It's been a little over a month since my last chapter. I've been busy with
college and couldn't quite find the time to write, plus in all honesty I
just plain forgot. If I don't put something out, just email and ask what's
going on, I promise it works. LOL I got to edit and check my roommate's
paper, heh.that was kewl. I enjoyed that actually. It made me feel useful.
I couldn't believe that I enjoyed that. I don't mind helping peeps out.
Anyways I'm pleased with this chapter and hope you enjoy it..
Chapter 6
Lullaby for the Injured Soul
Burning.
Skin was burning.
Flames.
Flames growing behind her.
Air against face.
Running.
Flames still behind her.
Swirling adjacent to her.
Forward.
Only forward.
Running.
Pause.
Movement ahead.
Birds.
Black feathers.
************************************************************************
It was the first dream in nearly two years. Usually each night was a dreamless void of darkness, but everything was changing. Now she was lying in a bed that had held her to its chest countless times.
Slowly the darkness lifted, or rather the ominous black objects scattered around the room seemed darker than the air, which had taken on a melancholy atmosphere since she had arrived. She had expected many things upon her return, but the acceptance that she received wasn't one of them. In truth, she had almost returned once, but luckily she had held back, and only a few short days later the Raven had been born. Everything had been molded into a sweet madness.
Faye slowly untangled her legs from the sheets, the cooler night air tickling her exposed skin. Legs curled beneath her, she sat at the head of the bed, mind blank for the moment that her eyes traced the shadows. Within her, her own shadows stirred, yearning for the freedom that would be drowned while she was aboard the Bebop. The monster that now lived inside her roared to be as open as the darkness around her, and the shell, the body it was imprisoned in couldn't contain it forever. Given the size of the remaining spirit, if the monster wrought forth, she couldn't chasten the insanity.
Lowering her feet to the floor, she lifted herself from the bed. Waves of icy numbness shot through her toes as the small digits glided across the evening chilled floor. She paused at her door, a hand resting on the handle, before it was slowly slid open. Eyes narrowed in search of any sign of movement.
None.
Her feet stopped beside the huge steel door leading to the hanger. How many times had she stepped through that door without ever being asked? How many times had she come through to hear complaints about her messing up a bounty or her freeloading? She had always been an uninvited guest; well at least guests had the respect of their host. She had never had it. How simple it would be for her to step through it and disappear for the last time.
Upon entering the living room she had half expected to see the pale blue and white flickering of the tv. It was almost like the many nights that she had wandered in sleepless to find Spike pretending to watch a show during the late hours to ease the pain in his mind.
Normal.
Normally someone would have been up. The screen casting its pale blue and white shadows on the wall while soft echoes of a half watched show would replace the emptiness in the room with its own worthlessness.
Normal life had been lost, no, she hadn't lost it. She had given it up. She had chosen to leave it behind. It had been her decision to never return, but here she was. Here she was, again.
Faye nestled herself on the couch, one hand dangling off to graze against the floor, while the other propped beneath her head. In memory the cushions were only partially worn, instead of the spongy material that was in dire need of replacement. Its coarse material sank beneath her, inviting her further into its depths.
She wasn't sure how long she had lain there, staring at the ceiling before her own shadows shifted again. The tv echoed, and pale blue light bathed the room. Spike had reclined beside her with his feet atop the coffee table, while his eyes focused absently on the screen.
Memory recalled her shifting and grumbling each minute. "What is this?"
Cinnamon eyes never left the screen, but a quirk in the corner of his lips had let her know that he had been listening. "It's educational."
"Since when have you ever cared about anything educational?" She had rolled her eyes, arms crossed across her chest as she glared at the unwanted picture on the screen.
Spike had watched her from the corners of his eyes. "You mean you don't want to know more about the largest tick collection?"
"No and neither do you."
"How do you know what I want?"
"Just change the channel."
"No."
"Change the channel."
"No." He finally grinned openly.
She had dove across him, hands reaching wildly for the controller that his left hand held just out of reach. Her shoulder was repeatedly being shoved by his free hand as he fought to keep her away. "Give it!"
"Dammit Faye, get off me!" A sudden overpowering shove sent her flopping backwards, legs waving wildly in the air as she nearly tumbled off the couch.
