The morning light filtered through the leaves of a large oak tree, dappling the grass and the young, brooding boy nestled between two large roots. He turned over, sighing, but the warmth of the morning did not carry him to sleep again. He was hoping for a nap to rid himself of the disturbing senses trying to grip him, and muttered a curse as he found that his severe case of insomnia since the previous night had not yet disppated.
Turning over to the other side, the Messenger Angel suddenly met huge violet eyes face to face.
"DON'T DO THAT!!!"
The small girl grinned as Kale tore off his glasses to glare at her full-on.
"It's fun to see you get all startled." She sang, plopping down next to Kale. He blinked.
"...Violet?"
She nodded, smiling mischievously at him. "I remember you, now. You're Luffy, aren't you?"
Kale shook his head. "I'm sorry, but Luffy's taking a nap now. And... sorry about this, but I'd like to speak to Rendel."
Violet pouted, but when she looked at Kale again she had changed souls.
"Is something up, Kale?"
"...Yeah. A lot of things, actually." Kale ran a hand through his hair, letting out his breath in a puff as he collected his thoughts. "A lot of angels are here. I've just realised that. They're all like... higher ranks than Messenger Angels. There were three Gold and five Silver Angels in the cafeteria, and I think I saw an Archangel on the third floor while coming down. I mean, what's the deal? Is something going on?"
"I told you," The Silver Angel said impatiently, "Valandi Kriquelleif is up to his tricks again, so a couple of Gold and Archangels were dispatched to protect this dimension."
"Do you know what he plans to do?"
Rendel shrugged. "That's anyone's guess, isn't it?"
"He's not trying to build up his own empire again, is he?"
She shrugged again.
"I don't know about that. All I know is that I still don't understand why God told Rainte to reincarnate Valandi Kriquelleif, and then banished him to a barren dimension."
"I don't think we should even try to fathom what goes on in That Guy's mind," Kale said wryly, stretching his legs out, "I just don't know whether to be on my guard or not..."
"...Valandi Kriquelleif is going to act up soon." Rendel said quietly, "I can feel it. Hurry with the Oda Dimension revival, Kale... everyone in that world is counting on you."
She sneaked a peek at him to see he was looking downcast and depressed.
Perhaps he's sensing it too, Rendel mused. In her dreams, she hadn't been able to tell him but... Kale had died. She had a feeling Kale knew it, too. Angels, neverminding their rank, always had a knack of knowing when their last days were near.
And Rendel had a dark feeling that Valandi Kriquelleif's recent movements being so close to Kale's nearing death day was no coincidence.
There were rapid knocks on the door, and Tashigi leapt up from the edge of her bed from surprise. She'd been expecting Zoro, but not this early.
"I'm coming, hang on--"
She pulled the door open, and immediately had an armful of boxes shoved into her hands. She blinked, her glasses crooked as she craned her neck around the boxes to see Yuina holding more boxes.
"Yuina?!" Tashigi, extremely surprised.
"Yeah-- sorry, could you hold these for a minute--"
Tashigi stumbled backwards, lost her balance and the boxes flew across to the other side of the room.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She cried, then watched Yuina pile up the rest of her boxes onto the spare bed at the opposite end of the dorm. The dark-haired girl shook her head.
"That's okay. I gave you boxes without anything fragile in it on purpose anyway. Besides, it's me who's charging in on you."
"Er... what?" Tashigi blinked as Yuina flopped onto the mattress.
"Any spare pillows?" Yuina asked, sitting up and ignoring Tashigi's question. Tashigi pointed to a closet that held all the spare sheets and pillows.
"You're... moving in?" She knew she sounded like a moron stating the obvious, but Tashigi had no idea what on earth would inspire Yuina to do so. Was it another scam of Jenna's?
"Yeah. You..." Yuina looked at her uneasily for a moment as she tucked sheets around the mattress, "...don't mind that much... do you?"
