CHAPTER 8 - IMAGINARY
Anime the Fallen Angel
"Curious little boy, aren't you..."
Omi slowed down, having come quite close to the red haired man. He looked down at the teenager, eyes glittering. Omi stared for a moment, something at the back of his mind tugging at him.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled nonchalantly. "Me? Just a friend of someone passing through... And yourself?"
"I... I live near here..."
"I see. Smart boy. Okay then. I'm Schuldich."
Omi paused for a moment. One smart answer for another he supposed. However, as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, he felt a strange sensation in his head, as if the older man could see into him. Not just see into him either... Somehow... He wasn't sure...
He felt...
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I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming
Monsters calling my name
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Compelled...
"Omi."
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Let me stay
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Aya dodged another flying bottle and rolled on the floor, assuming a crouching stance.
"Manx! Don't do this!" he shouted harshly. Not that he needed to. The club was near enough empty now, and Aya's sensitive hearing could pick up the manager in the back room, phoning for the police to deal with the fight. Aya didn't want to be around when the police came. Manx, however, didn't seem to give a damn.
"I've waited too long for this, monster! Too long! You killed the only family I had left! You killed my Daisuke!" Manx shrieked. "You deserve to die!"
"Manx. I'm sorry about your family, but believe me, I did not kill them!"
"LIAR!"
Aya flipped out of the way as Manx threw several more bottles at him before lunging. The red haired woman gasped as she winded herself by crashing into a table. Aya kept a safe distance away, holding his hands up slightly in a truce. "Manx..."
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Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops
As they're falling tell a story
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"You bastard..." Manx muttered, tears filling her eyes. "You... you bastard... You kill my family, and you expect me to believe now that you didn't? I loved you Aya. I never thought you'd betray me the way you did..."
"Manx. I didn't betray you. I only met your family the once, and that was when I picked you up from your house for our first date."
Manx didn't seem to hear Aya. She just glared at him, clutching her abdomen as her breath rapidly returns. "You know what Aya? For the longest time ever, I have been alone. All I had was my family. After Daisuke, mother and father died, I was alone. Do you know how that feels, Aya? Do you!?"
Aya lowered his eyes. He knew loneliness. He had to deal with it himself for many years as well... When he gave no sufficient answer, Manx continued, standing straighter, her eyes glowering with each word. "I was torn. I couldn't think straight in my grief. All I could think about was how my own little brother struggled to breathe as his blood ebbed from his body. How he clung on to me like a lifeline. I couldn't do anything for him. He died. I was depressed. But then, I finally saw the light. I may not have been able to have save my little brother, but I can damn well avenge his death! Maybe then, I wouldn't have to feel so bad anymore..."
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In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
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Aya managed to step aside as another few bottles tried to find his head. Manx lunged, her hands going in to claw his face. Aya grabbed the woman's wrists and tried to hold her steady as she struggled. Aya concentrated most of his strength on restraining Manx and although both adults were locked in combat, both didn't fail to notice the cry that came from outside.
"HELP! AYA!"
"Omi..." Schuldich smiled, a feral type of grin he used when he knew a hunt was on the way. "So... Omi... Do you have any friends nearby?"
Omi struggled with himself. He was being open; too open. He can't just give out information to strangers (look where it got him before), but he found himself being... compelled... to give it out. Schuldich wasn't saying or doing anything that seemed to be out of order, but something about Schuldich must be making him speak freely.
"Are you alright, kitten?" Schuldich asked, waving a hand across Omi's big blue eyes.
Omi shook his head rapidly, only just realising he had spaced out. Omi frowned and looked up at Schuldich. Omi felt the need to run away. Something wasn't right. "Kitten?" Omi asked, trying to buy more time. Schuldich smiled and checked his nails. "Yes, kitten. What's the matter?"
"Why... did you call me kitten?"
"You work at a flower shop, don't you? Called the Koneko?"
"How did you know?"
"My my... for a seemingly intelligent young man, you are rather slow on the uptake, aren't you? But then again, from what I've seen, you haven't been up to intelligent par, have you?"
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Don't say I'm out of touch
With this rampant chaos –
Your reality
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Omi was taken aback. He's only just met the man and already the guy was insulting him. Regardless, Omi was feeling very uneasy. He took a step back, ready to run. However, Schuldich noticed and shook his head.
"Tsk tsk tsk... running away so soon? I haven't even found out how you first met my little fledgling. Maybe you can tell me before you flee?"
"Your... fledgling?"
"Yes yes... I seem to remember that you cared for him so. Isn't that right? Even slashed your wrists at one point..."
Omi's eyes widened as he instinctively clamped a hand around one wrist. There was a dull ache as he did so, having slapped the cut a little too hard. "A... Aya..." Omi whispered.
The red-headed vampire smiled and chuckled. "Now he understands."
"You're... you're..."
