Chapter 1 part 2- On death.
"The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone."
-Harriet Beecher Stowe
While I wrote this, I was listening to- "Roquefort (with horns)" By Karnivool (awesome Perth band)
This chapter goes to Ash Phox, who very nearly guessed the secret! -gasp-
By PretJb4eva
Summary: Every heart contains a darkness that threatens to consume it. Anzu was no different.
Some experiences cannot leave a person unchanged, certain holes cannot be filled, specific events in a person's life will make or break them,
Following the brutal murder of her father, Anzu learns a secret about her heritage and her destiny which will change her life and force her to question everything; her existence, her morality, but foremost, her true nature.
Author's Notes: I'm going to show you how Anzu's father died, what his line of work was, and what Anzu has to do now. Also, we discover Katashi is bleeding...erm...yes, okay that was random. o.O
Last thing: This chapter explains all the questions I raised before, and introduces our favourite CEO properly. Oh, and also, this chapter (and the entire story, really) contains an inordinate amount of cliches commonly found in Azureshipping stories. I am aware of this fact, and it is purposeful so try not to pay me out too bad, kay?
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Clear?
Warning: A LITTLE VIOLENCE! You have been warned. THIS
CHAPTER IS NOT FOR THE QUEASY! it's not too bad, however... (and lots of sexy Seto, so get a tissue
ready to wipe up the drool... )
Seto Kaiba was not a foolish man, but even he could not deny that sparring with an inanimate object was just the tiniest bit silly.
Nonetheless, if there was anyone in the world who could look graceful and dignified whilst slashing furiously at a pillar, it was Seto Kaiba; each thrust, each swing, each stab of the katana was perfectly executed.
He ducked and weaved, avoiding an imaginary opponent's blows, every counter more deadly than the last-
-One had to pity the column.
It was a rare moment for Kaiba- and a cherished one, where he was free of Kaiba Corp, and all the restraints it placed on him. Aside from that, it was not every day one got to go shirtless...
Wiping his brow and collecting his towel, Kaiba left the dojo and the slashed pole behind. He stripped his clothes as he went, not even caring what his servants would think; most likely they would enjoy it.
He wove through the enormous hallways and numerous rooms, finally finding himself in the very belly of the house: his study, bedroom and personal bathroom.
Stripping the last of his clothes, Kaiba stepped into the shower and let the stream of cold water beat a tatoo into his skin (a/n he just seems like the cold shower sort, ne?) These were the moments he worked for: this and time with Mokuba.
Kaiba scrubbed his skin, feeling the weight of the sweat on his skin -
and the weight of his commitments - fall away along with the cool water.
It was times like this, he could reflect, forget things like KaibaCorp
and Duel Monsters, stolen souls and God Cards. His train of thought
wandered to the "Nerd Herd" as he left the icy caress of the shower,
and toweled himself furiously.
He hadn't talked to any of them for over a year, and he was infintely glad of that fact, although he was also aware that his life seemed to be considerably more tedious when he wasn't constantly trying to defeat Yugi and put down the mutt.
But he didn't miss them.
No.
He just missed the opportunity to torment them.
Kaiba threw on some black jeans and a favourite black trenchcoat, revelling in the unusual pleasure of wearing jeans, instead of his straight-crease work pants,
He crossed the mansion, letting his feet lead him to the garage. Quickly telling Mokuba he'd be back soon, Kaiba selected his favourite blue-silver motorbike, and sped off, disappearing into the rain and the darkness.
The wind whipped at his bare,
unprotected face, the rain stung his eyes, his coat was scarcely
avoiding the tyres, and Seto could barely see the road a metre ahead of
him, yet he felt a surge of adreneline dulling the sharp pain, quashing
his sense of self-preservation.
Releasing him.
Seto crossed a wooden bridge, and glanced at the black water beneath him, thinking morbidly of what would happen if he were to drive straight off the edge.
It was merely a macabre thought, one of the thousands he had each day, a need to break through the monotony of every day by imagining the horrendously unusual. Death was one of the few things Seto could not understand, and hence his fascination with the subject.
Seto Kaiba could have anything, and he knew it, except for eternal life, and- for some unknown reason- that was the only thing he did not desire. He respected, and accepted death, treating it with a kind of reverence he gave to no other
There was one more
thing on his mind: the feeling that had settled in his abdomen in the
past week. A feeling of impending doom, the feeling that fate was
towering over him, circling him like a buzzard. Seto did not know how
to interpret the feeling, but he was certain he was not going to sit
and wait for it to happen to him.