"You did sort of verbally and physically abuse me for the past few months. Oh, I don't know..." Tashigi was surprised at the amount of bite in her voice, and Yuina seemed to shrink away from her sudden coldness. Tashigi felt guilty for grating at one of the nicest girls from the group, then mentally yelled at herself for feeling guilty. Yuina murmured,
"I didn't want to do it." Settling onto her mattress, she ran a hand through her hair as her green eyes looked depressedly at the floor. "I really didn't want to do it, Tashigi. I was new back then, and I was just glad I'd managed to make friends, but..." The green eyes briefly flickered over Tashigi sadly before she said tiredly, "I didn't know they depended so much on being better than others. And I really didn't see what was so wrong with you. It was Jenna who cheated on Smoker first, anyway."
Tashigi's eyes widened at this, but Yuina continued, unaware.
"I was just... I don't know. I was an idiot for thinking they should be able to get away with everything. And I guess you were the person who made me realise what was just... well, right." Yuina looked at Tashigi in the eyes as she said softly, "I'm sorry they don't see it."
"...How do I know this isn't one of Jenna's stupid plans? How am I supposed to trust you?" Tashigi folded her arms, raising an eyebrow as Yuina bit her lip.
"...I don't know. You can send me out if you want, but I have no where else to go. Karen kicked me out of our dorm, so I've no choice."
"Why'd you get kicked out?" Tashigi asked in surprise. Yuina shrugged, and failed to properly hide her wince of pain. Then Tashigi noticed the hint of a purpling bruise swelling beneath her shirt sleeve, a reddish hue blotching Yuina's left cheek and a bandage around her ankles. She immediately got the idea of what might have happened, but did not comment, however, and instead sighed heavily.
"Well... you can stay. But if you try anything funny, like go through my belongings--"
"--you can knock the stuffing out of me with your kendo. Yes, I know-- I just... want to get to know you better, Tashigi. I swear I'm not here as an enemy."
"How'd you know about my kendo?!"
"I always knew. You're in a higher set than Jenna, and I always saw you get out of class while waiting for Jenna's class to end. You... didn't know Jenna takes kendo too, did you?"
Tashigi shook her head wordlessly, and Yuina said quietly, "She has more bark than bite."
Tashigi finally smiled herself as she nodded.
"I always knew that, too." She said. Yuina smiled.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Yosaku and Johnny exchanged glances as Zoro looked at them quizzically.
"Is there something on my face or something?" He rubbed at his nose as Yosaku said hastily,
"No, that's not the case! Er... it's just that you lied to us really badly."
"Lied to you?" Zoro echoed, raising a brow.
"You were so against having a girlfriend to the dinner-dance, remember? You said your last college banned couples."
"It did." The green-head had a sinking feeling he knew what this was about, and he was proved correct as Johnny demanded,
"So tell us what's up with you and that raven chick!"
"Who would that be?" Trying to play dumb didn't work very well, because the two stared at him so incredulously he could practically feel his nose shooting forwards in an act of Pinocchio.
"The girl with the glasses and dark hair. The girl with a penchant for tripping and stumbling. The girl you've been seen around with quite a lot."
"Oh. Her." Zoro hoped the nonchalance in his voice was enough. "She's just a friend."
"Are you suuuure?"
"Get a life," He snapped, when Yosaku noted,
"Your ears are getting red."
Zoro was saved from answering when a blue-haired girl suddenly grabbed onto his arm. He blinked, and immediately recognised her.
"Vivi?"
"Mr. Bushido," She gasped, looking a cross between exhausted and desperate, "Sorry, but-- I just-- I was g-going down, but-- I mean-- Nami--"
"Whoa, calm down," Zoro said alarmedly, "What's wrong? Say it slower."
"Nami didn't come in last night-- and I-- oh please, just come," Vivi said desperately, and grabbing Zoro's arm proceeded to frantically pull him away from the kiosk. As they ran into the distance, Yosaku and Johnny stared after, bug-eyed.
"Damn. I guess Zoro's just a chick-magnet. Vivi, Tashigi, Nami..." Johnny shook his head defeatedly. "Even Jenna."
"What happened to her?!" Zoro exclaimed as he saw Nami's crumpled form on the floor, and knelt down to sit her up. Her head lolled to one side, her eyelids half-open to reveal dead-looking eyes.
