My Angel in the Dark
By: Ishikawa Ran
Rating: M still XD
Summary: FINALLY AN UPDATE! I'm so sorry… :bows: I haven't been in a very good writing mood lately… anyway here's the next chapter just for you!
-O-
Chapter 6: Eternity With You?
-O-
Ren's eyes opened far after he'd passed out. He'd woken up in a bed. It was a four posted with all but one curtain drawn… that one facing the window. Ren sat up in the fluffy blankets, and the soft pillows, almost gasping when he realized that he was no longer in any pain… all his wounds had healed. How long had he been out? Ren glanced over to the window and paled… The boy who'd killed the Harpy stood there, bloody, white wings protruding from his back. Ren swallowed hard and didn't make a sound. He heard a small sob and feared that it had come from himself, but he stopped fretting when he realized that it hadn't come from him… It had come from the other boy.
The blue haired angel had laid his head on the windowsill, looking out at the sunrise… He'd been doing this since he'd had his wings cursed, always thinking… Would this be his last one? He also sobbed every night to the setting sun, watching it go down and mark the end of another day… of what might be his last day alive.
His face was buried in his arms and he sobbed as quietly as he could, hoping that he wouldn't wake his love… The one person who could save him was so close… but wanted nothing to do with him… The headband he so often wore rest at his feet, his hair falling down to cover his and the tears the disobediently had fallen. His bloody wing had one white feather left, and it was only a matter of time before they all fell… and he died with them… An Angel's wings are their most prized feature… Something as evil as blood touching an angel's saintly white wings is like hell, and if all the feathers are tainted, with none left to link them to their heaven, they are cast away into purgatory… Many an angel has gone there, unable to find the one who cold save their lives. Awful stories had been told of the horrid place… and Horo was scared. He didn't want to go there for the rest of eternity… He didn't want… to die…
Ren blinked and stood quietly, not rustling the blankets for fear of noting the other of his waking. He walked precariously towards the other boy, passing his wings by and hovering slightly over his shoulder. He looked out at the sunrise and dared to lift a hand, gently placing it on Horo's quivering shoulder.
Horo jumped and his head shot up to gaze at Ren sadly. Ren made no motion to move and sighed, holding out his arms for the boy he'd just met. Horo's face twisted in sadness and made no attempt to stop himself as he dove into the younger boy's arms and sobbing aloud. "Ren-chan… I-I don't… wanna die…"
Ren frowned sadly as well, rubbing the boy's back tentatively. "W-Why… are you going to die…?" This Ren had no knowledge of what was wrong with the other…
Horo sobbed again. "You don't love me… You're… the… only one who can save me but you can't… because you don't love me… I-I'm going to purgatory… my wings have been cursed… a-and I'm scared… s-so scared…" His voice dropped to a whisper as he buried his face in the other boy's chest.
Ren's heart felt like it was screaming, but he couldn't figure out why… He'd just met him, how could he love him…? Why was it that Horo knew so much about him and yet… Ren knew nothing about Horo…? "W-Well, I may… not love you now… j-just g-give it time, I mi-"
"NO!" Ren was taken aback by this. "That's just it! There isn't any time! There was a chance before but… not anymore… n-not anymore…"
Ren sighed. "Well I ca-…" He stopped… his voice sounded so… sad…? He brought a hand up to his cheeks and felt a foreign wetness on them once again… He was crying… why? "W-Why… am I feeling this way…? I w-wouldn't… normally cry over something like this…"
Horo sniffled and looked up into the boy's teary eyes. "R-Ren…? Oh, please… don't cry, that's worse than purgatory for me… Please… I hate seeing you so sad…" He rose from where he laid against Ren's chest and pulled him close. "I'm sorry… I've put you in a horrible spot… I deserve purgatory…"
Ren shook his head. "No… you don't… No one does…" He whispered, tears still falling.
Horo narrowed his eyes slightly and lifted Ren's chin to look into his eyes. "Ren… please… can you kiss me again…?"
"A-Again…?"