He was going to plow through life as he always did, and he was going to defeat his adversaries until death took him.
He crossed the bridge, and didn't look back.
Kaiba
stopped for the first time at a deserted intersection, ignoring the
heaviness of his wet clothes, and the chill that was sinking into his
flesh.
He had stopped just in time, for presently, a dark blue car came
screaming past him, going in the direction he was planning to take;
swerving, either because of the wet road, or some distraction, Seto
didn't know. He flicked his right wrist slightly and smirked in satisfaction
at the low, thunderous roar.
Without bothering to indicate, he streaked off east, riding against the driving rain...
Anzu was shaking all over, she was sweating, and she could feel a nose-bleed coming on.
Dead.
Dead.
It echoed in her mind, and spread through her
body, filling every cavity, then eating away at her, emptying her,
targeting her very soul.
She wanted to be strong for her mother, but it hurt too much to hold
back the tears, they would not stop coming, they fell in hot torrents
down her cheeks, coming to rest at her feet, pooling on the floorboards.
Tears of anguish.
Haruka cradled her daughter, an attempt to still her own tears as much as to comfort Anzu.
Her
tears flowed down, filling the lines that were etched in Haruka's face,
lines she had made through 40 years of pain, suffering, and death.
The tears were no longer as hot with anguish as Anzu's, they cooled as they left her eyes.
Tears of weary mourning.
After what seemed like a millenia of quiet grieving, Anzu raised her red eyes up to meet Haruka's,
"I want to see him, okaasan" she whispered. Haruka felt her stomach lurch; she had seen a lot of death in her lifetime, yes, but even she could barely bear the sight of her husband, humiliated as he was in death.
Haruka shook her head, Anzu could not see this.
Anzu felt herself scowling in cold anger,
"I have to see him," she stated, "and I will, no matter how bad it is, I want to see him again." Haruka nodded, just once, and together, supporting one another, they made their way to the car.
Seto swatted at the rain in his eyes imaptiently, peering at the dark car as he passed it, and nearly fell out of his seat when he saw the driver of said car.
It was Mazaki, Yugi's little friend, the goody-goody cheerleader...and she was driving like a maniac; her tear-streaked face lit by the soft glow of a cell phone.
Why is she crying? wondered Seto, dropping back, to avoid her seeing him, he was going fast, but anyone would be able to recognise his trench coat, and he didn't need her recognising him right now.
Seto let her get nearly a hundred metres ahead, before turning sharply and speeding off the way he came; his mind filled with thoughts of the crying teen,
I don't know much about her, observed Seto, except she yells too much, she loves her friends too much, she's too nosy, and she's lectured me more than once.
He scrunched his nose up, those facts were enough for him to know he wasn't going to like her.
Squeezing the clutch, Seto flicked the gears up with a foot and revved the engine. Time to go home.
Katashi swept through his clan's unremarkable hideout, his dark coat blowing back occasionally to reveal a flower of blood blooming on the front of his shirt; a souvenir from his last job.
A lithe form shadowed him, sweeping across the polished floors like so much air,
"Sir," began the shadow, his voice dripping with well-hidden disdain, "is it wise, do you think, to presume this girl is really the answer to our problems? And was it necessary to-"
In one, swift, fluid movement, Katashi had the man by the throat, backed against a wall.
"Kage (1)," said Katashi quietly, "do not doubt me. We need her right now. Her father was the best we had, and we now require a replacement."
He released Kage and resumed his walking as if nothing had happened,
"It was foolish of Daichi to betray us, although I can understand his reasoning, because of him, we were forced to relocate," Katashi shot a sidewards glance at Kage to guage his reaction, "besides, we need her in order to fulfill the specifications of the prophecy, so we may restoreThe Cause's honour."
Kage was resisted speaking his mind again. He had seen what Katashi did to people who doubted him, but he had never believed in the infamous 'prophecy'.
Kage bowed to his master,
"I will take my leave, then, sir," he said, "and prepare her quarters and equipment. What weapon do you suggest?"
Katashi paused, then nodded,
"A bo staff, for now. You are dismissed."
Anzu was throwing up violently in the bushes outside the morgue. Her father was not only dead, he was a mass of organs, merely a fleshy reminder of the kind soul that used to reside within that body, for want of a better word.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood up straight.
I must be strong, she thought, Father taught me to always stand tall and face your problems, no matter what they are.
A tear leaked down her face at the thought of her father.
No more, she told herself firmly, I cannot cry anymore, I cried for a year when Aiko (2) died but not this time.
The tear slowly falling down her face grew cold, turning bitter. Cold anger. She wiped it away furiously.