"I don't know," Vivi said, her voice on the verge of cracking, "I was going down the back staircase this morning and I just saw her, and I-- I didn't know how to take her to the infirmary, so I was looking--"
"Calm down, she's just unconcious." Zoro draped Nami's arms over his shoulders and picked her up easily over his back. He noticed it felt somewhat familiar, but he ignored the feeling. "Let's get to the infirmary." He began to trot up the stairs when Vivi called out,
"Wait! That's the opposite direction!! It's downstairs!"
Zoro sighed, grumbling under his breath, but hoisting Nami up he followed Vivi's back.
"Nami-san?"
Sanji frowned as the door creaked open at his knocks, and hesitantly poked his head into the room. Neither Vivi or Nami were in there, so he shut the door and banged his forehead against the door.
"Sandy... no. Sanji-san." Sanji blinked, and turned to face Vivi looking at him from blood-shot eyes.
"Vivi-chan? What's wrong?" He asked, and Vivi groaned as she leaned against the wall, rubbing her eyes. The model tried not to let a sense of panic overtake him.
"...Where's Nami-san?"
"...I'm starting to understand what Nami was going through..." Vivi muttered, running a hand through her hair, and looking at Sanji she said softly, "I found her unconcious at the back-staircase this morning. She's in the infirmary now."
Sanji's jaw dropped open, his eyes widening, and silence reigned for a few seconds as thoughts rushed through his head at freight-train speed. Without warning he sprinted past Vivi and practically hurled himself down the stairs.
She knew he wouldn't answer his cell-phone even if it did ring. Kaya buried her head in her pillows, sighing. She was sinking back into deep depression, and she knew it -- but she just didn't have the heart to try to pull herself out of it.
"Stupid Klahadol," She mumbled into her pillows. Her eyes flickered over to the brown envelope on her desk, and she scowled at it before turning over to smother her coughs into the pillow so Merii wouldn't have to hear it.
Then her phone rang.
"Hello?"
Her voice sounded so hopeful. Krow scowled.
"It's me, Miss Kaya. I just wanted to inform you that I would like those papers for the witnesses in by Friday. I'll go to collect them at Friday night."
"...Right."
She hung up with a slam of the phone, and Krow's scowl deepened. However, his fingers went to one of the many envelopes tucked under his arm, and his scowl fell away to a smile.
The bloodshed was being sped up. Everything was to happen tomorrow... and all Krow had to do was secure that Stormland business, which he undoubtedly already had.
As he sauntered off towards Cheryl Maine's home, he was so caught up with visualising his plans tomorrow he failed to notice the severe lack of blood on the envelope he was mindlessly stroking.
And if Kaya had looked at the envelope closely enough any time throughout the day, she would have noticed a rust-coloured crust around the edge that definitely didn't belong there.
Usopp knocked on Zoro's dorm door with a depressed expression, and let himself in as Luffy unlocked the door.
He slumped into a chair and bit into a marshmallow fudge square Sanji had left behind, when he noticed he wasn't the only seriously down-cast one.
"What's up?"
"...Nami." Zoro answered before taking a swig from the can of beer in his hand, "She's completely out of it."
Usopp frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"She had a nervous breakdown... I think. I just hope it isn't what I think it is. Because if that's the case, it's a worst-case scenario."
"What's worse than a nervous breakdown?!" Usopp cried, but without waiting for a reply he started to rush towards the door. He stopped, though, when Zoro called out,
"I wouldn't suggest going."
The engineer raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?"
"Nami-san!! What happened to her?!"
"Fell down the stairs, apparently."
"Bullshit. She's... she's... ...Nami-san..."
"Because Sanji is going all 'Romeo and Juilet' on her. Let them be - you can see her tomorrow."
Usopp looked extremely irritated, but he complied and sank back into his chair. He bit into another fudge square.
"What are going to do about saving our dimension, Kale?"
Luffy shook his head.
"Sorry guys - Kale said he was tired, so he's sleeping."
"What? Is something wrong?"
Luffy nodded, trying to chew quickly so that the marshmallow wouldn't glue his teeth together.
"I don't know what... but something's bothering him." The boy shrugged. "Guess we'll have to try again tomorrow. I bet Nami will be up and going by then!"
Zoro crunched his can and tossed it into the growing pile behind him before pulling out another can from the fridge.