Horo smiled sadly. "Yes again… Before I erased your memory, I asked for a kiss from you… and you complied, just to make me happy for the last few moments of my life…" He smiled at the memory. "And… I think… on accident… that was the only memory of me that I'd left in your mind…"
Ren closed his eyes and blushed, looking away. "I-I thought… that it as a dream…"
"That's all it would have seemed to be…" Horo sighed and let go of the boy, leaning back against the wall. "I'm sorry… I'm asking too much of you… please forgive me…"
Ren's mind seemed to have snapped as his eyes widened and clamped shut. Images ran through his mind of a past that he did not remember at all. He remembered his abusive slave-driving father who'd sold him for money. He remembered the whip that Horo allowed him to use on his body for reassurance. He remembered how he'd first seen his wings… and how Horo agreed to give him a better life and make him forget… He remembered the love in his gaze as he leaned forward and kissed the other gently. But most of all…
He remembered his thoughts…
'I DON'T WANT TO FORGET! NO! HORO! I LOVE YOU TOO!'
He glared down at the boy sitting on the floor and kneeled in front of him, lifting his face to look his dead in the eyes. "How dare you!" He said simply. "You think you know me so well, just because I was with you for a little while, but you don't know me at all!" He pulled the angel forward and gave him the kiss he'd asked for. It was innocent, but slow, and as Ren slowly pulled back, he let more tears flow. "You… baka…"
Horo blinked, and his eye widened as the other pulled him into a small tender kiss. He looked into Ren's tearful eyes and cocked his head to the side. "Ren… D-Do you…"
"I remember!" He shouted simply, falling into the other's arms and crying. "I remember… everything…"
Horo blinked again and held the boy close. "Ren…" A smile spread across his face and he pulled the other forward further, hugging him tightly.
-O-
Lyserg heart beat fast as he and Ryu approached the doors of the Head Angels' building. He clutched onto the other's arm tightly and tugged him back a bit. "W-We don't HAVE to do this, I mean… I-I can just deal with myself the way I am y-you know…?"
Ryu raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "We've come this far. You'll be fine."
"I-I'm not… worried about me… I-I'm scared that they'll get mad at you…" He whispered.
"Lyserg… They won't risk doing anything to me, I promise… I'm next in line for being in the Head Council. No one else is qualified. Besides, the leader is a big softy and my friend… he'll love you… I promise… You're the sweetest thing since sugar… or dark chocolate… and nobody should be able to turn that down."
Lyserg looked away. "Tell that to Horo…"
Ryu sighed. "Horo is going through a very tough time right now… I have to apologize for him; he was only protecting the one he loves. He's just scared right now is all…"
Lyserg swallowed and nodded as the white door opened. Faust had been the one who had opened the door for them. "Ryu…? What are you doing here? And who is this?"
Lyserg folded his now black and white wings and hid behind Ryu with a small squeak. Ryu smiled and looked up to his friend. "Just an Dark Angel who's changed his ways… And is ready to use what he's learned."
Faust smiled and nodded, letting Ryu move out of the way. Lyserg looked up at him fearfully and twisted the hem of his shirt in his hands. Faust laid a hand on the boy's head and beamed at him. "Don't worry little one… I won't hurt you…"
Lyserg couldn't seem to form words. He simply nodded and sent a glance back to Ryu.
"You have to go in alone, love… I'll wait right out here…"
Lyserg nodded again and quivered slightly in fear as he was brought inside. His last image of Ryu was him waving to him, lovingly, just before the door's shut.
The young Dark Angel bit his lip as he was brought before the rest of the council.
One of the other members of the council stood up and glared at the boy. "What in heaven's name is he doing here?"
Faust tightened his hand on the boy's shoulder. "He is here to get his wings blessed." He glared back up at the man. "Why do you have a problem with it? You've helped bless other's wings, I don't see what could possibly be wrong with this one…"
The second councilman stood as well. "Those were Angels, Faust-sama, there is a difference! That… That thing is a Dark Angel! Our very enemy! A-"
"-Whose wings are already changing." Faust motioned for the men to sit down. He stood the boy in the center of the room. "Lyserg, I know you'd rather not have to do anything… but please explain your case to the others. Don't leave anything out… And I mean anything." He smiled and winked.
Lyserg felt a blush paint his cheeks and he nodded, looking down. "A-… A lot of things have… have started to make my wings change… A-A while ago… I f-fell in love with an angel…" He glanced up at Faust as if to ask if he should name off the Angel. Faust simply nodded and motioned for him to continue. "H-His name was R-Ryu…" The council began to whisper amongst themselves. Lyserg bit his lip and looked down. "We both new it was wrong… but he didn't care, and he didn't let me care either…"
Faust smiled softly at the boy as Lyserg paused. "It's quite alright Lyserg, please continue."