Faye had crawled back to her original position, glaring at the man beside her that was no longer aware of her presence. The dull drone of the man on screen was the only noise in the darkened room for a minute. His soft voice continuing to annoy her, as he continuously rambled on about the different breeds of ticks. "Spike, change the channel or I'm leaving!"
"You promise?"
Dampness crossing her fingers brought her back to the present where she was still staring through the darkness at the ceiling. The velvety origins of the dankness probed further up into the palm of her hand leaving her fingers sticky.
Faye peered over the edge of the couch where a sand colored corgi stared back at her. Ein's ears were lowered against the back of his head in an expression of sadness. Had he been there when she came in?
For a moment she laid there eyes locked on the dog that stared back at her with the same eyes that could see into her soul. They were the same eyes that knew more than any human could ever begin to dream of, and they were fixated on her. She blinked, black feathers lining the inside of her eyes.
The couch was abandoned, her legs taking on their zombie form, dragging her to the kitchen. Thoughtlessly she found a glass and shoved it under the sink, some of the clear liquid splashing onto her wrist. The whizzing sound of the water pulled forth another memory.
"Watch it will you!? You're getting me wet!" On the counter beside the sink sat Spike, a plate in hand as he busily raked its contents into his mouth.
Memory was fuzzy but the comments she had thrown back were clear. "I am not! You're just dropping food on yourself!"
"I don't drop food on myself!"
"Then I guess you're drooling!"
"Drooling!?"
"Hey you two, we've got a bounty to worry about." Jet had always played the part of the father. He was the one that had to try and end the many fights that had always occurred.
Silence reigned supreme for only a second before the bickering began again. "Dammit Faye! Stop it!"
Jet sighed no longer trying to control the argument. "Why do they always do this?"
Smirking sinisterly Faye had lifted the glass that she was filling and poured the water in the bounty hunter's lap. An innocent smile played at her lips as she watched Spike leap from the counter, cursing her for the water while his plate tumbled to the floor, its contents flying across the room.
Reality pulled her back as water overflowed from her glass, slipping her fingers from the rim. The cup splintered into pieces as it landed in the sink, a small shard was left hanging from Faye's index finger. Impassively she plucked the piece from her finger, a thick river of crimson trailed down it. Faye stared at the blood waiting for the pain. She waited for the surprise. She waited for something, but it never came.
The darkness around her shifted into the shape of her room, where she found herself digging through a drawer. Carelessly she tossed all items over her shoulder until she moved to the next, until her hands felt the seal of the pearl envelope the she had hidden earlier.
A flourish of writing that was neater than she had ever seen mocked her from the paper. Its words were more important than the neat hand writing?
"237 kilometers east of the Venus city Bethel are the ruins of a nameless city. Be there at 2:00p.m. I'd hate to clip a raven's wings."
Faye retrieved her pistol, checking the bullets, before she glanced to her coat that was lying in a wrinkled clump on the floor. She'd have to be ready, for a raven that couldn't fly could easily be caged.
Venus. She'd leave first thing in the morning.
************************************************************************
It loomed out of the desert's heart.
The dusty columns that were tainted with vines emerged from the sand like a servant, its brave soul no longer it's own, but a ghost of something once alive. The skeleton of brick buildings still half remained, their tops crumbled in piles along what was once cobblestone, but now fine ground sand.
It was almost like a dream. Trees had somehow taken root in the area, their large limbs hovering over the rooms, while their roots had carved holes in the remaining walls. Her feet nearly losing their footing on the uneven ground as she weaved through the buildings towards what she hoped was the center of the city.
The further she went into the ruins, the more weeds and small flowers controlled the ground. Large iron bars had collapsed probably due to the weather across many of the buildings, leaving them unsteady and under stress themselves.
Raven pivoted into another room, her pistol clasped tightly between her hands ready to attack if needed. The trees to her left rustled as birds took to the air, a sign that someone was near. Her body swung around to search for the new threat, the pistol only making it halfway before a gun report resonated through the air from behind.
The pistol ripped from her hand, clattering against the brick wall that had been her cover. Rubbing her finger that was burned as the gun was torn away; she slowly turned from the flock to face her attacker.
"Don't move!"
He was easy not to miss, she would have seen him if she hadn't have whirled to face the birds. A little over twenty yards away stood a man with familiar copper hair. "I'd hate to clip a raven's wings."
Was he from an office building?
Was he...
