Disclaimer: see Verse 1.

The Everblack Bible

Verse 8

Sorrowful Hymn

By Random1377

Dawn broke quietly over the hamlet of Bistritz, shining warmly down over the small group gathered in front of shattered remains of the inn.  The townspeople had chosen, wisely, to stay in their homes until given some kind of sign that all was safe, and so far… that sign had not come.

Alice pulled Yuri's overcoat tighter around her shoulders, shivering slightly as she gazed upon the ruins of the building that had so recently surrounded her with comfort and warmth.  Everyone's so serious, she thought sadly, discretely glancing around at the grim faces of her companions, Lord, please watch over us… our road seems so difficult right now…

"Ahh screw it," Yuri muttered suddenly, turning away from the wreckage, "let's get going… no use bumming around here anymore."

"B-but," Alice stammered, swallowing as everyone turned to face her, "shouldn't we, umm… help, maybe… clean up… or… or something…?"

Keith regarded the remains of the inn for a moment before shaking his head.  "No," he said calmly, "I will take care of this myself – if Master Zhuzhen feels inclined to lending a hand."

Zhuzhen bowed, hiding a look of embarrassment at what was clearly an effort to keep him out of the fray.  Keith smiled reassuringly as the old man straightened, clapping him on the shoulder and nodding solemnly.

"That's settled," Maragarete said lightly, pulling at the bottom of her singed skirt, "how about you, 'Delka?  You coming?"

Alice turned her attention to Koudelka, waiting for the woman to reply.  She hasn't said much since Tiamat vanished, she thought nervously, and she wouldn't let me heal her, I hope she's ok…

"No," Koudelka said softly, rising from where she had been kneeling at the outskirts of the wreckage, "there would be… complications if I traveled with you."

Alice stifled a gasp as the woman turned towards them, revealing a face now unlined by age or experience.  "K-Koudelka," she stammered, "wh-what, ummm…"

Koudelka smiled ruefully as the exorcist trailed off.  "Sacnoth," she said quietly, running a finger over her youthful features, "you see, this sword carries several rather powerful enchantments on it… one of them being the ability to heal the wielder's wounds by stealing a portion of its victim's life force," she glanced at Keith, "somewhat like a vampire actually… but," she averted her eyes, clearing her throat uncomfortably.  "I've never used it on a creature as powerful or long-lived as Tiamat… so I did not take into account what the results might be."

Zhuzhen folded his arms behind his back and scrutinized the woman closely for a moment.  "It seems to have worked rather too well," he said finally, "how old – if you don't mind my asking – are you, Miss Iasant?"

With the exception of Keith, already familiar with the mantle of timelessness, everyone's eyes widened as Koudleka whispered, "Thirty-four."

"No way," Yuri shook his head, "you… damn, you look younger than her," he jerked his head towards Alice, ignoring her look of indignation, "can you even lift that thing?"

Koudelka frowned, pausing to pull her now-loose shirt back up to her shoulder before hefting Sacnoth high overhead.  "It knows its master," she said calmly, "but… but I'm afraid its… effects are…" she lowered the sword, her shoulders slumping as she concluded, "…permanent."

A rather long silence fell as the group considered the woman's plight.  She really does look younger than me, Alice thought almost guiltily, she could pass for eighteen – maybe even seventeen.

"So," Koudelka said finally, taking a deep breath, "I'm afraid that if I take another swing I could end up in diapers… or worse, I really don't know how powerful Sacnoth is – if this is what happens after one strike… it could very well carry me into nonexistence."

Sensing that the mood was too heavy, Yuri stepped forward and put his hand on the woman's shoulder.  "I'd change your diapers," he said, grinning broadly, "Hell, I'll take your pants off now if ya wan-"

"Yuri!"

The harmonixer flinched, instinctively closing his eyes in anticipation of a firm slap.  When nothing came, he cautiously opened one eye, finding Koudleka smiling at him.  "Thank you, Yuri," she said warmly, "but honestly, my… abilities grew more powerful as I got older.  I can't run the risk of encountering and fighting something that could render me incapable of protecting my son… can you understand that?"

Yuri shrugged, winking as he looked her up and down. "Sure can," he said easily, "but you better get going soon, otherwise you'll have to tell Halley that he's got a new daddy – because DAMN you look g-"

Koudelka just shook her head as Margarete's hand clamped firmly over Yuri's mouth.  "Please ignore my uncouth friend's mouth," the spy muttered, yanking Yuri rudely away from the other woman, "he tends to lack sense in some… no, in most situations."

"He is right about one thing," Zhuzhen murmured, giving Koudleka a final, appraising look, "you should get going soon… you all should.  I wouldn't put it past whoever did this-"

"Jones," Alice cut in softly, "it had to be Jones…"

"I wouldn't put it past Jones to try again," Zhuzhen concluded quietly, "and… there are innocent people here."