Lyserg nodded. "Later… I-I found a boy… who was tied down… with needles protruding through his skin… S-So I pulled them out of him… A-Another Angel killed the Harpy who'd done that to the boy and yelled at me to leave… T-That might've been the last straw… Once my love found me… and I'd torn out a few of my feathers, we'd found that they had begun to turn white… A-And… I-I thought that…" He looked down and sniffled slightly, tears becoming evident.
A third councilman stood and gasped in awe. "Dark Angels are not supposed to cry! They do not have the ability to!" Lyserg's eyes opened wide and he backed away slightly.
"I-I've been able to cry s-since as long a-as I can remember…" He stated, shivering slightly and looked down. "I-I don't know why…"
Faust placed a gentle hand on his back and smiled down at the boy. A moment later, he walked back to the dumbfounded council. "Lyserg, you may leave now…"
Lyserg blinked and took a timid, but brave step forward. "B-But Faust-sama! W-What about my wings…?" He bit his lip. Maybe he wasn't worthy after all… Maybe Faust had decided he wasn't as good as he thought…
Faust turned slowly. "What thing you should learn to do as an angel… Open your eyes…" He said softly.
Lyserg blinked again and looked around a bit… and caught glimpse of something white. He looked back again… and realized it was his wings. He smiled happily and wrapped his wings around himself, feeling the pure white feathers beneath his fingers. "Oh Gods, Don't let me be dreaming… Please don't let this be a dream…" He whispered, tears cascading down his pale cheeks.
Faust drifted back to the boy and kneeled down in front of him. "Lyserg-san… I believe you have someone waiting for you…" He whispered, motioning for the door.
Lyserg hugged the head angel lightly and headed for the door as he was told. "Thank you so much! I won't forget this!"
-O-
Ryu waited silently, but worriedly at the doors of the building, breathing slowly. He heard the doors open and shut again and he whipped around happily, "Ly-…" He blinked. No one was there… He let his wings droop a bit and he sighed. "Lyserg…" Had they turned him down…? Ryu was sure that Faust wouldn't let the council bend his better judgment… Maybe he was wrong…
At least he thought he was until a pair of beautiful white wings wrapped around him from behind, followed by a pair of small delicate arms. "Ryu… we did it…" A voice whispered.
Ryu smiled happily and turned around, looking down at the now white winged boy happily. "Lyserg… You're beautiful…" He hugged him tightly to him and lifted him into the air. He let him back down and kissed him gently. "I thought I told you not to worry… didn't I?"
Lyserg smiled and nuzzled his love. "I didn't worry much… though Faust was the only one who was really okay with it…"
Ryu smirked. "Yeah, the other's live their lives with a permanent pole up their ass…" He snickered.
Lyserg whacked him on the shoulder. "Ryu!" Ryu smiled and he and Lyserg almost waltz away from the building, holding each other's hands as if it were a lifeline.
-O-
Faust smiled and took his seat in the center of the other angels. The rest of the room seemed to be trembling with anger.
"Faust-sama! How could you so easily give him what he wanted! He could be trying to spy in on our workings and just that small mistake could ruin our hard work!"
"How many times has this been done in the past and it has not been for the better…?"Faust asked simply. "When the rest of the council once again became quiet, he smiled and stood. "I believe I have the right to rest my case… I've known Ryu for a very long time gentlemen… and it isn't like him to fall in love with the enemy… When he told me about him loving a Dark Angel, yes, I was shocked… but I had promised to understand… and now that I have met the young boy… for a small moment, I know what went through Ryu's mind when they'd first met… Happiness… There hasn't been a Dark Angel alive that could bring happiness to an Angel's heart… but Lyserg could… with tears alone…"
-O-
Lyserg's head reared back slightly and came forward with a small 'A-Achoo!' He pouted slightly as Ryu poked the top of his nose. "Catching a cold, love?" He chuckled, running his finger along Lyserg's cheek.
Lyserg sighed. "I hope not… I don't think I am…" He paused slightly. "Can… Can I even catch colds now?"
Ryu laughed lightly and touched the boy's beautiful white wings. "No… No you can't… not easily anyway… It has to be some kind of really bad weather for us to catch a cold… even with that, it isn't a bad one… unless of course that weather is made with magick…"
Lyserg blinked and looked up at Ryu. "Does that happen much…?"