Giles?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well that more of a character development chapter than anything else, but I'm pleased. I promise the story picks up from here and gets a lot of action, oh and there's even going to be a heart to heart chat in the next.well sorta. ^_^ Have fun lamenting over that till next time. I swear I'm never gonna give up on this.
Chapter 6
Lullaby for the Injured Soul
Burning.
Skin was burning.
Flames.
Flames growing behind her.
Air against face.
Running.
Flames still behind her.
Swirling adjacent to her.
Forward.
Only forward.
Running.
Pause.
Movement ahead.
Birds.
Black feathers.
************************************************************************
It was the first dream in nearly two years. Usually each night was a dreamless void of darkness, but everything was changing. Now she was lying in a bed that had held her to its chest countless times.
Slowly the darkness lifted, or rather the ominous black objects scattered around the room seemed darker than the air, which had taken on a melancholy atmosphere since she had arrived. She had expected many things upon her return, but the acceptance that she received wasn't one of them. In truth, she had almost returned once, but luckily she had held back, and only a few short days later the Raven had been born. Everything had been molded into a sweet madness.
Faye slowly untangled her legs from the sheets, the cooler night air tickling her exposed skin. Legs curled beneath her, she sat at the head of the bed, mind blank for the moment that her eyes traced the shadows. Within her, her own shadows stirred, yearning for the freedom that would be drowned while she was aboard the Bebop. The monster that now lived inside her roared to be as open as the darkness around her, and the shell, the body it was imprisoned in couldn't contain it forever. Given the size of the remaining spirit, if the monster wrought forth, she couldn't chasten the insanity.
Lowering her feet to the floor, she lifted herself from the bed. Waves of icy numbness shot through her toes as the small digits glided across the evening chilled floor. She paused at her door, a hand resting on the handle, before it was slowly slid open. Eyes narrowed in search of any sign of movement.
None.
Her feet stopped beside the huge steel door leading to the hanger. How many times had she stepped through that door without ever being asked? How many times had she come through to hear complaints about her messing up a bounty or her freeloading? She had always been an uninvited guest; well at least guests had the respect of their host. She had never had it. How simple it would be for her to step through it and disappear for the last time.
Upon entering the living room she had half expected to see the pale blue and white flickering of the tv. It was almost like the many nights that she had wandered in sleepless to find Spike pretending to watch a show during the late hours to ease the pain in his mind.
Normal.
Normally someone would have been up. The screen casting its pale blue and white shadows on the wall while soft echoes of a half watched show would replace the emptiness in the room with its own worthlessness.
Normal life had been lost, no, she hadn't lost it. She had given it up. She had chosen to leave it behind. It had been her decision to never return, but here she was. Here she was, again.
Faye nestled herself on the couch, one hand dangling off to graze against the floor, while the other propped beneath her head. In memory the cushions were only partially worn, instead of the spongy material that was in dire need of replacement. Its coarse material sank beneath her, inviting her further into its depths.
She wasn't sure how long she had lain there, staring at the ceiling before her own shadows shifted again. The tv echoed, and pale blue light bathed the room. Spike had reclined beside her with his feet atop the coffee table, while his eyes focused absently on the screen.
Memory recalled her shifting and grumbling each minute. "What is this?"
Cinnamon eyes never left the screen, but a quirk in the corner of his lips had let her know that he had been listening. "It's educational."
"Since when have you ever cared about anything educational?" She had rolled her eyes, arms crossed across her chest as she glared at the unwanted picture on the screen.
Spike had watched her from the corners of his eyes. "You mean you don't want to know more about the largest tick collection?"
"No and neither do you."
"How do you know what I want?"
"Just change the channel."
"No."
"Change the channel."
"No." He finally grinned openly.
She had dove across him, hands reaching wildly for the controller that his left hand held just out of reach. Her shoulder was repeatedly being shoved by his free hand as he fought to keep her away. "Give it!"
"Dammit Faye, get off me!" A sudden overpowering shove sent her flopping backwards, legs waving wildly in the air as she nearly tumbled off the couch.
Faye had crawled back to her original position, glaring at the man beside her that was no longer aware of her presence. The dull drone of the man on screen was the only noise in the darkened room for a minute. His soft voice continuing to annoy her, as he continuously rambled on about the different breeds of ticks. "Spike, change the channel or I'm leaving!"
"You promise?"