This will be the last tear I shed for him, the voice in her head sounded unfamiliar, I want revenge. Only then can the hole inside me be filled.
Anzu gaped at the thoughts she was having. It was as if the need for vengeance was driving her forward, bringing out a side that of her that had been lying dormant under layers of kindness, hapiness, warmth.
It was a black hole, a cold void in the centre of her soul that had widened and expanded over the years, starting from the very day she had discovered Santa Clause didn't exist, the day she had learnt the meaning of the words "murder", "rape", and especially, "death".
The void
had gotten larger with every moment of her existence and, quietly, it
had begun to conquer her good-natured heart.
Again, the void had fed on her grief after Aiko's death.
Now, it threatened to consume her, swallow her whole, to override her sensibilities.
Unable to control the darkness in her any longer, Anzu punched a wall, and retracted her fist to place another blow on the unsuspecting wall.
I swear, Anzu searched around for the right words, by the cold, bright moon that I will get revenge, on behalf of my mother and myself. I will not rest until I get justice. I will not hide behind my friends anymore.
Thus, Anzu Mazaki unwittingly gave in to her destiny, and became Mizuki, Beautiful Moon.
Haruka saw her daughter, watching the range of emotions on her face, noting in particular the bitter, vengeful one, and sighed,
So the prophecy is beginning to fulfill itself, she thought, but will she succeed, or will we lose Anzu forever to the darkness?
Haruka stepped out of the darkness, grabbing her daughter's arm with suprising strength before she could hit the wall again, and do serious damage to her tiny hands.
"Anzu," she whispered, the girl's blue eyes softened at the sight of her mother, "It is time you understood why this is happening."
Anzu nodded, and the two women walked inside to the morgue's waiting room.
Haruka took in a deep breath, and released it,
"About eight hundred years ago," began Haruka, "A man -whose name has been lost- lost his wife to a murderous gang of thieves. Overcome with grief, he sought out the thieves and killed every one of them, using naught but his bare hands, and his hatred. He found himself to be still unsatisfied, and night after night, he would wake to the sound of his wife's voice, telling him she needed more vengeance, more justice. Finally one night, he realised her meaning; justice to those who could not seek it themselves, justice to the families of the dead."
Haruka gazed at a vase full of flowers that sat in the middle of the waiting room for a moment,
"He swore that as long as he lived, he -and his young son- would strive to bring retribution to the murdered children, wives and siblings, and give those same victims peace, so they would no longer haunt the living."
"Like a ghost-buster..." said Anzu, forgetting for a moment that her destiny was being revealed to her, Haruka just snorted and continued her story,
"He and his son were approached constantly for what they called favours, and before long they decided that there were too many victims to avenge, and they could no longer offer their services for free. They started to select citizens from the victim's families to train, and asked for small amounts of money for the favours.
"Soon, their organization (referred to as the cause) was flourishing, and it continued under the leadership of the same family. It was like a kingdom, in a sense. About five hundred years later, 'the cause' was blamed - falsly- for the murder of an innocent citizen.
"'The cause' was forced to go underground, and many thought that it was gone from Japan forever. But still, it remained, struggling to operate as new laws were introduced, children of the family never leaving the headquatres, their parents fearing they would take to the new changes being wrought in Japan. They remained blissfully unaware of everything going on around them."
"For many years, 'The Cause' had very nearly disbanded, only descendants of the original family and a few members loyal to them remained, continuing their organization under cover of a blacksmith. Finally, a young man became leader, a descendant of the orginal family, but with none of the traditiona ideas. He reigned 150 years ago, and many of the traditional members despaired, believing this was the end of their beloved clan."
"One member- said to posses both an unnatural
fighting skill, and superntural forsight, supposedly blessed by the
Gods- shared this view.
He had predicted the fall of 'The Cause' about 6 years previous, and
when the new leader came into power, and many went to him for advice.
This is what he told them:
From the one who shall betray The Cause,
Will come the one who may repair it,
When the night is darkest,
And the moon is brightest,
When she has come of age,
One will be destroyed,
The other will be born anew,
She will restore our honour,
She will come and The Cause will reign again."
Anzu and Haruka were still for a moment,
"Of course, that's not the original prophecy," Haruka made a face, "I could never memorise it in school. But you get the drift."
Anzu nodded. Then shook her head,
"What does this have to do with anything, mama?"
Haruka sighed,
"That is the other part of the story. Your father and I were born into The Cause. The law firm we run- ran- was a cover. Being members of The Cause was a birthright."
Anzu's mouth dropped open, no. No. That was not possible. Her parents weren't murderers.