"I am Schuldich. It was me who turned your little love interest and gave him the immortal's life. Or didn't you know he was a vampire?"
Omi scowled at Schuldich's obviously patronising tone.
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I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape
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Before Omi could comment, or do the smart thing and run away, the alley seemed to warp around him. He felt as though he could have been drunk, or just stepped off a very big, very fast roller coaster he had been riding for the past hour. Omi tried to keep a firm grounding but failing as he stumbled slowly.
"St... stop it..." Omi mumbled, feeling strangely sedated. "What... are you doin...?"
Schuldich grabbed the stumbling teen, holding him by the shoulders. "I, little kitten, am going to show you what I do to those who fall in love with my little Ran. After all, he's my toy to play with..."
Omi struggled to distinguish reality from fantasy. He knew he was supposed to be in an alleyway, facing an obviously dangerous man and about to run away. The other half of his mind, however, was occupied with drawing a picture that he didn't want. Sunshine and grass and springtime; all like a beautiful oil painting. All calm and supposed to relax. Omi struggled. He didn't want to go into the painting. He knew if he went in, he would be trapped.
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In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
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Grasping at the last of his hold on reality, Omi tried to beat off the vampire who grabbed him and screamed.
"HELP! AYA!"
Schuldich laughed, watching the boy struggle so weakly under his mental power. He had to admit, the boy had some mental strength, to be able to scream so loudly. Omi screamed for help again. Omi sensed what was going to happen next, and he didn't want to succumb under Schuldich's powers and make it any easier.
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Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming
Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights
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Schuldich silenced the boy with another mental onslaught and watched as the crystal blue orbs slid from clarity to clouded, the struggling ceasing as he held the almost frozen boy in his hands. Schuldich stroked the teenager's cheek, smiling.
"I must admit, Ran made an excellent choice this time. Very good. Young, active, near enough innocent, very handsome... I would wager that your blood tastes as good as you look..."
Schuldich bent down, tilting the boy's head sideways. With one hand, Schuldich made sure the spiked collar Omi wore fell, leaving the pale skin on his neck exposed. Canines elongated the more Schuldich thought about the blood flowing underneath, how it would stain the clean skin. Schuldich cupped his mouth around the neck, ready to pierce the skin and drink to his heart's content.
"SCHULDICH!"
The red head was so caught up in the thought of feeding that he barely registered the raging outcry. A strong pair of legs kicked the vampire and made him drop Omi. Schuldich growled, turning feral at the rude interruption to his meal. Aya held onto the stunned teenager tenderly, violet eyes burning with hatred against his Sire.
"Leave him alone..."
Schuldich chuckled menacingly, straightening up. "Are you defying me again, Ran? I thought you liked this game. I play the villain and kill who you love, and you get to play the hero. The tragic one, who can never save those close to him."
Ran snarled back, lifting Omi off the ground. "I won't let you take him, Erick."
"DON'T CALL ME ERICK!"
The rage of an interrupted meal and the defiance of his fledgling fuelled Schuldich's legs, allowing him the spring to pounce on the red head and his teenaged interest. Aya was ready. He stepped to one side and leapt away, letting his Sire crash into the rubbish bins behind him. Manx ran into the alley, having been stunned a few minutes ago after she heard Omi yell for help. Her face contorted into rage when she noted Aya held onto Omi in his arms.
"AYA!"
The slender red head simply looked from Schuldich who struggled to stand from being caught in the rubbish bins to the angry Manx, who was now ready to fight again. "Manx. This is Schuldich, my Sire and the real reason why Daisuke died."
With that, Aya turned and fled, Omi in his arms. He didn't wait to see what Manx would do now. With any luck, she'd be able to fight Schuldich. If not... Well, Aya had to admit that it would be one less problem to think about.
Omi stirred in Aya's arms as he ran, the jarring pulling him out of his stunned state. Omi didn't say anything, just grabbed hold of Aya's shirt for comfort. One hand went up to his neck to check. Wiping the area where he believed Schuldich to have latched onto him, Omi held his hand in front of his eyes and squinted at his fingers. There was a trickle of blood across his palm. Fear slowly clawed at Omi and he buried his face into Aya's chest as he prayed. How he wished the past few days was a dream
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Oh how I long for the deep sleep dreaming
The goodness of imaginary light
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A very bad dream...
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In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
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Anime: Gomen-nasai! Gomen nasai! Gomen-nasai!
Omi: Good thing you have me now, isn't it?
Anime: Hai hai hai.... when you and Joey aren't playing tonsil hockey, that is! Sorry for the long wait for this chapter, minna! Lack of input from the muses over this has made it hard to spit this out.
Wufei: Lack of input? Don't you mean your inherent laziness, baka tenshi?
Anime: Hey! I resent that! I'm a FALLEN angel, baka. –glares- Anyway, three more chapters to go, everyone! Try and guess the order the songs will come in!