Dampness crossing her fingers brought her back to the present where she was still staring through the darkness at the ceiling. The velvety origins of the dankness probed further up into the palm of her hand leaving her fingers sticky.
Faye peered over the edge of the couch where a sand colored corgi stared back at her. Ein's ears were lowered against the back of his head in an expression of sadness. Had he been there when she came in?
For a moment she laid there eyes locked on the dog that stared back at her with the same eyes that could see into her soul. They were the same eyes that knew more than any human could ever begin to dream of, and they were fixated on her. She blinked, black feathers lining the inside of her eyes.
The couch was abandoned, her legs taking on their zombie form, dragging her to the kitchen. Thoughtlessly she found a glass and shoved it under the sink, some of the clear liquid splashing onto her wrist. The whizzing sound of the water pulled forth another memory.
"Watch it will you!? You're getting me wet!" On the counter beside the sink sat Spike, a plate in hand as he busily raked its contents into his mouth.
Memory was fuzzy but the comments she had thrown back were clear. "I am not! You're just dropping food on yourself!"
"I don't drop food on myself!"
"Then I guess you're drooling!"
"Drooling!?"
"Hey you two, we've got a bounty to worry about." Jet had always played the part of the father. He was the one that had to try and end the many fights that had always occurred.
Silence reigned supreme for only a second before the bickering began again. "Dammit Faye! Stop it!"
Jet sighed no longer trying to control the argument. "Why do they always do this?"
Smirking sinisterly Faye had lifted the glass that she was filling and poured the water in the bounty hunter's lap. An innocent smile played at her lips as she watched Spike leap from the counter, cursing her for the water while his plate tumbled to the floor, its contents flying across the room.
Reality pulled her back as water overflowed from her glass, slipping her fingers from the rim. The cup splintered into pieces as it landed in the sink, a small shard was left hanging from Faye's index finger. Impassively she plucked the piece from her finger, a thick river of crimson trailed down it. Faye stared at the blood waiting for the pain. She waited for the surprise. She waited for something, but it never came.
The darkness around her shifted into the shape of her room, where she found herself digging through a drawer. Carelessly she tossed all items over her shoulder until she moved to the next, until her hands felt the seal of the pearl envelope the she had hidden earlier.
A flourish of writing that was neater than she had ever seen mocked her from the paper. Its words were more important than the neat hand writing?
"237 kilometers east of the Venus city Bethel are the ruins of a nameless city. Be there at 2:00p.m. I'd hate to clip a raven's wings."
Faye retrieved her pistol, checking the bullets, before she glanced to her coat that was lying in a wrinkled clump on the floor. She'd have to be ready, for a raven that couldn't fly could easily be caged.
Venus. She'd leave first thing in the morning.
************************************************************************
It loomed out of the desert's heart.
The dusty columns that were tainted with vines emerged from the sand like a servant, its brave soul no longer it's own, but a ghost of something once alive. The skeleton of brick buildings still half remained, their tops crumbled in piles along what was once cobblestone, but now fine ground sand.
It was almost like a dream. Trees had somehow taken root in the area, their large limbs hovering over the rooms, while their roots had carved holes in the remaining walls. Her feet nearly losing their footing on the uneven ground as she weaved through the buildings towards what she hoped was the center of the city.
The further she went into the ruins, the more weeds and small flowers controlled the ground. Large iron bars had collapsed probably due to the weather across many of the buildings, leaving them unsteady and under stress themselves.
Raven pivoted into another room, her pistol clasped tightly between her hands ready to attack if needed. The trees to her left rustled as birds took to the air, a sign that someone was near. Her body swung around to search for the new threat, the pistol only making it halfway before a gun report resonated through the air from behind.
The pistol ripped from her hand, clattering against the brick wall that had been her cover. Rubbing her finger that was burned as the gun was torn away; she slowly turned from the flock to face her attacker.
"Don't move!"
He was easy not to miss, she would have seen him if she hadn't have whirled to face the birds. A little over twenty yards away stood a man with familiar copper hair. "I'd hate to clip a raven's wings."
Was he from an office building?
Was he...
Giles?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well that more of a character development chapter than anything else, but I'm pleased. I promise the story picks up from here and gets a lot of action, oh and there's even going to be a heart to heart chat in the next.well sorta. ^_^ Have fun lamenting over that till next time. I swear I'm never gonna give up on this.