"You mean to tell me," started Anzu slowly, "you and papa are a pair of ninja assasins or something?" (a/n haha, Ash Phox)
Haruka laughed. It was a cold laugh, with none of the warmth and kindness Anzu had grown used to,
"Were. No longer, and Ninja Assasins isn't exactly the words I'd use."
"What do you mean were?"
"I mean we quit. We left, and because your father enjoyed running the law firm so much, we continued in that line of work."
"But I thought you said it was a birthright, or something. Surely you can't quit a birthright." Anzu shook her head. This had to be a joke.
Haruka sighed,
"The Cause had to move with the times; children of the organization were allowed to leave after we came of age."
"Like being Amish," noted Anzu, "So you left when you turned 18?" Haruka looked nervous, and a little guilty,
"No, we were both sad, bitter kids," she said, "we had both lost our parents and siblings to The Cause, and neither of us saw our futures being anywhere other than The Cause, with the rest of our clan." Haruka smiled, looking a little dreamy; It took about 20 years off her face,
"We met on a dual mission, and eventually, we left, married, and had you and Aiko." Anzu felt her romantic side - which was currently being smothered by her vengeful side- awaken at the story. She repressed it, remembering that the man her mother was speaking of was Dead.
"But a requirment of our release from The Cause was firstly our silence, and then, when we had a child, we were obliged to tell them of their origins, and what their 'true destiny' was, in case they decided - in the future - to rejoin The Cause."
Anzu's head was spinning again. So many secrets. Deadly, terrifying secrets,
"We had planned to tell you tomorrow-" Haruka glanced at her watch, "sorry, today, but..."
Anzu was tempted to cry again,
"Is this why papa is dead?" Her voice was breaking, a lump had formed in her throat,
Haruka nodded, also trying not to bawl openly,
"I believe this is the work of an old rival, from another organization."
Anzu looked at her hands,
"How do you know it wasn't your cause?"
"The Cause? No, this is too..." Haruka swallowed, "messy for The Cause. They may have abandonded most of the Old Ways, such as only accepting jobs from victims' families, but they would never kill a previous member in such an...undignified manner."
Anzu felt a hundred questions scrambling for preference in her brain,
"Katashi, the man who came to our house," she said, "is he the leader?"
Haruka smiled,
"No, he is an old friend of your father's. He helped us when we left The Cause, and he ran the law firm with us for many years."
Haruka hesitated...
"He is, in fact, The Cause's version of your godfather." Anzu gaped. Her godfather.
She still didn't trust him,
"So who is the leader?"
"A man named Mizumi. He is young, he hates the Old Ways, and he loves money."
Anzu had one more pressing question:
"Why do they call me Mizuki?" she whispered, noting her mother's proud expression,
"It is believed that you are the saviour of The Cause. Born from a 'traitor' of The Cause, and your 18th birthday was on a full moon. Mizuki is the alias we were required to assign you, it's meaning (a/n beautiful moon) seemed relevent, as you were born on a full moon."
Anzu had had enough. She needed sleep, then she was going to wait for Katashi to come back,
"Mama,
I have to re-enter The Cause," she said quietly, Haruka nodded,
understanding, resigned to her daughter's need for revenge, her need to
right the wrong; it was a trait Haruka recognised from all those
adventures with Yugi and the others,
"I need to train, then I am going to find the person who killed papa."
She stood, helping her mother off the stiff-backed chair,
"Then what," queried Haruka, "will you stay with The Cause, or persue your dancing?"
Anzu walked to a window and watched the sun rising over Domino's skyline,
"I don't know, mama," she turned to Haruka, smiling honestly, "I'll tell you when I get there."
So many secrets. Deadly, terrifying secrets.
1) I believe this is the romaji for "shadow" (the kanji is 影 ... did that appear? ) but I am not certain. it is not pronounced like cage, okay:p more like Kah-Geh (with that kinda muffled, Japanese 'G')... I think. I would really appreciate some correction and or confirmation. : ) Thank ye.
(2) Yep, you heard right, for those of you who read Flight 314, Aiko is the name of her little sister in that, too. However, they die for different reasons...in fact, I was just too lazy to think up any more cute, girly names!
Oh, and a Bo Staff is pretty much just a length of bamboo, sometimes used for training (and also combat) K?
Flames will be used to toast my icky-tasting soluble asprin tablets!
PLEASE REVIEW! (Thanks to Ash Phox, Josh, The-Hinotori, Tourniquet, and Silent Kunoichi aka. Fiona McKinnon for reviewing)
