Chapter Eleven
Onee-chan: This chapter happens to be the 'alternate ending' chapter. I'm sticking it first, however, because I like how it plays out.. and it explains so much more about Knight and all that. The other one was written after this one even though it was the original idea for the ending. That is why this one explains more. -smile-
Enjoy!
Knight's Name:(dont forget to go -gasp- and 'wtf' at Knight's true identity. lol) I decided Knight's actual identity after I finished the story. I originally called him 'Dusk' but I wanted to keep with actual characters so.. lol. When the story started I wanted to name him after a character from Demon Diaries, Eclipse, but it would tarnish the name of such a wonderful character, thus. he is Knight. Later! -smile-
Kouji sat on the roof of his house, staring at the stars. His parents had cried and hugged him when he'd returned and the Kanbara's smiled and welcomed him home. Mrs. Kanbara gave her son a knowing look.
Takuya had smiled and watched Kouji interact with everyone. He seemed.. Happier now that he was free. He wondered what happened in Knight that changed Kouji.
Kouji looked to the ladder leading to the roof as it shook. Someone must be coming up. No sooner than he'd thought it, did Takuya spring his head up into view.
"There you are!" he exclaimed. He hopped over and sat by Kouji. "What are you doing?"
"Watching stars." Kouji laid back against the roof. Takuya sat silently for a minute and then began to twitch.
"Why? They don't move or nothin.." a shooting star whizzed past.
"Like that?" Kouji laughed. Takuya blushed in embarrassment and scowled slightly.
They both lay there on the roof for quite some time before Takuya remembered why he'd come up.
"Kouji.. What happened to you inside Knight?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"You just.. Changed."
"Hm?" Kouji looked over curiously. Takuya sat up and held his hands up in defense.
"Not that it's a bad change!" he said quickly. Kouji looked back at the stars and sighed shortly.
"I saw illusions of the past and an illusion of the present." Takuya looked lost but Kouji didn't look at him to see if he was following. "In the past.. You were cut on the cheek and blood slowly came from that cut. In the present.. Everything was over and Knight was gone. We were going to go home together and be together forever. But when I reached out to grab your hand.. Knight appeared and I just sat on the ground when he grabbed you in his hands."
Takuya had sat up but Kouji didn't notice. He was reliving it and Takuya saw tears in his eyes.
"I swear I tried to help but he told me to sit and so I sat. I didn't try to get up again, or fight at all. And he just smiled and told me to watch and see how useless I was. And then he.." Kouji stopped.
"He what?.. What did he do!" Takuya asked. It was getting interesting.
"It's not important." Kouji sat up and shifted to look away from Takuya. It might have been an illusion, or maybe this was the illusion and Takuya really had died.. Maybe this was the world he'd made up to escape from it all. And he couldn't stand looking at Takuya and seeing him dead on the ground, staring at him with dead eyes.
A hand caressed Kouji's cheek and he opened his eyes to Takuya. Takuya had wiped away tears he didn't know he'd shed.
"Kouji?" Concern was in his eyes. In his touch. In his voice. Kouji looked away and climbed down the ladder, jumping the last few. "Kouji!"
Takuya was quick to follow and caught Kouji by the time to boy tried to close himself in his room.
"Don't run away from me!" Takuya ordered. Kouji paused. He did a mental sweep of the hallway and house. Kouichi was at the other end of the hall, probably reading. Their parents were out doing who knows what, who knows where. So that left Takuya standing in front of him with little chance of someone coming to save the day by changing subjects.
"I'm not running."
"Yes you are. You always have!" Takuya stood defiant. He stared straight into Kouji's eyes. Takuya's, bold and determined, were surprised by Kouji's scared and pleading ones.
Whatever happened inside Knight that made him so afraid to look him in the eyes? Kouji looked away.
"Don't you trust me?" Kouji looked up, surprised.
