The End of An Era
Darkness enshrouded him, masking his own hands as he held them before his open eyes. The obscurity of the surroundings, warped and blurred, twisting into non-descript shapes. He panicked, turning in circles, desperately trying to see, searching the murky depths of the void for anything familiar to his now blinded eyes. Dropping to his knees, a scream escaped from his now shaking lips, the sound bouncing off of invisible walls, disappearing into the silence that once was. A breeze brushed past him, bringing with it an illuminated, blue mist. He followed the new element with his curious gaze, craving it's light, yearning for it. As he watched, it gathered mass, creating an ever-increasing glow, he reached out for it, wanting the sudden comfort it's luminosity brought with it. It exploded, radiating a god like blaze. He covered his eyes from the blinding radiance, the light slowly receding back to its source, the form of Orochi stood in it's place. Orochi extended a finger towards him, laughing, taunting, foreboding. He took a step back, then turned and ran into the darkness, "You fool, you cannot escape me!" Orochi screamed behind him. He dashed onwards, feeling Orochi slowly descending upon him. He stumbled, falling to the floor, smashing his face into the hard surface. Slowly he pulled himself up, rubbing his forehead, pain reeling through the nerves, feeling moisture he pulled his hands away. He swallowed hard, not really wanting to know what damage had been done. He took a fleeting look at his hands, sticky, red, blood oozed between his unstable fingers. His gaze wondered over the rest of his body, bright scarlet liquid covered the front of his clothes; slowly he began to feel the sticky wetness against his skin. He glanced at his surroundings, panic began to set in once more; everything was dripping with the mass of tacky crimson. He began to step backwards, careful not to slip; he wanted to get away from this place. A hand on his shoulder stopped his retreat; he spun round, locking eyes with the mangled form of what used to be Kyo. His eyes widened as Kyo gripped both of his shoulders, leaning into him, forcing him to lean backwards. He cringed as pieces of Kyo's broken face fell onto his chest, creating ruby smears in their wake. Kyo's lips moved to form words, but someone else spoke for him, "You're running away from your destiny!"
Iori bolted upright, his breathing heavy, cold sweat dripping from his red hair. He looked down at himself, searching, for what he didn't know, the blood maybe? "This is stupid." He said to himself while swinging his feet over the side of the sofa. He ran a hand through his dripping hair, examining the clear liquid, "What did you think it would be? Blood?" Sighing he padded across the room, shaking his head at how childish he was being. He flicked the switch at the bathroom door, walked to the medicine cabinet, took some pills from it and swallowed them. He turned on the cold tap, running the cool water over his face; he gazed in the mirror, and looked at his weary reflection. "Running away from my destiny?" His morbid, monotone voice made the question seem more like a statement. He shrugged, leaving the bathroom, sitting back on the sofa, avoiding the wet patch he had created not long ago, now thinking about the dream. Why are you playing this game with yourself? A familiar voice echoed in his head, his voice, but not, "Leave me alone, I don't need your opinion now." Oh, but I think you do…You're nothing without me!"Shut up and go away." Iori picked up a magazine from the coffee tableDo you really want that?"Yes!" The annoyance clearly ringing from his voice Then you will never know the answer to what you want to ask."What are you talking about? You don't know anything." Are you so sure? What would you say if I said that I already knew the answer?"I would say you were lying." Ha ha ha ha, really? Then you need me more than I thought…You see I know how to make everything better."Just FUCK OFF!" Iori shouted into the vacant space before him, slamming the magazine back onto the table Trust me…Kill Kusanagi…You know you want to…besides he's in the way…He's stopping you from being yourself…He's making your life so difficult."But I need him for when Orochi comes again." You don't need him, or that Chizuru bitch! Don't you see you could do it all yourself…Wouldn't you love to have their blood on your hands? Wouldn't you love to see the terror in Kyo's eyes before he dies? Don't you want to end this constant fighting? Having to constantly prove yourself to 'him', don't you just get sick of that? Who does he think he is anyway?Iori stood up from the sofa, "He needs to be taught a lesson." Yes he does…Prove your worth once and for all…Kill him…You deserve that…Confront your destiny.A grin crept across Iori's face, "Yes, he needs to die."