Ryu shook his head. "Nope… only if there's another Hurricane Horo." He glanced at his love and chuckled at the blank, lost look on his face. "Ah, I see I'm to tell you the story… When Horo was a young angel, just before having his wings blessed to schooling, he'd followed some of the older angel's, myself and Faust included, and watched an elemental ritual… We all have stationed elements. Faust is Air, mine is Earth… as is yours… Yoh's is Fire and Horo's is… well water and ice. Ice mostly. He watched the whole thing and decided to conjure up some of his own powers… Unfortunately, we had frozen droplets of rain in waves for the next three days... We could only call it the infamous 'Hurricane Horo'. As for Horo, he was just happy that the nickname died out after a while… So don't bring it up when we go see him today."
Lyserg had almost missed that last part as his mind silently laughed at the doings of the Chibi Horo… "T-Today! We're going there today!"
Ryu nodded. "He, of all people, should know that you've changed… according to you, he wasn't all that happy with you being near Ren." He rubbed the back of the young angel's neck.
Lyserg shook his head hard. "I was trying to save him! H-Horo he… h-he didn't understand…"
"I know… I know, love, I know…" He pulled the young one close and sighed. "As I've said before… Horo is going through something really bad right now… and from what I've figured, Ren is the only one who can save him. Any threat to Ren's life is going to be eliminated as best it can without killing it… which fortunately wasn't that case for that evil Harpy. He'll thank you when the time comes I promise."
Lyserg sighed and buried his face in the other's shoulder. "He'll trust you… when you tell him that… right…? Because you sort of grew up with him… He'll believe you… H-He won't believe me… I know he won't…"
"Shh… Don't worry… It doesn't take much for him to trust someone… after he finds out what you did for him and Ren, he'll apologize… at least he'd better, since I'm standing right there… I believe I've told him about you, he may not have recognized you. I promise you'll be friends by the end of the day."
"Ryu…" Lyserg stopped him. "Can we maybe go see him tomorrow…? I-I don't… I don't think I can really see him today… I-I'm not emotionally prepared enough…"
Ryu looked at Lyserg calmly… and then sadly. "Lyserg… If you want to see him tomorrow… but never today… you may never see him… When tomorrow becomes today, what then…? Put it off once more…? If Ren can't help him, Horo might not be alive tomorrow… Lyserg this has to be done today…"
Lyserg's eyes filled with slow tears and he dropped to his knees. "Oh gods… Ryu… w-why does it have to be… s-so bad…? Why don't we have more time… nobody has anymore time… Something… S-Something bad is going to happen… We don't have any time… l-left…"
Ryu blinked. "Lyserg… what are you talking about…?" He bent down and lifted the boy up gently in his arms. "Come on… we should go now…" He closed his eyes and looked towards the heavens… and they were gone…
-O-
Faust sat alone in the Counsel room, all the others having left for the night. He sat and wandered to the middle of the room, seating himself cross-legged in the middle of the room. He breathed slowly, taking in the silence…
"Faust-sama!"
The blonde man was jerked from his meditative state to a sight he'd seen many times before. Yoh stood before him, a look of complete grief and fright on his face. In his arms, he held a small, fragile looking boy, eyes wide as can be and small twitches running through his body. He was having another vision… and from the looks of this, a bad one. "Yes, Yoh… How bad do you think it is? Bring him here." He stood and held out his hands, a large tile on the floor rising to be a sort of operating table for the medicinal Angel. Yoh laid the small one gently on its white surface and looked down.
"I-I think it's pretty bad… I don't know how bad but… I think it has something to do… with Horo Horo…"
Faust nodded simply and looked down into the boy's now frightened blank face. He sighed and leaned down, touching his forehead with two fingers. A small glow of light rose and fell, after which the tall angel laid his own forehead against the young boy's. Yoh had always hated to have to watch this part… Faust was the Angels' Medicine man, practically, and he knew exactly what he was doing… it had to be done with every Angel who had vision as bad as Manta had…
Faust lowered his lips gently to Manta's, breathing calm and silence back to the boy's troubled mind and body, bringing him into a comforting sleep… The tall man pulled away and smiled. "There… he should be better and fit to be awake in a moment or so… Let us let him sleep for now…" He led the younger, dark haired Angel away from the tile.
Yoh looked very sad for an odd reason that even Faust couldn't place. "Yoh-kun… Is everything all right…?"
