Echoes of the Past
By: Ishikawa Ran
Rating: Still M It wont go no where…
Summary: Ruka's finally, and mysteriously gotten the music box without having to talk to Marlene and fall for another one of her 'I own you' ploys. He's now to head back to the Escapeless Abyss and hope that the one he's searching for is there… Will Stan be there? And more importantly, will he accept the boy's love with open arms?
(-w-)
You would guess that my journey would only get easier from here, right? Well, as much as I thank you for caring, no, it isn't like that. I never did like the Escapeless Abyss all that much as it is… but thinking about going in and actually doing so are two completely different things. Especially when you have no one with you to accompany you… no one telling you to 'Hurry slave!' or 'I can sense that foolish Evil King somewhere here… We shall go!'
I sigh and look at the ground kicking my feet in the dirt. There aren't many ghosts in here really… even if I DO run into one, it's not like I can't defeat it… and they only ever run into you when you don't want to see them. I remember when I was almost defeated by the Ex-Chairman Evil King and he threw us all out of that one chamber and told us that we weren't worth the fight, come back when we were. Stan was displeased with only me of course…
'You foolish slave! When I ask you if you're ready for a battle you answer me truthfully!' He'd swung around and wrapped me up in the tail of his shadow. He leaned close to my face and looked me in the eye… 'Do not fear though…I do not ONLY blame you for this… Don't tell a soul, but none of us seemed to be ready for this match…' I smile. It was always me whom Stan was completely honest with… well, maybe Roselyn too; if you count the fact that he can be brutally honest… especially when she has the Rapier to my throat. It was the only thing he could do to keep her from killing me was not to lie… or… lie really well. He tended to lie a lot more than tell the truth…
I sigh again and took a surprisingly brave step forward into the chamber. I swallow hard and take a few more steps, placing myself fully into the chamber… and jumping sky high when a block of stone slams itself down in front of the entrance, blocking the only exit from the escapeless abyss. I turn quickly to stare at the block… and I know now that Stan had better be in here. If he wasn't, I was doomed to wander these dungeons for the rest of my life… which wouldn't be long. I had enough for what, three days? A week if I made it last?
I drop to my knees and bite back a sob. This was a bad thing to do in my case, but doubt and guilt suddenly fills my head. There's guilt that my family will never know that I died in a cave… doubt that Stan's even in here. What if he wasn't….? What if my search had been completely in vain and while my family thought I was living a happy life as Stan's love slave, I was really starving to death in a cave, wondering why the hell I was STUPID enough to look in an Abyss that Stan would probably never come to! He had said himself that it was typical of an imposter Evil King who thought that a dark and creepy place like this would suffice as a hide was TRULY an imbecile… and I was truly an imbecile for coming here. Imagine me, thinking that I would find Stan in a place he'd said he would never sink low enough to stay in. That's the last time I follow my gut feeling! Then again, it may have been the last time I could ever follow it. I stand and shake it off… maybe… maybe my gut feeling was right…? Maybe Stan foresaw this… and was waiting for me here…?
It's that thought, and that thought alone that keeps me moving, letting me take another step forward and walk down the stairs at the end of the corridor. I don't remember another time that I was this driven. I want so badly to find Stan that I'm risking my life and my sanity, most likely, just for this… Gods, it had better be worth it.
(- w -)
My head hurts, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and my ass hurts! Everything makes sense in that last sentence. I'm thinking to hard, I refuse to sleep without finding my way, I'm trying to save my food for when I REALLY need it… and I've fallen threw about five holes in the floor. I've also been attacked by about twelve ghosts, which is making this journey a WHOLE hell of a lot better… I finally collapse in a corner and swing my bag around, taking out a small bun and eating it as slow as I can, hoping my stomach would believe that it was getting more food than it really was.
I've been making the mistake of running towards moving shadows in hopes of it being Stan. But it never was. It was only ghosts that wanted a decent meal. I know flinched away from the shadows after I identified them as what they were. Not Stan. Run. Words to live by. At least in my case. My cloth headband had ripped and my hair was a bit awry now… My shirt is ripped across my chest, exposing most of my skin… and it's cold. Joy. Rapture.
Fucking glory…
I probably look horrible… but at least I'll be able to show Stan EXACTLY what I went through to get to him. I would hate to have them see me like this… Clothing torn, hair a mess, tear streaked face… Yes, I've been crying. Did you know it's hard to swallow food when you cry? I'm finding this out the hard way.