"Let's go then," Yuri said briskly, shooting Margarete a disapproving glance as he finally managed to her hand off of his mouth, "sooner we start, sooner we finish."

The rest nodded in agreement and Keith, Zhuzhen, Yuri, Margarete, and Koudelka all started for the town gate.

"Wait! We can't leave yet!"

They all turned, finding Alice clutching Yuri's coat tightly around her body and blushing a brilliant shade of crimson.  "What's wrong?" Keith asked gently, "You're not hurt are you?"

"No, I ummm…" Alice's shoulders slumped.  "I… need some clothes…"

**

Margarete hoisted her backpack a bit higher on her shoulders and paused to wipe a bit of sweat from her eyes.  "Hills suck," she muttered flatly, casting a dark glance at Alice as the younger woman came along side her, "and this is not the way to Naples."

Alice nodded, frowning absently as she consulted the map in her hands.  "I know," she murmured, "I just… there's somewhere I have to stop before we go there – I think it's important."

"And why, again, do you think we need to go way the hell out of our way?" Margarete asked sullenly.

"The Everblack told me."

Margarete pursed her lips as Yuri looked back at them, folding his arms and waiting for them to catch up.  "Right, that makes me feel better," she said sarcastically, "a cursed bible talks to you and you're heading the opposite direction from the one place that can destroy it.  Good plan."

Alice colored slightly.  "Well, it didn't talk to me," she said defensively, rolling her shoulders to get the riding dress she had borrowed from Michelle to rest a bit more comfortably on her frame, "it's more like it just… put the information in my head."  She shrugged helplessly.  "I don't know how to describe it better, except maybe to say that it's more like my memory now… does that make sen-"

"Nope," Margaret cut in dismissively, "the only thing that makes sense is destroying that thing before another god drops on our heads."

With another frown, Alice looked the older woman up and down.  "Speaking of gods," she said quietly, ensuring that her voice did not carry to where Yuri was standing, "you look pretty good for having just fought one."

Margarete glanced at her from the corner of her eye.  "What are you trying to say?"

Alice took a deep breath, resisting the urge to just shut up in the face of the older woman's pursed lips and dangerously narrowed eyes.  "I'm trying to say that you should trust us," she said quickly, "you… no one can get hit that hard and just walk away – you should at least have a burn or a scrape or something, don't we deserve to know why you're not injured?"

"You don't," Margarete pointed out flatly, raising her hand as the exorcist opened her mouth to retort, "and I don't appreciate your tone, miss – you sound like you wish I had been hurt."

"No, no!" Alice said quickly, wetting her lips nervously.  "I just… you can tells us if you-"

"Drop it," Margarete cut in, "now.  I don't owe you, of all people, a damn thing, and I'm certainly not obligated to tell you every single aspect of my life just because we travel together."

Both women jumped slightly as Yuri suddenly stepped between them.  "Problem, ladies?" he asked quietly, looking from one to the other with an unreadable expression on his face.

How much did he hear? Alice thought, studying his face as Margarete's back straightened unconsciously.

"No," Margarete said smoothly, offering the man a forced smile, "we were just… clarifying something."

"Huh," Yuri grunted noncommittally, "so you've got it all straight now… yeah?"

The two women shifted uncomfortably.  "Y-yeah," Alice said awkwardly, "we're… we understand each other now."

Yuri looked from one to the other, his lips pursed tightly together.  He doesn't believe us, Alice thought suddenly, Heavens, I guess I wouldn't either.  We look like we just got caught with our hands in the cookie jar.

"Good," the harmonixer said crisply, "because we're there."

Alice blinked, glancing around at the forest surrounding them.  This… does look kinda familiar…

Yuri gestured for them to follow him, leading them to the top of the small hill they were on and pointing to a small house nestled in another copse of trees.  "There it is," he said levelly, "The Dollhouse."

The trio gazed down at the innocuous little house, recalling the evil that had resided in it until so recently.  Silently they made their way to the front of the house, Yuri and Margarete watching Alice as she put her hand on the fence, staring up at the empty windows with a far-off expression in her eyes.

"Let's go," she said softly, starting for the door that led to the basement, "I think… we can learn something here…"

Yuri shrugged and started to follow, looking over his shoulder as Margarete made no move to join them.  "Coming?"

"I'll watch the door," the woman said lightly, avoiding Alice's eyes, "you know – make sure no one sneaks in while you're checking things out."

Yuri, sensing the tension between the two, nodded slowly.  "Thanks," he said, sounding relieved, "we shouldn't be too long."

Margarete nodded, giving him an apologetic smile and lowering her voice so only he could hear her.  "Sorry," she whispered, "what you saw back there… I'll try not to let it happen again."

