive boy after school and see how he was faring. Though she was worried, she wouldn't admit this to herself, and instead convinced herself that the sake of their project depended on their contact.
After the school bell rang, Rei sped out the door and down the steps, nearly crashing into someone. When she looked down to apologize to the would-be victim, she found herself staring into the brown eyes of Allegro.
"Rei! Allegro missed you!" The younger girl exclaimed before latching herself onto Rei's leg.
"H-hey, Allegro! I haven't seen you in a while! How are you?" Rei paused, realizing this would make an excellent opportunity to ask of Legato, and added, "And your brother, I haven't seen him either. Is he okay?"
The light in Allegro's eyes seemed to die out at the mention of Legato, turning dull as she looked away and avoided answering.
This piqued Rei's curiosity even more, but she waited patiently for Allegro to respond.
"He's not feeling well…sick…" She explained hesitantly after a moment's pause. She then looked up at the older girl. "Will Rei walk Allegro home? Allegro gets scared when her brother isn't here to walk with her…"
It took one look at the younger girl's pleading eyes before Rei agreed and began to walk with Allegro to her home.
---
His shoulder was grabbed harshly, his body forced to turn into the brandished knuckles that dug into his cheek. The fist recoiled, and the boy brought a hand to the now stinging side of his face.
'He has good aim for a drunk…' he thought wryly.
"I happened to meet up with one of your teachers at the bar," the man before him stated, eerily serene, "He informed me that you had skipped school today, and this wasn't the first time, either." Now the voice grew dark and dangerous. "You have a lot of nerve, brat. I spend good money to send a worthless boy like you to a good school and receive a decent education so you make something of your pathetic life, and this is how you repay me?" This ended in a roar, and a resounding backhand across the boy's other cheek.
Legato's golden eyes shut briefly at the impact, but he soon reopened them to send a level stare at his father, further enraging him.
"Don't you have anything to say, punk?! Why don't you fight back, you friggin' wimp?"
Legato rolled his head to the side, retaining his indifferent stare. "Because…you're not worth it…" His lips curved into an arrogant smirk at the sight of his father nearly bursting a vein in his forehead.
The smirk soon left his face when he found himself flying across the kitchen and slamming into the counter. His spine had connected with the counter's edge, and he bit back the sound of pain that threatened to emerge from his throat. Instead, he was violently jerked up by his left arm and brought to a standing position.
"Not worth your time?!" His father's alcohol-laced breath bellowed at him. "Let me teach you a thing or two about respect!"
He felt a barrage of angry punches connect with his stomach and other areas of his upper body. Soon, he found himself being acquainted with the floor once again as his head hit it with a crack.
That…hurt…
Refusing to stay down and let his father win, Legato pushed himself off the floor and stood up shakily. He met him with another passive gaze, waiting to be thrown to the floor again.
Moving to the side, Trent picked up a stool from the table and swung it full force at the younger male.
Instead of ducking, Legato made an effort to block the oncoming stool, but only managed to snap his wrist back and get his unguarded side hit with the blunt seat of the stool. He fell to the floor once again.
Propping himself up on his hands and knees, he made an effort to get up, only to be kicked down again. This time, he stayed on the floor as the swift kicks pushed him up against the side of the counter. He coughed, and the familiar taste of liquid tin graced his tongue.
He knew his father was shouting, but he could no longer make out the words. His eyes glazed over, body twitching as every forceful kick connected. Soon, his found his vision swirling, and darkness claimed him.
-
That was two nights ago, and Legato still felt the pain in his chest. Bruised ribs took a while to heal, after all. His bruises and cuts had begun to heal, but they were still visible across his bare chest, as well as old scars from prior battles.
He should really try not to provoke his father all the time, but he just couldn't help it. He was a maverick, and therefore apt to be rebellious. As for fighting back, he still refused to. The last time he had done so, he had almost suffered a loss greater to him than any injury that could be made on his being.
Legato sighed. Allegro would be coming home soon, assuming the idiot Aiden had decided to stalk her again. If there was ever a repeat of that incident, Aiden's head would be ripped from his neck and Legato would mount the boy's skull on his wall.
There was a knock at the door, dispelling his gory fantasies. Allegro was home. He walked over to the door and opened it.
Outside stood his sister, and that damned girl, Rei Madison.
"What the hell are you going here?" he grated out.
A/N: That's my attempt at a cliffhanger-type-thing. I hope this was better than the previous Chapter 10. I'll try and get the next chapter up soon, as compensation for the delay of this one…Note the 'try'. Oh yeah! I decided against making Legato a heroin addict, in this fic at least… Also, I'm going to try to get around to editing previous chapters and removing the Japanese entirely. Gah. Website and Photoshop is taking all my time…Anyway, on to reviews.
Kumiko Fujiwara- Actually, I think you did read Chapter 9 already… I have the review for it… Oh well! I'm thankful nonetheless! I'm glad you like this so much; it means I'm actually doing something right!Raditz- Yes… I think that would be a just punishment should I ever make the mistake of posting something like that again. My immense apologies extend to you and all the others who were subject to such an abomination. Hopefully, this was more apt to please you.
DaemonAvatar- Lol, I love you. Yes, Aoshi and Shishio are/were kickass. I think Inuyasha is more repetitive though. And I laughed when I read how they died. I think I'll have to watch it and laugh further. Thanks for the entertainment!
Sephiroth1Ripley8- Yeah, that's what originally gave me the idea for the addiction thing, but long term effects don't really bode well for our blue-haired antagonist…so I didn't follow through with that idea. Your idea was plausible though. I'll just make it apparent that he suffered so much through his childhood, that pain just doesn't affect him any more. Hope to see your review of this chapter in my mailbox soon!
Sorona- Yay, I'm glad you like it so much! Sorry for the delay, and I hope this chapter was to your fancy.
MaroonSorrow- Yeah, I finally got around to reading your fic, very interesting! Wow, that honors me that you hold mine in such high-esteem…thank you! Sure, you can use the idea. Not like I could keep it from you anyway, . Good luck with your fic, and trust you'll continue reading this one!
Kinkosami- I know, I know…but sometimes, I can't help but apologize…especially after people are so anxious to read more, and I don't give it to them right away. It probably gets annoying, with all my excuses, huh? Anyway, thanks for understanding!
Shirahana- Since you reviewed all the chapters, I can't exactly respond to each one of your reviews, but I'm sure you understand. Ugh, I know…you always harp on me for the short chapters…but I'm trying! They've gotten better…it just takes a while… I'm glad that this fic actually is making like Legato…it was like that with Julie too, mwahahahahaha! And no. There is no shoujo-ness in me, lol; you should know this by now. Actually, the name Aiden just kinda floated into my head…I ended up looking up it's meaning, and learned that it meant 'fiery', which fits his character perfectly. I plan on delving into his persona soon, for his hatred for Legato will be revealed. That's about it! I'll go harass you in the forums now, mwahaha!
Touchi-chan- Yes, yes, I know…but, it's better now! At least… I think it is… And the distraction was healthy…maybe…no, not really… Haha cyas.
Neko Blah Blah- I'm pleased you like it, and yes, I try to make it semi-realistic. I don't want people reading it and thinking, "Wtf, that would never happen." As for the erratic-ness and rushing parts, it's particularly bad in this chapter, but I'm trying to improve. Thanks for taking the time to review.
And again, to all those who read, but never review, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Click the button!!!!! You know you want to!
Ahem, until next time!