Yes, it's true. I'm crying right now. Right this second; Stan-induced tears are keeping me from enjoying what may be my last meal. Stan-induced sobs are wracking my skeleton like frame and luring ghosts towards me, slowly but surely. Stan-induced thoughts are haunting my mind… I want him back now… "S-Stan… DAMN YOU!"
I couldn't even lift my sword let alone fend these things off… great; I'm going to die… I'm seriously going to die… I open my eyes and see a blur of blue flash in front of me… I must be going insane. That looked like James.
Wait…
James!
The ghosts that were after me flee from the sudden appearance of the ghost butler, and I think I got my second wind. I stand weakly and wander towards my savior. My heart is pounding… I can feel it in my ears, is that normal? "J-James! Y-You're here… that means Stan is here! You know where he is?" It doesn't occur to me at all that his turned his back to me…
"Come with me…" James' voice is full of sorrow… That's not good… normally he's so perky and happy and crying with joy about how great his master is…
Oh god… He… Stan couldn't be dead, could he…? My heart drops and I reach out and touch James' shoulder. "What's wrong…? Nothing's happened to him, has it…?" I feel my throat tighten as tears try to work their way out of my eyes. Please don't let him be dead… He can't be dead…
"My master could never die such a petty death. If he were dead it would be from killing himself, for he is the only one strong enough to take his life!"
My heart unclenches. "He's fine then…?"
James, who had reverted back to his happy master-proud self, was suddenly sullen again. "No… He's not… completely fine… Just come with me…"
The only time the James had ever told me the Stan wasn't 'completely fine' was when I had a small, awkward run in with Epros… The blonde had started to talk to me, but had dropped his rhymes. This made me nervous….
"Ruka… I need to speak with you."
"Epros? Is something wrong?" I was already nervous by this point… Epros didn't even talk to Lynda without speaking in rhyme.
Epros had only smiled… and the lights went out. That meant that Stan would have no way of hearing whatever the other had to say. Of course, neither of us had seen that the door was open a crack, and a pair of jack-o-lantern like eyes were peering sneakily at the scene about to unfold. "It is something I can remedy… but I fear that after you're aware of what I have to say, you may never trust me again…"
"What makes you say that…? I trust you Epros, come on… You know me better than that."
"I also fear you do not know me enough." Epros leaned forward and planted his pale lips on my own. My heart jumped but clenched painfully as I realized I couldn't let this happen… I was going to hurt one of my friends…
"E-Epros I…" I pushed him away a little. "S-Sorry… I c-can't…"
"I understand. I apologize greatly. Please forgive my rudeness…"
"N-No, Epros… I-I don't… hate you now… I just... don't feel that way for you… I'm so sorry…"
"It is all right, you've no need to fret… It seems our rightful paths are set…" He rhymed again… that made me feel a bit better. "You have your love and I have mine… But our hearts just cannot intertwine."
I smiled slightly and looked away. "You'll find that person… I know you will… You can trust me right?" I smiled again. I wanted to make Epros feel better about this whole thing… and here I had thought he liked Lynda…?
Epros simply smiled back and ruffled my hair. "Of course I trust you… I'll trust you with my life." The light came back on and Epros silently left the room. I had been feeling more cheerful after that and laid down on my bed… and was suddenly face-to-face with Stan.
"I trusted you…" He had said… and disappeared back into my shadow.
The next day I had spoken with James, who was always well informed about Stan's well being and I only got this as an answer.
"He isn't… completely okay…"
I spent the rest of the day trying to convince Stan to come out and talk to me… and only got to apologize before I went to bed. I felt particularly warmer that night, as if someone was hugging me, but I ignored it.
What James said earlier… was Stan upset about something? I don't know… but I'm nervous… what if something had happened…? What if… Gods, I feel like slapping myself. All these what ifs and not one true outcome…
James leads into the same room in which we fought the Ex-chairmen evil king… and there stands the very man I'd been looking for for four days.
"Master…?" I manage, walking forward to the surprisingly stoic looking male. I smile widely and run towards him… The greatest way I can possibly greet him right now is by hugging him, right? "S-Stan! It's really you!" I feel like crying. I ready myself to wrap my arms around him…
And the very hands I wish to be welcome into crash against my chest and I collapse back to the ground. "M-…Master…?"
"Don't touch me." The tone is harsh and unforgiving….
Gods…? What did I ever do to you…?
(-TTTT-)
End Chapter 3
Me: HA! Cliffhanger! TAKE IT! Don't worry it's not the end… XD I'm not THAT mean. I got too many Reviews for me to comment on each one individually… so thank you to everyone who reviewed.