The harmonixer's eyes widened in mock surprise.  "I don't know what you mean," he said, sounding shocked, "I didn't see anything."  He offered her a quick wink.  "Nice to know I won't not see it again, though.  See you in a few."

Laughing, Margarete gave him a quick salute with the end of her ten-gauge, watching until the two had disappeared into the Dollhouse before heaving a deep sigh and settling with her back against the wall to wait.

**

Yuri squinted in the darkness, mumbling under his breath as they made their way towards the basement stairs.  "Why are we here again?" he asked grumpily, sidestepping a small group of rats that was feasting on something unspeakable.

"I just… need to double check on something," Alice said slowly, sounding as if her certainty regarding this side-trip had faded somewhat.  "It won't take very long."

"Good," Yuri quipped, pulling the door the basement stairs open, "I hate this pla-"

His comment was cut off as he stumbled on the first stair.

"Careful," Alice whispered, putting a steadying hand on his shoulder.  After a moment's hesitation, she stepped forward, slipping her arms around his chest and resting her head against his back.  "I… I know this isn't the best time," she said haltingly, "but… when we get to the next inn… can we talk about what I said to you back in Bistritz?  Please?  It's – you're – important to me… and… and I want to know if you feel the same about me."

Yuri said nothing for several seconds, then – just as Alice was starting to fear he would simply say 'no, now drop it,' – he sighed and put one hand over her folded arms.  "Yeah," he said quietly, "we'll talk about it at the next stop… ok?"

Alice felt some of the tension leave her shoulders.  "Thanks," she said honestly, leaning forward and almost pressing her lips against the back of his neck before blushing and pulling back.  "So, umm… let's hurry."

"Right."

Since Yuri made no move to push her hand away, Alice kept it on his shoulder, smiling happily as they made their way into the Dollhouse's basement.  When they arrived, however, she released him, stepping around in front of him and preceding him through the door to the small bedroom located directly in the center of the basement.

"Laura…"

Yuri frowned, folding his arms as he stared at the small figure sitting on a rocking horse in the middle of the room. Though it appeared as nothing more than a child's doll, Yuri knew that the being called Laura was much, much deadlier. 

His entire group had nearly lost their lives to the thing's unholy powers.

"Laura," Alice whispered, kneeling beside the still rocking horse and putting one hand on the tiny figure's hand.  "Laura… you're still here, aren't you?" 

There was no reply.

"She's gone," Yuri said softly, glancing uneasily around the dusty room.  "Let's get out of here."

"It's ok," Alice went on gently, giving Yuri a patient, but kind smile.   "We're not going to hurt you anymore… we just want to talk.  Please, Laura?"

Yuri started as the horse slowly rocked once, as if movement caused it pain, and a small, somehow sullen voice whispered, "I don't want to… you're mean."

"We're mean??" he exploded.  "Why you little-"

Alice raised her hand, cutting him off in mid-tirade.  "Laura," she said, her voice low and soothing, "I know how hard it must have been to be all alone, and I'm sure… I'm sure that you didn't mean to hurt Lillith… so, please – I need to ask you about something."

There was a moment of silence.  "Will you play with me…?" Laura asked, the longing in her voice too naked to hide.

Yuri opened his mouth to reply, 'hell no!' but before he could speak, Alice whispered, "Of course we can, Laura.  In fact, if you want… you can come with me and I'll play with you every day – would you like that?"

"What are you doing!?" Yuri demanded, gesturing to the decimated room.  "This is how it plays!!  Are you craz-"

"She's a good girl," Alice cut in, her voice low and soothing, "she was already alone for so long when Ewan found her and gave her to Lillith that she forgot how to play nice."  She looked up at Yuri, her eyes shining with pity.  "She was alone for three hundred years, Yuri," she explained quietly, "ever since… someone made her with the Everblack Bible."

Yuri drew a sharp breath as a soft, childish giggle issued from the doll.  "You found Daddy's bible!" Laura tittered.  "You're a Shadow Heart!"

"What's a Shadow Heart?" Yuri asked, putting his hand on Alice's shoulder and pulling her back, away from the doll.

"Daddy said only Shadow Hearts can read his bible," Laura giggled, her horse rocking a bit faster as she began to sing a jagged, uneven song.  "Shadow Hearts, lost to the light, Shadow Hearts, happiness' blight, if your eyes, my black pages read, on your soul, I'll surely feed, Shadow Hearts, Everblack's friend, Shadow Hearts, bound 'til the end, only those, of purest light, can keep their souls, and master my night."

"She's nuts," Yuri whispered, holding Alice's shoulder tightly as insane laughter filled the room, "there's nothing you can do for her, Alice."

Alice nodded reluctantly.  "I… you're right," she said sadly, "I just thought, if I become her friend…"

"You can be my friend," Laura said, an unmistakable note of mad glee in her voice, "we can play and play and play, just like I played with Lillith – but I won't break you like I broke her!  No, no!  I'll be niiiiice… and you can sing me songs from Daddy's bible!"