"Takuya.. I.." Takuya gasped and he was rapidly embraced by Kouji. Kouji buried his head into Takuya's shoulder. "I saw you die... and I couldn't forgive myself... I'm so sorry."
'Since when do you give up to anyone! What could he have possibly done to make to do that?'
The illusions made Kouji think he was useless and alone in the world. Nothing mattered in the world. Kouji felt so stupid and weak that he didn't care what happened, as long as he could forget Takuya's death like eyes..
Takuya embraced him and then pushed away slightly.
"It's okay now. I'm alive, right?" he smiled and Kouji whipped his eyes.
"Right." Kouji started to turn into his room but decided better of it. Instead, he turned and kissed Takuya. Catching the boy off-guard and wrapping his arms around his shoulders.
Takuya blinked rapidly and felt his eyes flutter closed. He kissed Kouji in return and Kouji's heart felt strong for a moment. He broke the kiss and backed away.
"I love you.. Takuya.." he said softly, almost.. sadly.
"Kouji?" Kouji looked up and smiled at him.
"It's nice to lock yourself away in illusions.. But in the end, it's only an illusion.." Kouji watched as Takuya's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And why can't you just stay in it for once! What's so bad about it? Isn't this what you wanted!" Knight's voice asked from Takuya.
"I know.. It's what you wanted, Knight." Kouji hugged Takuya's form and held on. "Just.. Don't hurt yourself like this... Shinya.."
Knight backed off sharply and he no longer looked like Takuya, but Knight.
"How..?"
"I can see your heart... it's a bad idea to leave such a thing unprotected.." Kouji repeated his earlier words.
"Then you know that I.." 'Shinya' seemed worried. Kouji nodded.
"I love Takuya. He's always been there for me. He always cared for me. I just wanted.. To.." Kouji closed his eyes to stop himself from crying. "I just wanted to protect him.. from you.."
Shinya backed off another step and the illusion faded into darkness.
"Fine.. You've done a pretty great job of that.." Shinya growled.
Kouji raised his eyes to meet Shinya's. Shinya was a boy about Kouji's age, with brown hair and green eyes. He looked quite a lot like Takuya. Shinya was Takuya's little brother. He'd always been jealous of Takuya.
Shinya wanted to play with Kouji all the time that Takuya had. Kouji only had eyes for Takuya, and no time for Shinya. Sure they'd met and played for a few days, but that was all and Kouji returned loyally to Takuya's side.
"You want out of the illusion? Fine. Your brother and boyfriend are dead, Kouji. I'll spare your parents, but I will not let you go. I've tried too long with this charade to convince you to come with me. I will never let you go.."
Kouji stood motionless as Shinya faded into the darkness. Shinya tried to hide in his illusions and convinced everyone he was someone else. Kouji remembered the old Shinya. But that Shinya was gone.
Kouji sank to the floor and took off his bandana. He looked at the dark blue fibers and sighed. Takuya's first gift.
"Takuya.. I love you. Forgive me.." he whispered, and he no longer knew if he was alive or dead. He didn't remember feelings like hot or cold. Kouji felt no wind or water. Didn't know if he was even still breathing. Did he need air anymore? He couldn't see and yet he could.
Shinya's power of absorption finished.. The teen opened his eyes and turned to the side. There, on the slope of the cliff, were the bodies. Takuya, neck snapped and dead. He felt only slightly guilty for causing his own brother's death. Kouichi, he'd forgotten exactly how he'd killed that one..
They'd almost succeeded in stopping him. They even rescued Kouji, momentarily, from him. But he always won.. He made sure of it.
Shinya turned to Kouji's home town and looked it over. He brought a hand to his lips and felt them. He could still taste Kouji. He shook his head to clear his head. Kouji was dead to him.
With that, Shinya left the town and never came back. Kouji didn't fight him anymore and so he felt no more.. Except that one line that repeated in his head when he thought about him long enough.
'I love you, Takuya.'
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