Yoh quickly wiped at his eyes and he smiled, so care free, up at the other. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me… I-I'm just…"
Faust quirked an eyebrow. "That false happiness in your voice deteriorated with every second you spoke, you do realize this… right…?" He placed a hand on Yoh's shoulder. "Tell me what's bothering you…"
Yoh bit his lip and looked down. "T-That… I-I'll never be able to do that for him…" It was a tiny whisper, and Faust was barely able to hear him. "E-Every time he goes through these horrible things… the one time I should be there for him I can't be…" He let the unshed tears fall on there own accord. "I-I know that… you feel for him as I do… You love him as much as I do… but… F-Faust… I-I… you don't know how this feels!" He dropped to his knees and let loose the sobs he'd been containing for the last few years of his life. It was very unlike him to be this emotional… but I guess he was just keeping it all in… So much for Yoh being so laid-back.
Faust sighed and leaned down, wrapping his arms around the youth. "No, Yoh… I do know how you feel…" He smiled down at the boy, his sleepless eyes calm and unwavering. "I can only give him so much… I can only calm him when he is like this… that is ALL I can do for him… I'm not to love him, as he already has someone for that… and that's you." He ruffled Yoh's hair lightly. "You're there for when he has tears to cry, or stories to tell… You're there to make him happy when he needs to be… I'm here to chase away an image of something he's bound to see again anyway… But at least I can do that… If anyone should be wanting more, it's me… But I only take what I'm given. This is… This is enough for me…"
Yoh blinked away his tears and bit his lip looking away. "I-I guess… I shouldn't take that from you… and I won't…" He sighed. "I guess I'm just… a little jealous… that's all…"
Faust smirked. "Yoh-kun, please think about this… the kiss I give him hardly lasts five seconds… and it isn't even for the purpose of an actual kiss… whereas I am sure anyone would blush at what goes on behind the curtains when you two finds yourselves alone."
Never let it be said that Faust couldn't be blunt…
Yoh blushed deeply and fake glared up at him. "Oh, don't you EVEN go there…" He pouted.
"Yoh!"
The brown haired boy blinked and looked over at the tile. "Manta!" He ran to the boy and enveloped him in a tight hug. "Are you all right? That was a really bad vision wasn't it…? I was so worried you weren't going to make it out of that one…"
"I'm tougher than that Yoh, you know that…" He shook his head. "B-But that's not important right now!" He stood quickly, wobbling a bit and stood straight. "It's Horo! H-He's about to lose his last feather! He and Ren aren't even aware! He has to know now or it'll be too late!" Manta closed his eyes… but Faust stopped him. "Ryu and a new Angel are already on their way there, Manta… Trust me, Ryu knows the warning signs…"
Manta bit his lip and looked down.
Yoh brought his arms back around the boy and held him tightly. "Don't worry Manta… if I know Horo, he won't go down without a fight…"
-O-
Neither of the beings had moved from the spot they'd stopped all movement at as the blue haired boy began to shake.
Ren and Horo were still in each other's arms from the moment Ren had fallen into them… but a slight jolt made Ren wake from his trance. "H-Horo…? Is something wrong…?" He pulled away and looked into the other's eyes
Horo's eyes were wide and tears were running down his cheeks like waterfalls. "R-Ren-c-chan… I-it h-hurts…" He managed before falling into the other's arms.
Ren's own eyes widened as well. "Horo…! HORO NO!" He hefted the other up against the wall again and looked into his eyes. "Horo! Stay with me! Tell me what I'm supposed to do! Please… I-I don't want to lose you!"
Ryu and Lyserg appeared in a flash of dim light and were almost immediately at their side. Ryu spoke up first. "Has it started?"
Ren shook his head. "I-I don't know! P-Please, you have to help me help him, I don't care who you are!" He laid his head down on Horo's chest. "Please… I can't… lose him… if I do, I've lost everything…!"
Ryu pulled Horo away from the wall and looked at his wings. "It looks bad…" He sighed and brushed his fingers against the bloody wings… and gasped as he was knocked back. The bluenette rose slowly from the ground and began to hover, his wings spreading out and the last, pure white feather…
Slowly…
Sadly…
Fell to the floor…
At Ren's feet…
Lyserg found he couldn't say anything. Ren's eyes stared, disbelieving at the small bit of Horo that landed in front of him… Ryu covered his mouth and closed his eyes, trying to not cry. "We… we were too late…" He managed before the aura around Horo disappeared and he dropped to the floor, lifeless and pale.
-O-
Ran: WOOOO! Cliffy! Damn I need to stop that… and three power outages later, here's chapter 6! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Flames are welcome, but merely laughed at.