Alice shook Yuri's hand off and stepped closer to the doll, holding her hand out to the side to keep him from following.  "What's your favorite song, Laura?" she asked softly, drawing the Everblack Bible from her backpack and opening it without looking down.  "Show me what page it's on."

"Funny girl, clever girl," Laura laughed, her voice low and crafty, "you know which one is my favorite… you know how Daddy's bible works."

Yuri frowned as Alice's lips compressed into a thin line.  "Mirrors need not be silver," she whispered, "right?"

"Smart girl, stupid girl," Laura's singsong voice chanted, "Daddy's bible is too strong for your kind, lightkey."  Abruptly, the rocking horse stopped, and Laura's voice became cold and dangerous.  "Daddy won't let your kind hold it for long."

Alice closed her eyes.  "What was your Daddy's name?" she asked coolly, feeling a sudden tug from the Everblack Bible, as if it was trying to draw her attention to something on its inky pages.  "It wasn't… Bacon, or Simon was it?"

The rocking resumed, and instead of replying, Laura simply chanted, "Smart girl, stupid girl, funny girl, clever girl, damned girl, doomed girl, Shadow Heart Girl, lost girl, weak-"

"Enough," Alice cut in flatly, "I won't act in anger, Laura… I know enough of the Bible to understand what will happen if I do."

"Stupid girl," Laura muttered sullenly, "Daddy's bible will have you anyway – you're weak and stupid and dumb!"

Alice considered this, giving the doll a sad look before saying, "Maybe, but I think… Yuri's right.  I can't hope for your salvation anymore, Laura, but I can-"

"Damn your salvation!" Laura burst, her voice growing to five times its normal volume.  "Stupid, stupid, pathetic lightkey – your soul will feed Daddy's bible no matter how much you pray to your stupid God!"

Yuri took a threatening step forward, but Alice simply bowed her head.  "Father in Heaven, hallowed be thy name," she said softly, her eyes scanning the page before her as silvery writing flowed across it, "your servant's humble request is only sanctuary, Father… please grant your servant her prayer, and bring this soul peace."

As far as Yuri could see, this simple incantation yielded no results.  "Alice?" he said after a moment of quiet.  "Alice, umm… are you ok?"

The young woman's eyes continued scanning the page for a moment before finally pulling away.  "I'm… I'm fine," she said reluctantly, closing the bible and slipping it back into her pack.  "Let's go."

"What about her?" Yuri asked, giving the doll a dubious glance.  "Shouldn't we do something about her now that we know she's not dead?"

Alice put her hands on Yuri's shoulders, waiting until he looked away from the doll and into her eyes before whispering, "She is now, Yuri… I freed her."

Yuri blinked, glancing back to the small figure and noticing that the rocking horse was once again still.  "Oh, I ummm… oh…"

A tired smile lit Alice's face, and she slowly leaned against Yuri's chest, sighing wearily.  "I wonder what she was like when she was first made?" she mused, feeling a little warmer as his arms tentatively encircled her.  "Do you think she really was a good little girl before… before she was left alone all that time?"

"Don't know," Yuri admitted calmly, "maybe… does it matter, though?"

"I guess not," Alice yawned, "wow… that was… I didn't think it would be so hard."

Yuri held her a bit tighter as she sagged against him.  "Alice?" he asked uncertainly.  "Alice??"  He leaned back, studying her face and snorting with disbelief as he found her eyes closed.  Asleep, he thought, baffled, How could anyone fall asleep in a place like this??  He frowned, the answer obvious even to him.

As carefully as he could, he lifted her into his arms, resting her head up against his shoulder as he turned for the door.  A soft 'thump' behind him drew his attention, and he spun around, prepared to let the girl go and fight, if needs be… but there was nothing there.  Scanning the room, Yuri found his heart unexpectedly filling with pity as he found the source of the sound.

Laura had fallen from her rocking horse, her tiny body lying face-down amidst the scattered and disturbing drawings on the floor.

"Rest in peace, huh?" Yuri called uneasily, wishing it was not so hard to look away from the pathetic looking doll.  "Just… yeah, rest in peace."

Without another word, he turned and strode quickly from the room.

Continued…

Author's notes: who ever thought Laura would be a sympathetic character, huh?  If, you know, you actually felt sorry for the nutty little thing… :P  So what have we learned from today's chapter?  Well, don't throw away your old toys, for one, but other than that… wow, I guess that's all we learned.  *shrug* oh well, hope you liked it anyway. ^_^

Pre-read assistance on this chapter was courtesy of Aegis, who didn't even comment once about the fact that it took me nearly a month to get it done!  …ok, maybe she commented once, but it was very politely. :P

Feedback is welcome on any page with reviewing capabilities or by e-mailing me directly at random1377@yahoo.com