"I don't know if she'll be in any condition to go through that virtual simulation, though." Zoro said quietly before drinking deeply. Usopp and Luffy exchanged glances, both unused to the solemnity in the room.
It wasn't long before they were in a game which involved stone-paper-scissors, liberal amounts of marshmallow fudge squares and a lot of exclamations and thwacking. By the end of it, all of them had their jaws glued together by marshmallow.
Sanji didn't know what to do.
He failed to help her every single time, and he didn't know how to help her now. She looked so frail and near-dead it was heart-stopping to look at her, but he just had to. The nurse didn't seem to mind him too much and was dozing off in a chair four beds away.
"She's fine, young man. It looks like a concussion of some sort. She'll be up soon."
The nurse's words echoed through his head, but he refused to believe it. Was the nurse some sort of moron? Couldn't she see that Nami's white skin, statue-like eyes and limp stance didn't mean anything like 'she'd be up soon'?
Sanji slipped his fingers into Nami's hand, holding it securely, but she did not respond. Her skin felt horribly cold, but Sanji forced himself to clasp it tightly.
Regret was pouring into him from all sides. He hated himself. This was all his fault. If only he'd found her last night, and held onto her hand longer. If only he'd told her earlier how much he'd wanted to help her. If only he'd held her that time she'd run out of the cafe the first time they'd ate together. Damn it, if only he hadn't been so afraid...!
He held her tightly, trying to control the tears threatening to spill. He hated this. This was an entirely different powerless sensation from last time, and he just hated it.
Because he could sense that Nami just... wasn't there. She wasn't sleeping. She wasn't in a faint. She simply just... wasn't.
"..Nami-san... I'm sorry I wasn't there to catch you when you fell. I'll be there next time, I promise..."
Sanji swallowed, holding her hand with both of his own as he looked intently at her pasty complexion. He found himself desperately wanting to see her like she'd been at the Going Merry, where she'd bark out orders, flirtatiously ask for a certain dessert, navigate the ship with streaming confidence and simply laugh and feel free.
"I promise." He repeated.
It was near dawn when Sanji finally fell asleep, his head nestled near her shoulder and her hand tightly held in his own.
You thought You had the best of me, didn't You, God?
Snickers, hacking laughs, guffaws and giggles that echo over and over and fill his ears.
Thought I deserved a second chance after killing me, banishing me into this deserted void. Do You know how long I've been here, close to the brink of insanity and never-ending pain? I'm not taking it. No-- nobody's going to take it!!
Screeching, screaming, scratchy shouts and high-pitched sirens of cheers stretch out, clawed fingers and bulging, blind eyes swerving and reaching wildly for the dark figure perched somewhere above, amongst the darkness.
He banished you here for no good reason, but He has made a fatal mistake. He placed an Archangel here. Now, He will learn to pay for that mistake, won't he?
A silence takes place before the voice speaks again, with increasing volume.
No Angels can come in here. Not with this seal. You have no bounds, no troubles. Use the powers I have given you to capture the souls God tried so hard to save. We will reign all the dimensions I chose to destroy in first place! Make God pay!!!
Loud rips of flesh and skin echo as blood splatters in dark streaks over the floor and the others. Crimson and black, leathery wings burst forth from every demonic creature. Screams of masochistic delight pierce the silence, and with maniacal screeches they tear through the gateway towards all the different dimensions created for them.
Valandi Kriquelleif's eyes and teeth gleam, his demons now dispatched and his goals ready to be fulfilled.
A/N: ;; I know, stupid ending. Valkrief sounds like a kook. *shakes head* And I know... looong chapter... but I was requested to speed the plot up, so all I can do is put more into one chapter. :P Okay.... now I've got to enter hellish proportions of story-telling for the next chapter. Bleh. *dies*
*resurrects* Thank you for your patience with me. ^_^; Thank you for reading. Thank you for bearing with my bleghy writing. (I didn't say crappy. It's now bleghy. XD) And thank you taking the time to leave me reviews. It'd be lying to say the reviews are the only reason I write, but I highly appreciate them all the same. *huggles all reviewers* Thank yew. *^^*
Next update plan: Er...exams all week next week. I'll try to type a chapter up this weekend and upload it sometime during my revision...